COVID-19 Pandemic Forced Clyde Edwards-Helaire to Slow Down and Reflect
Kansas City Chiefs first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire was going through what he describes a “whirlwind” before the COVID-19 pandemic brought his life to a halt.
In a video conference with reporters Saturday, Edwards-Helaire said the pandemic has forced him to gain perspective, reflect and recover.
“Being able to press that pause button and slow everything down,” Edwards-Helaire said. “As somebody who went on a 15-0 run and won a national championship and immediately I was right back to training and then to combine and then the draft and everything and then everything was just a whirlwind, so being able to just pause, stop and being able to focus on one, mental health and just two, my body, getting everything back and in tune to do what I love.”
Edwards-Helaire also said the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been real to him as his mother has had the virus and his sister has muscular dystrophy. He said if his sister would get the virus “it’ll pretty much be fatal.”
As Edwards-Helaire gets ready for his first season in the NFL, he said he draws motivation from his sister and is ready to get the season rolling.
“The biggest thing is that she hasn’t been able to get out here to even see, just whatever is going on because the nervousness of her possibly coming out here and contracting COVID just because of people around who can’t just simply wear a mask or do the simple things,” Edwards-Helaire said. “She hasn’t seen anything yet, so ultimately it’s hitting home so ultimately I’m just ready to all this rolling.”
