<b>By Bill Althaus</b> bill.althaus@examiner.net When Elijah Lee moved from St. Joseph to Blue Springs, the future member of the Kansas City Chiefs arrived with no fanfare. He was not greeted by a marching band, police motorcade escort or even a warm embrace from former Wildcats coach Kelly Donohoe. “It’s funny,” said Donohoe, who was at the helm when Lee and the Wildcats won back-to-back state championships in 2012 and 2013. “I heard a kid was moving in from St. Joe who was a pretty good football player, but a really good basketballplayer.“But all I had to do wassee Elijah at one practice and I knew he was special. Players like Elijah Lee don’t come around too often, and when they do, you want to enjoy every minute they are part of your football family at Blue Springs.” Lee says he’s living a dream, a dream that he is working hard to make a reality. “I’m living a fairy tale,” said Lee, who starred at Kansas State before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Lee never played for the Vikings. He spent three years with the San Francisco 49ers and played against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. His best seasonwith the 49ers was 2018 when he recorded 65 tackles (54 solo) and had a sack in 16 games, including five starts. His NFL journey then took him to Detroit for four games, and he spent the past one and a half seasons in Cleveland, mainly as a special teams player. And now he’s home. “Being a part of the hometown team means a lot,” said Lee, a two-time all-state pick, a two-time Buck Buchanan Award winner as the top lineman or linebacker in the metro area, a MaxPreps Junior All-American in 2012 and the Missouri Football Coaches Association’s 2013 Class 6 state defensive player of the year. “I grew up right down thestreet from the stadium. I went to high school at Blue Springs, so I was 15 miles east of the stadium. Just riding by, you wish and hope to be in this position and now that I’m in it, I’m thankful. It is a blessing and I have to take advantage of the opportunity.” Former Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, who was on the sidelines at many Blue Springs home games at Peve Stadium, was one of Lee’s favorite players growing up. “Jamaal Charles – he was a home run hitter,” Lee said. “That’s somebody that you’re excited to watch in the games. Being a defensive guy, (former linebacker) Derrick Johnson.
