Mardy Fish discusses NFL players using tennis to train, including a former Chiefs OL

This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired tennis star Mardy Fish about defending his tournament title in this weekend’s American Century Championship, which will take place July 11-13 at Edgewood Tahoe. He also reflected on his first tournament victory, which occurred in 2020. He shared his thoughts on NFL players, including a former Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl offensive lineman, who uses tennis during the offseason to aid in their training.

“It was COVID year, and there weren’t many fans or no fans. There were some boats out there on 17 and stuff. But that one felt like just a regular (American Century Championship) tournament, if you will. We knew that it was on TV, but, you know, we couldn’t really see how many eyeballs were watching us, so it wasn’t too nerve-wracking. But that was a kind of weird year,” said Fish, “Obviously, I had a couple of really low rounds in the years that I’ve won. Last year, I think I made nine birdies in one round, and in 2020, I made 10 birdies in one round. So you’ve got to make birdies out here if you want to win. I obviously need a low one or two to do that.”

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Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. spent two seasons with the Chiefs and caught viewers’ attention on social media for footage of the Pro Bowler playing tennis to work on his footwork. Fish, a former tennis champion in his career, confirmed that he’s heard of other players using the sport’s techniques to sharpen their offseason skills.

“I know that Kirk Cousins loves to do it. We talked about how he was always asking questions about tennis, and he uses it, certainly in the off-season, for his fitness and stuff. He thinks he moves around in the pocket better, understanding his footwork and things like that,” said Fish, “Tennis is demanding movement-wise, as well as balance and coordination. You get off balance, and you get wrong-footed or something like that, and you can’t come back from that in terms of, you know, each point. So I don’t know who else does it. I’m sure some guys are out there playing pickleball and stuff like that. But actual Tennis, of course. A pretty physical game and a tough game to play. So I don’t know if too many guys use it. I definitely know Kirk does it.”

I’m open to any challengers on the tennis court, just don’t ask me to serve. 😂 https://t.co/ZNhc1pLObR

— Orlando Brown Jr. (@ZEUS__57) June 9, 2022

The annual golf tournament awards $750,000 in prize money, much of which the celebrity players donate to local and national charities. Over the years, nearly $8 million has been donated to non-profit causes. Network television exposure on NBC and a first-place prize of $150,000 make the celebrity tournament one of the most prestigious in the golf world.

Check out the website for more information about the American Century Championship.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Mardy Fish discusses NFL players using tennis to train, ex-Chiefs OL