Ko Kieft Draft Video Goes Viral
May 3rd, 2022
Bucs TE Ko Kieft.
This video of a Bucs rookie went viral Sunday and Monday and Joe thinks it is so damn cool.
Even the popular blog Outkick ran a story about it. Why is it resonating when nobody ever heard of Ko Kieft unless you are a cornfed from his northeast Iowa hometown of Sioux Center (population 8,229), which is about a 15-minute drive from the Nebraska state line?
Or unless you are a University Minnesota fan, where Kieft played tight end?
Joe is guessing the video went viral because anyone from the Midwest can relate to it. It just screams “Midwest.”
Kieft is with a handful of dudes (one appears to be his dad based on the reaction) and one woman sitting on lawn chairs in their garage. They’re watching the NFL Draft on a Saturday afternoon, drinkin’ beers (though you can’t tell if Kieft has a beer or not) and killin’ time.
Anyone with Midwest connections knows garage drinking is a real thing. When there is nothing to do you make sure the beer fridge in the garage is stocked for the moochers who stop by. If the weather is nice and the car is in the driveway — and the garage door is open and you don’t hear a lawnmower — that is a universal invitation to stop in, grab a beer, pull up a lawn chair and relax.
And there Kieft is with his family and friends among the rakes and the flyswatter, getting a call from Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
The garage is dead silent, outside of an occasionally whispered “Ssshhh!” When Kieft says “Seriously?” to Licht, everyone instantly jumps out of their lawn chairs or quickly leans over trying to eavesdrop on the call.
Kieft finishes talking to Bucs coach Todd Bowles, hangs up the call, raises his arms and says, “Tampa!”
The garage erupts!
Joe Kinsey of Outkick captured what likely happened not seen on the video.
It looks like his dad just got done lubing up the mower in the NFL Draft video.
This is the midwest being the midwest. Sure, some guys do the man cave thing, but this was a Saturday afternoon/night. This time of year we have to do things like powerwash patio furniture, cut tree limbs, run gas lines for our patio firepits.
If I know anything about Kieft’s dad, Jerry, it’s that he celebrated with his son and then asked who wanted burgers, brats and he was “buying” for anyone that needed a cold one out of the garage fridge. That’s the midwest I know.
The only thing missing from this video that would make it a perfect Midwestern scene would be someone in the background slicing a link of deer sausage with his pocket knife.
Somewhere in that garage are fishing rods and a Wiffleball bat standing in the corner. Probably a basketball along the wall, too. Damn near every family house in a Midwest small town has a basketball hoop in the driveway. Seems like an ordinance of some sort.
Enjoy, Bucs fans!
Hard work pays off! Pick #218! @KoKieft @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/LUPOUKmuwQ
— BlackhawksFB (@BlackhawksFB) April 30, 2022
May 3rd, 2022 at 4:06 am
Yeah, no doubt Ko Kieft is gonna be a Buc fav.. Watching this and watching his pancake blocks, whats not to love?!
May 3rd, 2022 at 4:12 am
My kind of people. Welcome to Tampa!
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:23 am
Thats so cool it could be a norman rockwell video if there is one.
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:28 am
Lol Joe, I’m reminded of a meme: “Never before have I been so offended by something I one hundred percent agree with”. Good stuff Joe.
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:49 am
LFG!🤘🏼🤘🏼
May 3rd, 2022 at 6:56 am
Goatfarmer Junior went to Minnesota, and saus that Kieft was everybody’s favorite Gopher. He is over the top that Kieft is a Buc.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:02 am
This guy ain’t getting shot ins titty bar at 2am
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:24 am
Awesome.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:24 am
“You won’t regret it!” That’s what TB12 told his former “happy ending” owner when he was drafted.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:25 am
Someone should make a Bud Light video out of that, cause it don’t get no better than this!
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:40 am
For me, this is what the draft is all about……boys turning into men working their whole life to make the NFL……families & friends gather to await the call that may or may not come….
How sweet it is!!!
How can you not root for a guy like this?
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:41 am
maybe Kieft gets in on a 2nd and 2, and some play action is used when it should be, instead of the damn empty backfields on 2nd and short.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:51 am
I grew up in Northern Indiana and most of what Joe said in the article is exactly the way it was in the 70s and 80s.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:58 am
AWESOME!!!!! LFG!!!!!
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:18 am
Tampa!
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:55 am
Someone complaining about empty backfield sets and how Tampa Manages their goal-line offense is rich. Tampa was only the 2 second best in the entire NFL in Touchdown conversions in the redzone. No big deal or whatever, and someone still finds a reason to whine and complain. Life is one big yelp review, can never please everyone, some nit wit will always have something to bich about
May 3rd, 2022 at 9:07 am
Licht does it again. Great stuff!
May 3rd, 2022 at 9:29 am
Great stuff. This guy is sure to be a fan favorite.
May 3rd, 2022 at 9:40 am
Every group of people has their partying area, where im from its cold so its the Kitchen or the “Shed”, “camp” aka Garage, people will make their shed or garage as nice as a living room with kegs/tv/ ATVs fridges and freezers and hobby stuff and have the boys over for beers in their garage until you leave for some outdoor activity in the bush.
Others its their front porch to see everything happening in the area, and for some its the back deck patio on the water (Tampa)/ or on your boat.
May 3rd, 2022 at 9:41 am
That’s awesome! Welcome and LFG!
May 3rd, 2022 at 10:45 am
Look at your Cup of Joe story, you’ll see how much beer is drank in the Midwest. Here in South Dakota if you go over to the neighbors farm to borrow a tool or piece of machinery you better take a 12 pack of beer with you and plan on staying 3 hours. The land here is so flat you can sit and drink beer and watch your dog run away for 8 hours. No lawn chairs, you sit on pickup tail gates and between May and November you better be able to drink outside no matter what the weather is.
May 3rd, 2022 at 11:05 am
I think it’s damn cool too Joe(s)
May 3rd, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Hope he makes the team. My favorite already. Video is just straight up real stuff. Bunch of down home country boyz sittin in the garage having a few cold ones waiting to see if this guy is drafted. Great stuff here Joe!
May 3rd, 2022 at 12:29 pm
Thats awesome. Just be offered a shot means the world to these kids. Thanks for sharing Joe!
May 3rd, 2022 at 12:50 pm
Welcome to the home of Garage Living!
May 3rd, 2022 at 1:00 pm
Yes LFG indeed!
May 3rd, 2022 at 1:40 pm
It’s called the Redneck Riviera..
May 3rd, 2022 at 1:43 pm
It’s called the Redneck Riviera…. Garage and driveway consumption of alcoholic beverages
May 3rd, 2022 at 2:20 pm
That’s so cool to see. Especially around this time of year….it’s so easy to get caught up in the numbers, the stats, the measurables, etc. It’s almost easy to lose sight of the human element here, and remember that these are some young kids who have put in insane amounts of work to get that phone call.
I hope he stays humble, and grinds. Not a sexy pick, but could be an important tone setter.
May 3rd, 2022 at 4:53 pm
JOE DIRT 2.0