By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western head football coach Tyler Fenwick and Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn (Turk) Wharton had three special years together at Missouri S&T in Rolla from 2016-2018.
Who would have thought their paths would cross again at Kansas City Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph nearly five years later?
It was a special day for Wharton this past Wednesday. He was finally off of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after an ACL tear sidelined him nine months prior. Wharton got to work on the field in St. Joseph for the first time at Chiefs training camp.
Fenwick was there to see it up close.
"We crossed paths there and he gave me a little high five," Fenwick said. "He was definitely excited to be back out at practice and running around and getting back into the swing of things."
Fenwick, who was S&T's head man from 2013-2018, was hired as Missouri Western's new head football coach this past December.
Wharton, a fourth-year defensive tackle for the Chiefs, played for Fenwick at S&T for three seasons before Fenwick took the job at Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2019.
Wharton wrapped up his career at S&T in '19 and was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
Looking back, Wharton remembers his years with Fenwick fondly.
"Coach Fenwick was a good guy," Wharton said. "He took me in. I was a lighter guy, but he made sure I played. Fenwick, he kind of like got his own personality. He made sure I was who I am. He kind of shaped me. I never had a real head coach until I met him, I feel like."
Fenwick remembers Wharton's utter domination on the field and his tenacious work ethic off of it.
"I mean, he was a dominant player," Fenwick said of Wharton. "It was fun to see him come in as a freshman and work so hard in the weight room and putting on weight and growing and developing."
"We had a hard time practicing when he was in there. We couldn't block him. There were times where we felt like, "Okay, let's get Turk out so we can actually execute our offense and get some reps."
Wharton is one of S&T's most dominant defenders and pass rushers in program history. He was a three-time all Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree, a two-time all-Super Region 3 selection and an All-American in 2018.
He holds two program records with 58 career tackles for loss and 35.5 career sacks, including a whopping 13.5 in 2017 - a half-sack off of the single season program record.
Wharton helped S&T to a 10-2 finish in 2018, including a 51-16 victory over Minnesota State-Moorhead in the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs.
That bowl victory was S&T's first postseason win since 1950 and it secured just the third 10-win season in program history for the Miners.
In the bowl game itself, Wharton was named the most outstanding defensive player. He had a 53-yard scoop-n-score to go with 4.5 tackles for loss.
"We were able to do different things with him and get him some matchups," Fenwick said. "He made a lot of plays. His effort is just...just relentless. To see him be able to turn and run. I mean, I've seen him run things down 50 yards down the field. I think those are the things, when (scouts) were evaluating him that stood out and helped him get noticed."
Wharton signed with the Chiefs in April of 2020 and made the active roster after his first training camp. He's seen a healthy amount of playing time with over 1,100 snaps in 38 total games.
He's logged 64 total tackles in his pro career thus far, including five sacks and three forced fumbles.
Wharton suffered a tough setback on Week 5 of the 2022 season, when Kansas City was playing Las Vegas on Monday Night Football. Wharton tore his ACL in that game, which sidelined him for the remainder of the season and for OTAs.
Wharton was activated by the Chiefs on Wednesday and he came down the hill for practice, where his fellow defensive linemen greeted him with cheers.
"Seeing those guys and their reaction to it, it just shows it's a family here and that I've got love on the team," he said.
"We love having Turk back, man," said Derrick Nnadi. "He's the type of guy you want to play with. When he went down, we was all hurt about it. But, him coming back and trying to go balls to the wall like he normally does, that feels good for the D-line room."
Wharton is slowly being worked back into the mix at training camp, participating in stretch, warmup and a couple of light drills before he works with training staff near the medical tent.
They're taking it slow, but Andy Reid knows the value that a fully healthy Wharton brings to the field.
"Turk has that great quickness and strength," Reid said. "Good pass rusher and he's a strong player who has experience. So, adding him to the mix is a positive thing for us. We just have to take it slow."
It's been a special time for Wharton in the last week or so. Not only getting back on the football field after a serious injury, but getting the chance to reconnect with a former coach and longtime friend has enhanced his experience in St. Joseph.
"I stay in contact with Fenwick a lot," Wharton said. "His family always reaches out to me, and his kids. Seeing him out here was good. He shakes my hand all of the time. When I first got up here, those first few days, I went up to his office and chatted with him."
Tyler Fenwick interview
You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.