The Chiefs could probably use Priest Holmes about now, and the former outstanding running back admits now that he would be tempted to make another return to the NFL – if not for a few recurring reminders of why he left. Holmes, who’s now 36, set numerous team records during his seven seasons with the Chiefs, including becoming the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. “Records are made to be broken,” Holmes said Friday, but they’re also made to be remembered. Holmes will be honored today at Arrowhead Stadium, shortly before kickoff.

In advance of his return to Arrowhead, Priest and I shared a table for 15 minutes Friday at the Kansas City Power & Light District. He discussed the Priest Holmes Foundation, how he thinks he would react if he played for Chiefs coach Todd Haley, the Chiefs’ fall from NFL relevance in the time since Holmes retired, and the fact that Larry Johnson is approaching that team rushing record.

Wearing a pinstriped suit and drinking hot tea, here’s the condensed version of what Priest had to say:

Question: So what brings you to Kansas City this weekend?

Answer: “I get the chance before the game starts – so everybody needs to get there about five minutes early – right before kickoff, they’re going to introduce me. I get a chance to reconnect with Trent Green, Eddie Kennison, Eric Hicks and a number of players who played here when I was here. I get a chance to connect with these guys, and they get a chance for me to do my final farewell to the fans as far as playing football.”

Q: The Priest Holmes Foundation is based in San Antonio, Texas, but you’re looking to expand it to Kansas City?

A: “We also work with behavior and social elements that deal with kids when they walk out the front door. There are so many things that they have to deal with at home, but we want them to come into school knowing there’s that positive environment that gives them an opportunity to be successful. We also want to look at academics, attendance. Those are two areas that students, at some point, decide that they’re either discouraged and they no longer want to compete or just the ability. We’re basically using these opportunities to share our three E’s, which is “encourage, enhance and empower.”

Q: Where do you see this foundation in five years?

A: You know, we've talked about that. Through partnerships is the only way you can grow. The way the economy is right now, you can’t solely rely on yourself and just the things you think are important. You have to reach out and connect. So, for me, it’s just forming a partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs and letting them know that I’m very serious about reaching as many youths as possible and being that sounding board across the nation. But it starts here at home. It’s almost like when you have a football team. You’ve got to take care of the guys if you want them to take care of you.

Q: How unusual will it be to return to Arrowhead, amid all the change within the organization since you retired in 2007?

A: “I’ll tell you this: In all the places that I’ve played at, and going back to the University of Texas, when I left UT and when I left Baltimore, and now that I’ve retired from the Kansas City Chiefs, there’s always been a renovation the year after I leave. So that’s when all the new stuff comes in. And I have to say that, you go all the way back and you say, ‘You know what, we know that Trent Green, myself, Tony Gonzalez, we were responsible. We were responsible for some of that success. Even though we may not have seen it or be able to live it or play it, we’re still responsible for a lot of the success that follows that.

“Even with all the changes, with Scott Pioli, who is the new GM, and of course the new coach, in Haley – I think that he’s a no-nonsense guy. He’s basically said that it’s my way or the highway. And I think what that’s going to create is, it’s going to create opportunities of unity for the players, even though they might not like it. It’s going to hurt. I heard about the weight shedding, the shedding of the weight on the offensive line. All these things, basically I believe have been tactically done that, even though they didn’t get him the wins early on and the Chiefs being 0-4, but what it will do is that it will gain that respect, and they will understand that, in order to win and be successful, they’ll have to do it my way.”

Q: Ever been through something like what the Chiefs are going through now?

A: “I have been through it. I realize that you have to fully commit to the authority that comes in. In order to be completely successful, you have to be selfless and give that opportunity for that head coach to take you to the place that you would like to go.

Q: You mentioned that Haley is a no-nonsense kind of coach. How do you think you would react to his style? Even when there’s not much winning, do you have just bite your lip and go with it?

A: “For the guys that are very outspoken and the guys that, they live with creating that excitement and that emotion, for those guys they’re going to have to bite their lip. If I look at my work ethic and the way that I approach the game, I’ve always been a student of the game. So I’ve always wanted to learn; how do I make this work? Once I find out how it works, I’ve always been able to put all my focus and energy to it. I think that, if I was there, in a position like LJ at this time and Coach Haley came in, he’d probably look at me as the poster child. He knows that, ‘All I’ve got to do is show Priest what needs to be done, and he just runs with it.’ That’s always been my temperament in how to be successful; just tell me how you want it done, and I’ll make it look good.”

Q: When did you know you really were finished in the NFL? You tried to come back. When did you know it was time to move on and do something else?

A: “The transition is difficult for a number of players. One reason for that is: Players always have a number of skills and talents that they have. It’s unfortunate that they do not develop those talents, and they rely heavily on just football to being their access in order to be successful. For me, it was knowing that there are a number of other skills that I possess. It was just a matter of time for me to tap into them.

“Making that transition, I was excited to starting foundation. Now, there is a learning curve because, for the last twenty-something years, I’ve been playing football. But I have the temperament and understanding that, if you show me how it works – and then study my butt off to know the process. We know that for 77 percent of players that, within three years, they’ll be bankrupt, divorced or they no longer can afford the house that they once lived in. That’s a sad statistic.

“That transition, it’s difficult. It really is. But for me, I embrace it. There’s a number of skills that I possess to say that, ‘I’m done with football. Now, let me find out these other areas that I’m good at.’”

Q: When was there a time that you woke up one morning and said: “You know what? I think I can still do this”? Is there a time within the last year, two years that you thought you could still play?

A: “Absolutely. It comes when I see other kids, Pop Warner on TV, other guys making touchdowns. The butterflies come in; you start getting excited again. But the one thing that I do know, which happens to be very true, when I squat down and my knees start to swell, it reminds me of why I don’t have any business at all trying to play the game of football.

“Because, I’ll tell you what, the game has changed: faster, stronger, and you know, the defensive linemen, they’re running the same times as linebackers now. It’s very difficult for you to want to be successful if you know that there’s just no way you can perform at that level again. At some point, you have to make a decision and say, ‘It’s not about me any longer.’ It’s about your family. There’s two ways to come off the football field. One way is walking off, and the other way is being carried off. I think that, for most players, they’d rather walk off the field and leave that era, that history of themselves, intact and walk away from it. If they need to be reminded, throw a DVD in, and that can remind you of what you did.”

Q: So once you left, you never had that itch to try it one more time? When you were done, you were done?

A: “The final time, when I decided that – I went to Coach (Dick) Vermeil (Note: Holmes said he remains close with the former Chiefs coach), and I said, Coach Vermeil, I’m having some recurrence. I’m having some tingling sensation going through my arms, I’m having numbness across my chest. Coach Vermeil looked at me and said, ‘If you were my son, I would tell my son to go ahead and stop.’

“He cared about more than just football, and so that’s the part of it that I really enjoy. I’ve had several coaches that have been in my life, so I’ve been very fortunate. I had coaches that believed in you being successful but, at the same time, wanted to know: What are your own interests? What stimulated you? What drove you to score that touchdown? Because it’s something more than just this football thing that brings this excitement to players. For coaches, I know that much be difficult because they ask me: Priest, when are you going to be coaching? I just say, ‘If I have to deal with 50 attitudes like mine and I’ve got to be able to tell you what to do, that’s going to be kind of difficult.’”

Q: With a good season, Larry Johnson could break your Chiefs rushing record. Do you mind that?

“He’s clipping at it. I look at it like this: I believe that records are meant to be broken, and that lets you know that the level of play is getting better. The reason that I say that is, when I broke the touchdown record, following that was (Shaun) Alexander with 28, and guess what, LaDainian (Tomlinson) blew it out of the water with over 30 touchdowns. That just lets you know that players are taking that as being competitive, that I want that record. That’s what grows the game and makes it exciting and lets you know that, when your time is up, there’s somebody younger that has an opportunity to be successful.”

Q: What are you most looking forward to Sunday, going back to Arrowhead?

A: It will be an emotional deal, probably more on the inside than the outside. I think that when I hit the field, I think I’m still going to switch into that mode of wanting to be back out there and feeling like one of the guys out there. But one thing to be for sure, if they said to run a sprint, the hamstrings may quit.

“So I’m going to be really excited to be introduced. It feels good to be honored, and I think that, at some point in the game – and I think a lot of players don’t do – they never stop to smell the roses. Usually it’s too late. The years have passed, and you never really look back to see the things that you did on a competitive level. But on Sunday, I’ll get a chance, for those few seconds, to look back and really smell the roses of the accomplishments.”

Q: Being recognized is nice and all, but Nick Lowery is having his name added to the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor? Is that something you see in your future?

A: “That’s one of the things that lets you know that the work you did, people were really impressed with it. When I go back to the University of Texas, we have Ricky Williams, we have Earl Campbell, Vince Young’s name is on the ring. They performed at an incredible level. The same thing that I think when I see their names up there is the same excitement that I would think for my name to go up there. I’d be really excited to think that I created some excitement when I was playing here in Kansas City.”