Kansas City, MO – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – October 7, 2024 – “Growing up watching Kansas City Chiefs games at Arrowhead Stadium, Sedalia native Blake Grupe could only imagine what it would be like to play there. ” That was the opening line of a story written about former Arkansas State University football placekicker Blake Grupe, now placekicker for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints in his hometown newspaper the Sedalia Democrat. Grupe did it for real Monday night when the Saints played in Kansas City on Monday night football.
“I’ve been looking forward to this since I saw it on our schedule,” Grupe said. And so has Grupe’s hometown of Sedalia, Missouri, population 21,947 about 80 minutes East of Arrowhead Stadium. A large group from Sedalia set-up a tailgate along a grassy hill in the parking lot between Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals baseball team.
Grupe red-shirted his first season in Jonesboro, then scored 354 points as Arkansas State’s placekicker 2018-2021. Gifted with a Covid bonus year, Grupe transferred to Notre Dame, where he went 49-for-49 on extra points and 14-19 on field goals. Grupe’s name wasn’t called in the 2023 NFL draft, but he was offered a deal as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints. In the first preseason game with the Saints, he made the game-winning field goal against, of all teams, the Kansas City Chiefs. He competed for the placekicker job with veteran kicker Wil Lutz and won the position battle when Lutz was traded to the Denver Broncos. Grupe signed a 3-year, $2,697,500 contract with the Saints, including $2,500 signing bonus, $2,500 guaranteed, and an annual salary of $899,167. In 2024, Grupe will earn a base salary of $915,000,
In his first year with the Saints, Grupe was perfect on extra points (40-for-40) and 30-for-37 on field goals, including his longest, 55 yards. Grupe has already bested that distance in 2024 with a 57-yarder.
I had a chance to travel to Kansas City for Monday night’s game with my wife, Jenna, my daughter, Ellie and her husband Nick Smith, and Nick’s mom and stepfather Stephanie and Damon Alexander. Nick was Grupe’s fraternity brother at Arkansas State (Delta Theta Chapter, Pi Kappa Alpha). “We had several Arkansas State athletes in our fraternity,” Nick said. “A lot of times they were so busy with their sports we wouldn’t see them very often. Blake was different. He was probably the most active athlete we ever had. He was active on campus and in Pike. Blake was in the pledge class where we initiated our 2,000th member.”
“I played softball with Blake’s Dad,” said Jimmy Brown who fired-up his flat grill at 1:30 cooking hot dogs, frog legs and rice for the jambalaya. I never saw him leave the flat grill. “We were damn good,” Brown said. “I watched Blake grow up. He’s a great kid. We are all super proud of him.”
The oldest award at the tailgate went to 91-year-old Patty Wageknecht. She pranced around the tailgate beaming with pride. “When Blake’s family came to Sedalia, they lived in a house on my farm,” Wegeknecht said. “I’m certain it’s the worst place Blake has ever lived. I love this family.”
When I met Kevin Walker, I thought I had met the Mayor of Sedalia. Turns out he’s the hostess at a Sedalia restaurant, Katie’s. He’s known the Grupes for years. “I was online recently bidding for a Blake Grupe player card. It was 1-of-25. I was so excited,” Walker said. “I kept bidding it up and told myself ‘you’ve got to slow down, there’s 27 hours left on this auction.’ Turns out I was bidding against Blake!”
Parent pride was evident at the tailgate party celebrating Blake. “Oh, you have no idea,” said Brad Grupe, Blake’s father when I suggested that seeing your kids doing big things is special. “Blake is having a blast. His sister, Lauren, is studying business at the University of Arkansas. His brother, Brett, is playing college baseball at the University of Central Missouri. We’re having a lot of fun.
Blake’s Mom, Sarah Grupe, was beaming, too. She was the chosen family spokesperson when she and Brad appeared on Kansas City’s Fox 4 television. “Look at all of these people,” Sarah said on television. “These are Blake fans and we couldn’t be prouder. Blake loved his time in Jonesboro at Arkansas State. I’m glad ya’ll are here. Have a good time. If you see a drink, drink it. If you see food, eat it.”
The Chiefs (5-0) defeated the Saints (2-3) Monday night 26-13. Grupe went 1-for-2 on PATs (points-after-touchdown).