For this Kansas City Chiefs rookie, training camp dorm room becomes a Legoland

Increasing the happiness quotient for players at Chiefs training camp means bringing bits of comfort to their Missouri Western State dorm rooms.

For rookie offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad, that pleasure comes in the form of Legos.

Yes, those small plastic connecting bricks that represent a toy empire. Lego ranks among the world’s most popular and best-selling toys, and it has a devotee in the Chiefs’ fifth-round draft pick from Penn State.

“I’m a big Lego guy,” Nourzad said. “I brought one of my smaller sets just to have a piece of home with me. It’s something that keeps you centered.”

His project of choice for training camp is Lego Orchid, from the botanical collection, manageable at 608 pieces. But at home, Nourzad’s collection needs more space.

There’s his 9,000-piece Colosseum, a Ford F-150, a Formula 1 car, a Bugatti and a crane that moves among other creations. His home’s next piece of furniture will be shelving for the collection.

Interest in Legos started at age 8, Nourzad recalled. That Christmas, he received a Lego Batmobile and was fascinated, building it over the school holiday vacation. Then, heartbreak.

“Being an 8-year-old I was clumsy and remember dropping it down the stairs,” Nourzad said. “Raw emotion.”

Mostly the days are filled with practice, meetings and studying as Nourzad, one of three offensive lineman selected in the draft, gets a head start along with other rookies, quarterbacks and injured players at training camp.

For the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, veterans report on Friday, and the first full squad workout is Sunday. Four starters — center Creed Humphrey, guards Trey Smith and Joe Thuney, and tackle Jawaan Taylor are back, although Thuney is recovering from a pectoral injury and will start practice on the physically unable to perform list.

Left tackle should provide one of the more competitive training camp battles between rookie Kingsley Suamataia, a second-round pick, and second-year pro Wanya Morris, who started four games last season.

Nourzad and C.J. Hanson, a seventh-round pick, look to provide offensive line depth.

“I think it’s a common theme with most rookies,” Nourzad said. “I just want to show that I can hang with these guys and compete at a high level.”

Nourzad played all offensive line positions in college. His career started at Cornell, where he played right tackle and became All-Ivy League. In 2022, he transferred to Penn State and moved to guard, then played center last season for the Nittany Lions. He was named second team All-Big Ten.

His position preference?

“I’m working everywhere,” Nourzad said. “I’m not a specific position person. I’m going to do anything they want me to. If they want me to go get wider, I’ll do that. Whatever they need me to do.”