Kansas City Chiefs player becomes a coach to a mutt named Parsnip for the 'Puppy Bowl'

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Before the Kansas City Chiefs made it to their third-straight Super Bowl berth, one player took to coaching a puppy for a different big game.

Chiefs defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and his girlfriend, Nani Hinton, visited The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City in October to coach Parsnip, a 4-month-old mutt, to make his debut at Puppy Bowl XXI.

''I'm his coach. I am putting him through rigorous training,'' Nnadi said at the time. ''It's a process, it's a young kid, a lot of raw potential, but he's going to be a star.''

''Puppy Bowl'' debuted in 2005 as counterprogramming to the Super Bowl and also promotes pet adoption. The show features more than 100 canine entries from shelters and rescue groups across the U.S. Dogs score touchdowns on a makeshift football field by crossing a goal line with a toy.

When Parsnip came to the The Humane Society in August, he had a broken leg.

''Parsnip is a sweet little pup,'' Sydney Mollentine, president and CEO of The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City said in October. ''He's been in our foster care for about eight weeks to get that broken leg healed. And as you can tell, he has no problems running around and working on that leg.''

Nnadi said Parsnip just needed to focus.

''You will see one little squirrel, he gone. He sees a little toy, he gone. He sees multiple people, he's gone,'' said Nnadi, who likes to refer to Parsnip as Parsnickety. ''But the second we get that laser focus, he's gonna be phenomenal.''

''Puppy Bowl'' is recorded in advance. Since its filming, Parsnip has been adopted, Mollentine said. The pup is now 7 months old.

Nnadi has been working for a few years to help get dogs into loving homes in the area by paying fees for more than 500 successful adoptions so far. He has partnered with organizations including The Humane Society and KC Pet Project.

''I think it's very important for a lot of these dogs that don't really see or have an opportunity to have a forever home," Nnadi said.

Nnadi said his work with animal shelters began when he adopted his first dog, Rocky.

''He was a very timid dog. A lot of things I was not really fond of how his living arrangements was were. He wasn't around that many people with dark lighting and everything,'' Nnadi said. ''It's just made me really kind of empathize how kind of a lot of dogs go through it and their life trying to survive.''

He said he helped Rocky build confidence to become the ''happy-go-lucky dog'' he is today.

''I feel like everybody needs at least one furry friend in their life,'' Nnadi said.

Mollentine said her organization, which has a shelter in Kansas City, Kansas, is grateful for Nnadi's help prompting adoptions. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City has been in operation since 1912.

Puppy Bowl XXI premieres Sunday at 2 p.m. EST on Animal Planet — shortly before Nnadi takes the field with the Chiefs for Super Bowl LIX.