No easy snapback: Why this former Chief is helping military veterans get on horseback

Kendall Gammon doesn’t know what it’s like to adjust to life after the military, he shared, but the former Kansas City Chiefs long snapper is familiar with losing a sense of identity and community upon leaving the NFL after 15 years.

“I always talked about the fact that it was the best temporary job I’d ever have, and eventually, I’d have to do something else,” explained Gammon, who played with the Chiefs until 2006, following multi-year stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints. “What I found out was — when I got out — I was 15 years behind everybody else who started after college. And that’s not unlike a lot of military veterans.”

The resulting idle time can be difficult, continued Gammon, who is now the director of development for War Horses for Veterans, a nonprofit that helps veterans and active military personnel during their transition from combat to civilian life through immersive horse-related activities.