Philippines

Nothing has come easily for Kansas City Chiefs kick returner Nikko Remigio. He spent all of last season on the practice squad and didn’t even have a space in the locker room; his locker was in the equipment room last season.

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Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said that beyond his work ethic, part of the reason Remigio has seen so much early success on punt returns is that he is still improving as a return man every week.

“During the regular season, he got better and better and better,” Toub remarked. “And now, in the playoffs, he’s really hitting his stride, and his confidence is high. And that’s what you want in a punt and kick returner is confidence.”

Along with his confidence, Toub said that he was impressed by Remigio’s tenacity.

Tenacity is a trademark of Filipino culture. When times get tough, you don’t just dwell on it, you keep fighting (or, “laban lang,” as they say in Tagalog, which translates to just fight).