Carson Steele was one of the last people to watch this replay.
The Kansas City Chiefs running back looked at his cellphone in the locker room on Sunday night, staring at a video on television of family members and friends celebrating one of his runs.
The clip – from his sister Kesslar’s wedding reception on Sunday in Greenwood, Indiana – had already been seen by millions of people on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
Now Carson could see it for the first time.
First he laughed. Then he paused.
“Man, that’s just,” Steele said, holding back his emotions, “so cool.”
Steele, an undrafted rookie from UCLA, made his first NFL appearance Sunday night in the Chiefs’ 22-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons after starter Isiah Pacheco was injured last week.
His biggest fans watched the ceremony about 520 miles north of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Carson’s only sister Kesslar was married there on Sunday afternoon in her home state of Indiana – just hours before the biggest day of her brother’s football career.
Steele managed 17 carries for 72 yards, a performance that earned him unsolicited praise from coach Andy Reid in the postgame press conference.
“Not bad for your rookie debut,” Reid said.
Steele’s family felt the same way – they watched him on six televisions mounted side by side on one side of their wedding reception hall.
By the way, that wasn’t Carson’s wish. He told his sister that too.
“I thought, ‘If too many people are watching the game, turn off the TV,'” Steele said. “But she just fell for it. She’s always there for me, too.”
That was also true this week.
Steele’s confidence was shaken last week after he lost a fumble early against the Cincinnati Bengals. He said his colleagues had to help him on the sidelines because he tends to overthink situations when he lets his teammates down.
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As one of those thoughts crossed his mind this week, he said there was one person who supported him the most.
That would be Kesslar.
“She had a really busy week, so we talked back and forth,” Steele said, “and she calmed me down.”
Steele said he didn’t know exactly how much he would play against the Falcons, but he knew he had to be prepared. The team’s running backs — including Samaje Perine and Keaontay Ingram — all entered the contest with a “next man up” attitude.
In the end, it was Steele who the Chiefs relied on the most, gaining 4.2 yards per carry and also fighting through tough yards between the tackles.
“I’m super proud of Carson,” said Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice. “He’s given it his all, shown it every day in practice and is willing to work hard.”
He has also proven himself late in other running back roles that can be difficult for young players to master.
Although the early interception of quarterback Patrick Mahomes seemed rushed because Steele failed to do his blocking assignment, a later pass to Rice was made possible because Steele effectively helped prevent Falcons linebacker Lorenzo Carter from charging off the side.
“Honestly, my only goal is to guard that guy,” Steele said, pointing across the locker room at Mahomes. “So, having that job, just having that chip off the edge and having Pat … I don’t know if we could have gotten that pass out if that chip hadn’t happened.”
“It’s really cool to see that. Yes, I get beat up and run over, but I see him passing the ball down the sideline. That’s really cool.”
All of this led to the most memorable moment for Steele. He said he was on the field when the Chiefs knelt down to clock out their victory.
While speaking to reporters, Steele said he had not yet been able to look at his phone to see what his family thought of his game.
“I’m looking forward to reading through it all again,” Steele said, “and looking at all the pictures and stuff.”
Steele, who was set to be the best man had his football career not intervened, said the Chiefs have done so well in recent months that his family hasn’t even bought him a suit.
They knew what his situation was leading to – and Kesslar knew he probably wouldn’t be present at Sunday’s ceremony.
“I thought to myself, ‘Hey, you can’t plan weddings in September when your brother is in the NFL,'” Carson said afterward, smiling. “But obviously she wasn’t really listening to me.”
Seriously… Kesslar had planned her big day nearly two years earlier. Steele was still in college at the time and not even sure if she could make it as a professional.
It all led to a special Sunday where Steele admitted to being nervous before his first start, but then remembered it was the same game he had played his entire life.
And what else helped him? The support he received from his sister.
Someone who had a lot to do himself.
