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James Winchester, Kansas City Chiefs long snapper, was football player for Oklahoma Sooners

Posted at 9:39 AM, Nov 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-16 13:30:59-05

James Winchester is the son of Michael, the 52-year-old man who was found shot to death in a parking garage at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City Tuesday afternoon.

Michael was a Southwest Airlines employee, and played football for the University of Oklahoma. His son, James, also played for OU, and now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.

James is currently in his second season as the long snapper for the Chiefs.

He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in 2013, but was released before the start of the NFL season. James caught on with the Chiefs when he signed a free agent contract in 2015. He appeared in 16 games last season and has played in all nine KC games this season.

According to his player profile on the Chiefs' website, he was credited with a tackle in Kansas City's come-from-behind win Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. That's James celebrating with Cairo Santos, #5, after Santos kicked the game-winning field goal against the Panthers.

Prior to his NFL career, James was a member of the Sooners' squad in 2010 and 2011 as the deep snapper. He appeared in 13 games in 2011.

During the 2010 season, James was credited with recovering a fumble on a punt that secured the victory against the Texas Longhorns.

According to the Sooners' football website, James also served as a receiver on the scout team helping the defense prepare for the offenses of OU's Big 12 opponents.

His father, Michael, was a punter for Oklahoma on the 1984 and 1985 teams. James' sisters also participated on Sooners teams during their college career. Carolyn was a member of the women's basketball team, and Rebecca was on the rowing team.

The Kansas City Chiefs held a press conference today. Head Coach Andy Reid and player Eric Berry were asked about Winchester. Watch their comments in the video player above.

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