God, faith, football: Kansas City church leader named Chiefs fan of the year

Dr. Yvette Richards keeps her priorities straight. She wears a shirt that reads “God, Faith, Football.” The Kansas City Chiefs have rewarded her loyalty by naming Richards their fan of the year. “When you think about Lamar Hunt and the Hunt family, they’re always giving back to this community,” she said. “I believe that’s also the assignment that God has given me.”

“I love football,” she said, according to MSN. “I grew up in a military family and we traveled a lot, so sports were a way that we connected. Watching the games was a family thing for us.”

Richards has been a Chiefs fan for nearly four decades and a season ticket member for 11 years. Chiefs games have become a way of life.

“Where I’ve been sitting, I’ve seen people get engaged, get married, have children and now their children are sitting in those seats,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to meet people and share this together.”

READ:  Titanic: An Immersive Voyage sets sail at Union Station in Kansas City

She lives out her faith as a member of St. James United Methodist Church and has served in various ways, from teaching Vacation Bible School to leading women’s groups before taking over as the organization’s director of community connection and mission.

“I had a grandmother who was born in 1898, and she always said, ‘When you put your faith in God, he will open doors for you,'” Richards said. “My parents raised me to always give back and that God will pour out the blessings on you, so everywhere I go, I try to give.”

She also was awarded the 2025 Heart of a Champion Impact Award, which recognizes the work and service of local leaders. Her coworkers at St. James, who were aware of her nomination as the Chiefs’ fan of the year, were determined to make the reveal something that she would never forget.

“I’ll admit it,” Richards said. “My whole church, they got me.”

–Lee Hartman | Metro Voice

Photo: www.chiefs.com