When the Chiefs take the field on Sunday at Oakland, Jamaal Charles will return to the scene of his baptism by beer, poured over him from the stands as he celebrated the first of his five touchdowns in a 56-31 steamrolling of the Raiders in 2013.
His first true game back from his second ACL surgery doubtless will mark another baptism by fire for Charles, whose life has featured many of those — including a challenging childhood in which he was diagnosed as learning disabled and frequently bullied before he blossomed after gaining confidence through the Special Olympics.