Quarterback Tyler Bray faced a steep learning curve when he joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. An undrafted free agent, he had to memorize a thick playbook, master the verbiage of a new offense and acclimate to the speed of the pros.
He also had to find a “cadence” — the combination of color and number that quarterbacks bark before the snap of the ball, like Blue 42 or Red 80. Bray had run a no-huddle offense at the University of Tennessee, which meant the snap was based on a physical cue like clapping hands or a leg kick.