Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher knew he was in trouble. The police were coming for him, and the walls were closing in. Before anything happened next, Belcher reportedly wanted to talk to the men who made his football dreams come true.
SI.com's Peter King revealed new details on Belcher's final minutes in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. He writes, via a source close to law enforcement, that Belcher arrived in the Chiefs' parking lot Saturday at the same time as Scott Pioli. The general manager saw Belcher was in an agitated state and had a gun. The two reportedly spoke for several minutes.
"I came here to tell you thank you," Belcher told Pioli, according to King's source. "Thank you for my chance. I love you, bro."
Belcher also reportedly asked to speak with "Romeo and Gary" -- coach Romeo Crennel and defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs.
Pioli called Crennel and Gibbs out to the parking lot, which must have been a difficult decision. Pioli was asking two friends to come talk to a young man who had just shot someone (Pioli didn't know the exact details yet) and clearly was not well.
Crennel and Gibbs reportedly tried to calm Belcher down with little success. Belcher thanked them, walked away and shot himself in the head.
"I wasn't able to reach the young man," Crennel told King.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.