On Saturday, April 25, Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) athlete and SOMO Hall of Famer, Arthur Murphy, of Independence, will be “announcing a pick” during the 2020 NFL Draft.

Through Special Olympics International’s partnership with the NFL Foundation, three Special Olympics athletes were nominated to present a “Community Pick” on the third day of the NFL Draft. Out of those three nominees, Murphy was selected by the NFL Foundation due to his long-time involvement with Special Olympics Missouri, his passion for the Kansas City Chiefs, and for being a well-rounded representative and spokesperson for his fellow Special Olympics athletes and the movement around the world.

“I feel so honored and excited to be to selected for this opportunity,” Murphy said. “I am a big Chiefs fan, so getting to be a part of this experience is pretty awesome.”

Murphy is a lifelong fan of the Chiefs. He usually takes notes and statistics of players during the games, but this weekend, he will put his knowledge to good use as he introduces a NFL Draft pick for his favorite team.

For Murphy, sports are a way of life, whether it’s watching sporting events on TV, cheering on his beloved Chiefs or participating as a multi-sport athlete with Special Olympics Missouri for the past 33 years.

In June of 2019, Murphy had the opportunity to meet and interact with Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid as they participated in a public service announcement campaign to raise funds and awareness for SOMO after an EF-3 tornado hit its campus in May. Coach Reid was made aware of Arthur’s selection last Wednesday.

“I am excited to see my friend Arthur help announce one of our picks this weekend,” Reid said. “I’ve always been a big fan of the Special Olympics and the work they do in our communities. We are lucky to have Arthur represent Chiefs Kingdom.”

The NFL Draft began on Thursday, April 23, and concludes Saturday, April 25. Arthur’s segment will happen Saturday.

During his athletic SOMO career, Murphy has been coached by Bea Webb and Brock Burford.