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After three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, guard Ben Grubbs heads into the 2015 NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs.

(AP Photo)

Ben Grubbs didn't have to be introduced to the only other Auburn alumnus on the Kansas City roster when the New Orleans Saints traded the guard to the Chiefs earlier this month. Although Grubbs is entering his ninth NFL season and Dee Ford is coming off his rookie campaign with the Chiefs, they'd met -- not at Auburn, but at church.

Grubbs is a former Elmore County High School standout. Ford starred at St. Clair County High School. Grubbs told kcchiefs.com his piano teacher in Alabama invited him to his church, where Ford was playing -- not football, but music.

"That's how I started talking to Dee Ford," Grubbs said. "He even offered to give me some lessons. ... He is unreal on the keyboard. Unreal.

"We texted when he was still in Auburn going through that process of being drafted."

Grubbs came to the Chiefs in exchange for a fifth-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Grubbs was due to make $6.5 million in 2015, the fourth season of a five-year, $36 million contract. The Saints parted with their left guard as they made personnel moves to comply with the 2015 salary-cap number while clearing room to sign free agents.

Grubbs went to the Pro Bowl in 2011 after his fifth season with the Baltimore Ravens and in 2013 for the Saints. He'll have more than twice as much NFL experience as any of the Chiefs' other projected offensive-line starters. Left tackle Eric Fisher and center Eric Kush just completed their second seasons, although Kush was a backup to Rodney Hudson in 2014. The former B.C. Rain star signed a free-agent deal to join the Oakland Raiders. Guard Paul Fanaika joined the Chiefs as a free agent after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Right tackle Jeff Allen had his third NFL season ruined by an elbow injury that limited him to one game in 2014.

"Through my career, I was in their positions," Grubbs told the Chiefs' official web site. "I was a young guy, and I had Matt Birk in Baltimore. He was really that leader in the offensive line, and as I got older, I learned things from the guys that taught me, and I take pride in being the older guy.

"I know that they're in a different stage of their lives right now. I'm married with four kids, but I've been there and, hopefully, they allow me teach them what I know."

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A veteran of six victories in 11 postseason games during his career, Grubbs joins a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since 1993. But he's looking forward to playing for Kansas City.

"I couldn't be in a better position right now, really," Grubbs said. "People get traded, and it doesn't really turn out well. But I'm very happy to be in a place such as this."