Khalen Saunders’ one-handed interception of Patrick Mahomes has a Taylor Swift twist

One of the most fascinating stories of the 2019 NFL Draft season came from Western Illinois.

For the first time, the Leathernecks invited players to the Senior Bowl, the premier college all-star game before the draft. That player? Defensive lineman Karlen Sanders made a name for himself on campus and furthered his legend during the pre-draft process thanks to his incredible athleticism.

That athleticism was on display in Monday night's matchup. kansas city chiefsthe team that drafted him in the third round in 2019.

Even though Sanders started his career in Kansas City. new orleans saints He will become a free agent in March 2023.

Sanders and the rest of the Saints played against the Chiefs. monday night football, And he was in the game late in the third quarter when the Chiefs were knocking right in front of the end zone. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes made a short throw to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the pass flew out of Smith-Schuster's arms and into the air.

That's when Sanders' athleticism took over.

Reacting to the throw, Sanders burst past Smith-Schuster and coaxed the football out of the air with one hand, making the first interception of his career. Not content with simply taking a knee for a touchback, Sanders drove down the field and used his athleticism for an incredible 37-yard return.

Here's another angle of play:

How athletic was this? According to next generation statistics Sanders recorded a top speed of 15.79 mph in his return, the third-fastest speed for a ball carrier over 320 pounds since 2016.

Sanders' big moment had some of the biggest names in sports going wild on social media.

(pointed out by Kyler Murray, Sanders I used to run when I was in high school.).

Even if the story ended there, it would be a story-like moment, but there are additional layers to this play.

Sanders' younger brother.

Kameron Sanders is a professional dancer and choreographer whose many credits include work with Taylor Swift. The Elas Tourwhere he was one of 15 backup dancers. Sanders is The only backup dancer with a speaking role in The Elas TourAnd when Swift sings “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” he says one of his lines, “As ever,” in English or, if the tour is overseas, in the local language, so fans It has become a favorite.

Sanders also played a role in one of this summer's most iconic moments. Elas tour. During the tour's London stop, Swift was joined on stage by partner and current Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Sanders was next to them.

Fast forward to Monday night, The Sanders brothers were in the building together.:

Which brings us to the final layer of this whole bizarre sequence from Monday night.

Sanders' interception came on second and goal from the Saints' 2-yard line. On first down, Mahomes threw a shovel pass to Kelce, who was stopped just short of the end zone, setting the stage for Sanders' dramatic interception.

Who made the tackle and stopped Kelce shortstop on that play?

Sanders:

As a professional sportswriter, it's my job to describe moments like this, and perhaps JJ Watt said it best last night.

that's right.