Many NFL players grew up attached to an animal. Some may have a beloved dog or cat as their fondest memory and first pet.
Carson Steele of the Kansas City Chiefs, however, revealed during the offseason that he was never an owner of both popular household pets. His pet is five feet long and comes in a shade of green.
Addressing if Carson Steele Owns an Alligator
Steele holds the rare distinction of being the owner of a pet alligator — which he shared with reporters following the Chiefs’ preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That’s right, his animal doesn’t play with yarn or fetch sticks. Steele’s go-to pet likes to roam through water and is quite the slippery one.
“Crocky-J” entered Steele’s life as a unique elementary school gift in his home state of Indiana. In a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the gator came as a surprise Christmas present via Steele’s dad.
The father envisioned getting a “fun” animal for his son to have — somehow, he thought Crocky-J was that animal. So the dad ordered the exotic animal on the internet from a gator farm in Florida.
Turns out the Sunshine State isn’t the only U.S. state where it’s legal to own alligators. Indiana also allows ownership and is one of the few Midwest states allowing families to own the reptile. However, anyone who wants to own the reptile must have a wild animal possession permit from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Where Is ‘Crocky-J’ Now? Details on Whereabouts
As Steele shared following the 2024 preseason debut, Crocky-J is yet to kick the bucket. The gator remains alive and swimming in what the running back described as a big aquarium.
That aquarium remains in Steele’s home state in a suburb of Indianapolis. Crocky-J is considered a domestic animal who’s spent more time with Steele’s family than fellow gators.
But was there ever a time Steele wanted to bring his lifelong pet with him to college?
When Steele went cross-country to Westwood, Calif., Steele revealed to the L.A. Times whether he had any thoughts of making Crocky-J his roommate when he transferred to UCLA.
“Man, I wanted to so badly,” he said in the ’23 interview with Ben Bloch. “But with the rules and stuff, I don’t think you can have those kinds of animals here. Indiana? It’s a little different.”
The only time Californians will run into gators is if they take in the San Diego Zoo or any other featuring reptiles. So Crocky-J had to stay behind after Steele’s career wrapped up at Ball State.
Steele, though, ended up emerging as a valuable backfield option in his jump from the Group of Five to the Pac-12. Steele averaged 5.1 yards per carry and racked up 1,010 total yards from scrimmage. He also scored eight touchdowns while playing for the final Bruins team led by former head coach Chip Kelly.
The undrafted rookie will now be expected to provide a huge emphasis for the Chiefs’ ground game when Kansas City visits the Atlanta Falcons for Sunday night football. This also means the world will soon get to know Crocky-J’s owner on the national stage.