RIVER FALLS, WIS. ? Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez hurt his ankle in Kansas City’s morning practice Friday, but apparently the injury is not serious.

Gonzalez pulled up lame at the end of a pass drill and walked around the practice field, muttering to himself and favoring his left ankle. At one point, he angrily kicked a pylon about 30 yards.

“I rolled my ankle,” he was heard to have said.

After practice, Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil said Gonzalez, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who is poised to become the Chiefs’ all-time receiving leader, would be OK.

“He twinged his ankle a little bit, nothing serious,” Vermeil said.

Trainer Dave Kendall hurried over to Gonzalez and inspected the ankle. Gonzalez did not take part in the rest of the morning practice, but stayed on the sideline.

Missing practice for the second straight day was safety Jerome Woods, who was out all last year after breaking his leg in an exhibition game.

The Chiefs are counting heavily on the eight-year veteran’s return to help turn around a defense that ranked last in the NFL in 2002, when Kansas City went 8-8.

Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil walks to the center of the field to watch his team during the morning practice. Vermeil might not have liked what he saw Friday during the Chiefs' training camp in River Falls, Wis., when Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez injured his ankle. The injury was believed to be minor.

“We just wanted to give the leg a rest. He’s getting a little tired,” Vermeil said. “You know, he went through that major catastrophe last year in the preseason. It was time to take a rest. He was a little sore.”

Vermeil said Woods may sit out another day or two.

“He told the trainer, and the trainer said, ‘Hey, let’s take some time off,'” Vermeil added.

Also getting dinged up a bit was defensive end and pass-rush student R-Kal Truluck. During one-on-one drills, the 262-pound Truluck collided with 320-pound offensive tackle Marcus Spears and rather got the worst of it.

Truluck went to the ground but bounced right up. He seemed to favor one hand, but Vermeil said he had not been told anything serious had happened to the second-year pro who is battling for a spot as a pass-rush specialist.

Determined to upgrade their ability to pressure the passer, the Chiefs are hoping Truluck could be a situational player on passing downs. So far, the studious New York City native appears to be taking hold.

“He is right now our best speed rusher,” Vermeil said. “He and (defensive end) Gary Stills are. They are really flash, speed guys.”

Truluck, who played in six games last year and had half a sack, played two years in Canada and two in the Arena Football League before catching on with the Chiefs last season.

Kansas City defensive end R-Kal Truluck (91) tries to get past offensive tackle Marcus Spears to get to a hanging dummy bag. Truluck injured his hand during the drill Friday morning, but continued to practice during the Chiefs' training camp in River Falls, Wis.

A student of the art of rushing the quarterback, Truluck has collected an impressive collection of tapes and DVDs of many of the greatest passer-smashers in the game.

He studies them the way a young golfer might break down the swing of Tiger Woods.

He spends hours watching Deacon Jones, Lawrence Taylor, Leslie O’Neal, Derrick Thomas and other former All-Pros making their moves.

“I watch the variation of what they do, the different body types, different speeds, different getoffs,” he said. “I think I’ve got something like 12 tapes and CDs, DVDs.”

He’s always got an eye toward improving his own game.

“Derrick Thomas was a little shorter than I am, but his getoff was very quick,” Truluck said. “I look at Richard Dent. In his younger years, he had long getoffs because he was a taller guy. I like to study different body types and compare them to me and see what I can put in my game.”

Taylor, the former New York Giants All-Pro, and Thomas are probably his all-time favorites. Thomas, a nine-time All-Pro with the Chiefs, died in 2000 following an automobile accident.

“I pick up D.T. because of his getoff,” Truluck said. “I’m heavier and taller than him, but his getoff impresses me. If I can emulate his getoff, things would be really improved for me. Lawrence Taylor is taller, he was elongated and used his hands very well.”