Kansas City, Mo. ? It was hard to say Friday who the more excited Larry Johnson was.

Larry the younger, the running back from Penn State and first-round draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs?

Or Larry the elder, the defensive line coach from Penn State and father of the first-round pick?

Give the nod to the old guy. The first day of Chiefs minicamp Friday was all work and filled with nervous energy for the son. All the dad had to do was stand on the sideline with Larry’s mom and beam with pride during a two-hour workout that signaled the next chapter in this tight-knit family’s life.

“I get emotional,” said Larry Johnson Sr. “When I walked out on the field today, it hit me. You see your son standing there on the field as an NFL player. I thought, ‘Doggone, he’s here. He’s here now.’ That was really something to think about.”

Larry Johnson the younger drew the attention of everybody as the Chiefs opened their three-day minicamp. Drafted in the first round after rushing for more than 2,000 yards for the Nittany Lions, he’ll be a backup and possible replacement for Priest Holmes, the NFL’s offensive player of the year last season.

It’s an opportunity for a rookie but also a delicate situation. Holmes, immensely popular with his teammates, missed the last two games last season with a hip injury that may not yet be fully healed. And there have been rumblings he wants to renegotiate his contract.

But his possible replacement, despite dropping a couple of balls on swing passes, looked sharp in his first full workout as a pro.

“He’s impressive,” said coach Dick Vermeil. “But we just throw so much stuff at these guys. We know how good he is.”

Johnson was not so easy on himself.

“I’m nervous. And I’m a little disappointed at the way I did,” he said. “I dropped the ball and had some mental errors.”

Once the season starts, it will also be the first time in his life that his dad won’t be right there sharing every minute with him.

Larry and his brother Tony, a senior wide receiver at Penn State, were both coached in Little League by their dad. And he was already the defensive line coach at Penn State when the boys decided to stick close to home and become a part of Joe Paterno’s storied program.

“He has a chance to be away from home now. It will be a growing phase for him,” said Larry Sr. “I’m looking forward to him continuing his growth to be a man. And he couldn’t be in a better place.”

It will feel different not having his dad so near.

“It was fun having him around,” Johnson said. “He’s always been coaching when I played Little League and when I played basketball. This will be a new experience for me not having him on the sidelines.”

It will be an adjustment for dad as well.

“Most fathers don’t get a chance to share their career with their sons at a collegiate level,” said Larry Sr.

“You read about it or you see a game from the stands. But I was standing on the sideline really being a part of something special. It’s hard to believe how blessed I really am, that I can stand and watch both my sons run up and down the field. Larry rushed for 2,000 yards, and to be there at that moment and see the flickers in the stands, the lights, to be able to greet him coming off the field — I’ll never forget how blessed I really am. It’s made our relationship stronger as a father and son.” Notes: Defensive end Vonnie Holladay missed Friday’s workout because of a medical emergency involving his fiancee’s pregnancy, Vermeil said. Holladay, who lives in Atlanta, turned around and went back Friday morning. “He flew in this morning and as soon as he got off the plane, the cell phone rang and he had to fly back home,” Vermeil said. “It was another emergency with the pregnancy problem. We should hear later what his fiancee’s status is.” … Making a good first impression were wide receiver LaShaun Ward, an undrafted wide receiver from California and Joe Hall, a 318-pound fullback from Kansas State. “Hall catches my eye every time I come on the field,” Vermeil said. “All our draft choices were impressive, I thought.” … The Chiefs said a scheduled workout Saturday morning in front of fans in Arrowhead Stadium would be canceled in case of inclement weather.