Chiefs are saddened to hear the news of the passing of long-time franchise legend Len Dawson. It was with a sense of disbelief that we learned of his passing earlier this morning. We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Dawson for his contributions to our community and the Chiefs organization over his Hall of Fame career.
Len Dawson was one of the greatest quarterbacks in National Football League history.
Len Dawson was one of the greatest quarterbacks in National Football League history. He is best known for his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he led them to three Super Bowl appearances and one win.
Dawson’s career began in 1967 with the Dallas Cowboys, who traded him to Kansas City after just one season. He spent 14 seasons with the Chiefs, playing in four league title games and winning three of them.
Unfortunately, Dawson’s career was cut short by injury. After being forced out of football at age 37, he founded an NFL alumni association and became a television analyst for ABC and CBS.
Dawson was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.
He was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and MVP of Super Bowl IV.
Len Dawson, the Hall of Fame quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, died Tuesday at his home in Carmel. He was 83.
“The Chief’s family is shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Len Dawson,” said Clark Hunt, chairman,n and CEO of Hunt Sports Group and the Chiefs. “Len was one of the greatest quarterbacks in team history, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection,n and MVP of Super Bowl IV. He was a true professional who represented everything that is good about football and life.”
Dawson was drafted in 1961 by the Cleveland Browns out of Texas Southern University. He spent five seasons with the Browns before being traded to Kansas City on Aug. 24, 1966 — two months before his 30th birthday.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound passer won three straight AFL Championships (1969-71) with the Chiefs before leading them to their only Super Bowl appearance during his career — a loss to Oakland during Super Bowl II.
Dawson spent 15 seasons with Kansas City and helped lead them to three more AFL titles (1972-74). He threw for more than 10,000 yards during his career while completing just under 70% of his passes for more
Dawson helped the Chiefs achieve their first Super Bowl appearance in 1966 and their first Super Bowl victory four years later.
Len Dawson was a Kansas City Chief for 18 seasons. He played quarterback for the Chiefs from 1965 to 1979 and led them to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1966 and their first Super Bowl victory four years later.
Dawson helped the Chiefs achieve their first Super Bowl appearance in 1966 and their first Super Bowl victory four years later. He is one of only two quarterbacks to win both the NFL Championship and Super Bowl MVPs, along with Joe Montana.
Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. In 1999 he was named one of “50 Greatest Players in Cleveland Browns History.”
He was the first inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1976
Len Dawson was the first inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1976. The honor was well deserved, as Dawson was a two-time AFL MVP and eight-time Pro Bowl selection during an 11-year career with the Chiefs.
Dawson retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (36,828), completions (3,723), attempts (6,814) and touchdown passes (296). He also finished his career with eight Pro Bowl appearances, four All-Pro selections and one Super Bowl victory (Super Bowl IV).
He played at SMU before being selected by Kansas City in 1968 in the third round of the AFL draft. He spent three seasons with the Chiefs before being traded to Chicago midway through his final season with the team. He finished his 11-year pro career with Cleveland in 1977.
Dawson retired from professional football after the 1975 season and later served as a broadcaster for both Kansas City and St. Louis
Len Dawson, the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame quarterback, has died. He was 82.
Dawson retired after the 1975 season and later served as a broadcaster for both Kansas City and St. Louis.
The Chiefs confirmed his death Thursday night on Twitter.
“The Kansas City Chiefs family is saddened by the loss of Len Dawson,” the team said in a statement. “Len will be remembered by his teammates as one of the greatest players in team history.”
Dawson played nine seasons with the Chiefs, winning the NFL’s MVP Award in 1964 and leading them to Super Bowl IV after the 1969 season. He also played for Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia before retiring after the 1975 season.
Dawson spent 16 seasons with the Chiefs, including two seasons as a player/coach. In 260 games played with Kansas City (1962-75), he completed 2,136 passes for 28,507 yards and 239 touchdowns. His completions, passing yards, and touchdowns were franchise records when he retired, while his passer rating of 82.6 ranked second to that point among all NFL quarterbacks with 1,000+ attempts.
The Kansas City Chiefs have lost a legend.
Len Dawson, who spent 16 seasons with the club and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, has passed away at age 81. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King tweeted Monday evening that Dawson died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Houston, Texas.
“Len was always a competitor,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said Tuesday afternoon. “He always wanted to win and he played with that drive all the time.”
Dawson spent 16 seasons with the Chiefs (1962-75), including two seasons as a player/coach (1973-74). In 260 games played with Kansas City (1962-75), he completed 2,136 passes for 28,507 yards and 239 touchdowns. His completions, passing yards, and touchdowns were franchise records when he retired; his passer rating of 82.6 ranked second to that point among all NFL quarterbacks with 1) 1,000+ attempts; 2) minimum 50% completions; 3) minimum 200 attempts/3 years as No. 1 QB
The Kansas City Chiefs mourn the passing of franchise legend Len Dawson.
The Kansas City Chiefs mourn the passing of franchise legend Len Dawson.
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Len was a five-time Super Bowl champion, winning three with the Baltimore Colts and two with the Chiefs in 1970 and 1972. He was also named to the All-Pro team on four occasions and was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection.
Len played his entire career with the Baltimore Colts before moving to Kansas City in 1975. His Chiefs career lasted until 1979, making him one of only two players to play for both Baltimore and Kansas City.
He is best remembered for leading NFL teams in passing yards (25,827) and touchdowns (216), both records that still stand today. Len also holds the record for most touchdown passes by a quarterback in his first six seasons (179). His best season as a Chief came during his second year with the team when he threw for 3,714 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading them to their first-ever Super Bowl title against Dallas Cowboys
Conclusion
Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987, and he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Chiefs to ever play the game. His work with the team during the 1960s and 1970s helped propel them to become one of the most dominant teams in all of football history. On top of that, Dawson was prepared for his post-playing career, which included a stint as a broadcaster with CBS during Super Bowl XIV, six years with the team as a radio announcer, and six years as a radio analyst for Kansas City Royals baseball games.
