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Al Bundy · 08-12-2022, 03:34 PM

https://kmbc.com/article/len-dawson-...at-87/40943140

"He loved Kansas City and no matter where his travels took him, he could not wait to return home."

Rest well, Len. ❤️

Len Dawson has died at the age of 87: https://t.co/rRdEugmMD9 pic.twitter.com/cJfMwKtpon
— KMBC (@kmbc) August 24, 2022

https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-m...4l3P21ZulRpgwc

Chiefs Mourn the Passing of Franchise Legend Len Dawson
Aug 24, 2022 at 07:47 AM

The Kansas City Chiefs are saddened to share the passing of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Chiefs legend and Kansas City icon, Len Dawson.

"My family and I are heartbroken. Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs. Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. You would be hard-pressed to find a player who had a bigger impact in shaping the organization as we know it today than Len Dawson did," Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. "I admired Len my entire life – first as a Hall of Fame player on the field, and later as he transitioned into a successful broadcasting career. Throughout his remarkable career, Len made it a priority to give back to the community that he loved. The franchise has lost a true legend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Linda and his family."

Dawson was the heart and soul of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise during his illustrious14-year Chiefs career, helping make the franchise one of professional football's premier teams while becoming one of the game's elite passers.

Under the leadership of PFHOF Head Coach Hank Stram, who brought Dawson to the Texans/Chiefs franchise in 1962, Dawson's Chiefs were perennial contenders and won American Football League Championships in 1962, 1966 and 1969. He earned the Most Valuable Player award for Super Bowl IV when he directed Kansas City to a 23-7 win over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings. Dawson won the AFL passing title four times and still holds the franchise's career records for pass attempts (3,696), completions (2,115), passing yards (28,507) and touchdowns (237).

He was named to six AFL All-Star teams and one Pro Bowl squad, and also earned AFL Player of the Year honors for the 1962 season. Dawson started 158 regular season games for Kansas City, the most of any quarterback in franchise history. He led the AFL in passing four different seasons (1962, 1964, 1966 and 1968), pacing the AFL in completion percentage eight times, including a string of six-straight seasons from 1964-69.

Dawson was recognized as the 1973 NFL Man of the Year, one of five Chiefs players to ever earn the honor. He retired from professional football on May 1, 1976. He was enshrined into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1979 and was immortalized at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1987. He was also enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.

Dawson enjoyed an equally legendary broadcasting career that began during his playing days. In 1966 he served as a sports anchor with KMBC Radio and as sports director for KMBC-TV while serving as the club's signal caller. Following his retirement from professional football after the 1975 season, Dawson joined NBC and served as a color analyst on NFL games until 1982. He then joined the Chiefs Radio Network as a color commentator in 1984, serving on the team's radio crew for 35 years. While working NFL games for NBC, Dawson embarked on what would become a 24-year run that spanned four decades (1977-2001) as the host of HBO's popular "Inside the NFL," cable television's longest-running series and the first NFL-related program to air on cable.

For his contributions to broadcasting, Dawson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Hall's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2012. He became just the third individual in professional football history to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as both a player and a broadcaster, joining Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford.

In 2014, Dawson was honored with the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football at the 44th Annual NFL 101 Awards, recognizing his contributions both on and off the field that helped shape the National Football League into the preeminent professional sports league in America. In 2017, the club renamed the television broadcast booth inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium the Len Dawson Broadcast Booth in honor of Dawson's accomplishments both on the field and as a broadcaster.

Dawson began his professional career as a first-round draft pick of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957. He went on to land with Cleveland in 1960 but was cut by the Browns prior to the 1962 season, at which point he was signed by the Dallas Texans as a free agent on July 2, 1962. In total he spent 19 years as a quarterback in the NFL/AFL.

The Alliance, Ohio, native attended Purdue University where he was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Boilermakers (1954-56) and ended his career as the university's leader in career passing yards and touchdown passes.

**Munson** · 08-24-2022, 07:58 AM

RIP Lenny.

I wasn’t even born when he was leading the Chiefs to greatness.

But I always enjoyed him on 101 the Fox, and on Channel 9 sports segments.

thabear04 · 08-24-2022, 08:04 AM

RIP Lenny thanks for the memories.

**alpha_omega** · 08-24-2022, 08:05 AM

In58men · 08-24-2022, 08:14 AM

The Lenny Lounge

Stryker · 08-24-2022, 08:17 AM

RIP Lenny - thank you for the memories.

ChiefsFan63 · 08-24-2022, 08:18 AM

RIP Lenny

Frazod · 08-24-2022, 08:20 AM

Bummer. RIP Lenny

Cosmos · 08-24-2022, 08:26 AM

Became a Chiefs fan back in 1971.

Last football game I ever watched w my dad.

Thought Podolak was going to pull it out..

RIP Lenny.

https://www.chiefs.com/video/remembe...e-ever-6682192

Chief Roundup · 08-24-2022, 08:33 AM

F150 · 08-24-2022, 08:36 AM

Lenny, much like Marty, was a friend of every Chiefs fan. Gods blessings on his family, his difficult time is past and he is at peace with the Lord.

Thanks for the memories.

Al Czervik · 08-24-2022, 08:41 AM

RIP Lenny...
One of the greatest to play the game

**KC Dan** · 08-24-2022, 08:47 AM

RIP Lenny! You were a huge reason I became a Chiefs fan when I was 7 years old.

KC_Lee · 08-24-2022, 08:49 AM

Hugh loss for the city of Kansas City. Thoughts to his loved ones during this time.

warrior · 08-24-2022, 09:00 AM

Met him once over 50 years ago, cool guy my condolences to his family- he will be missed

**Rain Man** · 08-24-2022, 09:01 AM

I think one thing that Len Dawson never got due credit for was the length of his career. He threw a pass in 19 NFL seasons from 1957 through 1975. He's one of the longest-tenured players in pro football history, and he did it in an era with a lot of contact and less evolved medical treatments and training.

08-12-2022, 03:34 PM
Al Bundy Damnit Peg Al Bundy's Avatar Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Overland Park	Len Dawson has passed - RIP https://kmbc.com/article/len-dawson-...at-87/40943140 "He loved Kansas City and no matter where his travels took him, he could not wait to return home." Rest well, Len. ❤️ Len Dawson has died at the age of 87: https://t.co/rRdEugmMD9 pic.twitter.com/cJfMwKtpon — KMBC (@kmbc) August 24, 2022 https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-m...4l3P21ZulRpgwc Chiefs Mourn the Passing of Franchise Legend Len Dawson Aug 24, 2022 at 07:47 AM The Kansas City Chiefs are saddened to share the passing of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Chiefs legend and Kansas City icon, Len Dawson. "My family and I are heartbroken. Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs. Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. You would be hard-pressed to find a player who had a bigger impact in shaping the organization as we know it today than Len Dawson did," Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. "I admired Len my entire life – first as a Hall of Fame player on the field, and later as he transitioned into a successful broadcasting career. Throughout his remarkable career, Len made it a priority to give back to the community that he loved. The franchise has lost a true legend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Linda and his family." Dawson was the heart and soul of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise during his illustrious14-year Chiefs career, helping make the franchise one of professional football's premier teams while becoming one of the game's elite passers. Under the leadership of PFHOF Head Coach Hank Stram, who brought Dawson to the Texans/Chiefs franchise in 1962, Dawson's Chiefs were perennial contenders and won American Football League Championships in 1962, 1966 and 1969. He earned the Most Valuable Player award for Super Bowl IV when he directed Kansas City to a 23-7 win over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings. Dawson won the AFL passing title four times and still holds the franchise's career records for pass attempts (3,696), completions (2,115), passing yards (28,507) and touchdowns (237). He was named to six AFL All-Star teams and one Pro Bowl squad, and also earned AFL Player of the Year honors for the 1962 season. Dawson started 158 regular season games for Kansas City, the most of any quarterback in franchise history. He led the AFL in passing four different seasons (1962, 1964, 1966 and 1968), pacing the AFL in completion percentage eight times, including a string of six-straight seasons from 1964-69. Dawson was recognized as the 1973 NFL Man of the Year, one of five Chiefs players to ever earn the honor. He retired from professional football on May 1, 1976. He was enshrined into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1979 and was immortalized at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1987. He was also enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996. Dawson enjoyed an equally legendary broadcasting career that began during his playing days. In 1966 he served as a sports anchor with KMBC Radio and as sports director for KMBC-TV while serving as the club's signal caller. Following his retirement from professional football after the 1975 season, Dawson joined NBC and served as a color analyst on NFL games until 1982. He then joined the Chiefs Radio Network as a color commentator in 1984, serving on the team's radio crew for 35 years. While working NFL games for NBC, Dawson embarked on what would become a 24-year run that spanned four decades (1977-2001) as the host of HBO's popular "Inside the NFL," cable television's longest-running series and the first NFL-related program to air on cable. For his contributions to broadcasting, Dawson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the recipient of the Hall's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2012. He became just the third individual in professional football history to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as both a player and a broadcaster, joining Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford. In 2014, Dawson was honored with the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football at the 44th Annual NFL 101 Awards, recognizing his contributions both on and off the field that helped shape the National Football League into the preeminent professional sports league in America. In 2017, the club renamed the television broadcast booth inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium the Len Dawson Broadcast Booth in honor of Dawson's accomplishments both on the field and as a broadcaster. Dawson began his professional career as a first-round draft pick of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957. He went on to land with Cleveland in 1960 but was cut by the Browns prior to the 1962 season, at which point he was signed by the Dallas Texans as a free agent on July 2, 1962. In total he spent 19 years as a quarterback in the NFL/AFL. The Alliance, Ohio, native attended Purdue University where he was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Boilermakers (1954-56) and ended his career as the university's leader in career passing yards and touchdown passes. Last edited by Dartgod; 08-24-2022 at 11:37 AM..
Posts: 23,319

08-24-2022, 07:58 AM	#181
Munson Roy E. Munson's Avatar Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Olathe, KS	RIP Lenny. I wasn’t even born when he was leading the Chiefs to greatness. But I always enjoyed him on 101 the Fox, and on Channel 9 sports segments.
Posts: 22,733

08-24-2022, 08:04 AM	#182
thabear04 MTFU thabear04's Avatar Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The Valley Heat	RIP Lenny thanks for the memories.
Posts: 7,231

08-24-2022, 08:05 AM	#183
alpha_omega Supporter alpha_omega's Avatar Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Liberty	RIP
Posts: 16,746

08-24-2022, 08:14 AM	#184
In58men Baba Ganoush In58men's Avatar Join Date: Jan 2012	The Lenny Lounge
Posts: 29,240	2 0

08-24-2022, 08:17 AM	#185
Stryker In Mahomes I trust! Stryker's Avatar Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Baton Rouge, LA	RIP Lenny - thank you for the memories.
Posts: 5,985

08-24-2022, 08:18 AM	#186
ChiefsFan63 Starter ChiefsFan63's Avatar Join Date: May 2022 Location: Butler County Kansas	RIP Lenny
Posts: 310

08-24-2022, 08:20 AM	#187
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Frazod's Avatar Join Date: Aug 2000	Bummer. RIP Lenny
Posts: 119,512

08-24-2022, 08:26 AM	#188
Cosmos Veteran Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: California	Became a Chiefs fan back in 1971. Last football game I ever watched w my dad. Thought Podolak was going to pull it out.. RIP Lenny. https://www.chiefs.com/video/remembe...e-ever-6682192
Posts: 3,626	3 0

08-24-2022, 08:33 AM	#189
Chief Roundup Admitted Planet Junky Chief Roundup's Avatar Join Date: Oct 2000	RIP
Posts: 19,219

08-24-2022, 08:36 AM	#190
F150 Veteran F150's Avatar Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Missouri	Lenny, much like Marty, was a friend of every Chiefs fan. Gods blessings on his family, his difficult time is past and he is at peace with the Lord. Thanks for the memories.
Posts: 3,149	1 0

08-24-2022, 08:41 AM	#191
Al Czervik Veteran Al Czervik's Avatar Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Shawnee, KS.	RIP Lenny... One of the greatest to play the game
Posts: 3,996

08-24-2022, 08:47 AM	#192
KC Dan Red, White & Blue for the U.S. KC Dan's Avatar Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: The Great Northwest now..	RIP Lenny! You were a huge reason I became a Chiefs fan when I was 7 years old.
Posts: 6,994

08-24-2022, 08:49 AM	#193
KC_Lee You're CARICATURES, ALL of you KC_Lee's Avatar Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO	Hugh loss for the city of Kansas City. Thoughts to his loved ones during this time.
Posts: 9,341

08-24-2022, 09:00 AM	#194
warrior Veteran warrior's Avatar Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: On the road again	Met him once over 50 years ago, cool guy my condolences to his family- he will be missed
Posts: 4,090

08-24-2022, 09:01 AM	#195
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Rain Man's Avatar Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house	I think one thing that Len Dawson never got due credit for was the length of his career. He threw a pass in 19 NFL seasons from 1957 through 1975. He's one of the longest-tenured players in pro football history, and he did it in an era with a lot of contact and less evolved medical treatments and training.
Posts: 141,549	3 0