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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.

Chief Roundup · 08-12-2022, 04:49 PM

Prayers for a peaceful and quick ending to this situation.

Chris Meck · 08-12-2022, 04:52 PM

Well, I guess we'll just have to win the whole damned thing for Lenny the Cool, then.

Rainbarrel · 08-12-2022, 04:58 PM

Only the best

Spott · 08-12-2022, 05:01 PM

After all the years doing the radio broadcasting for the team, I’m glad he was there to see us finally win it all again.

**LoneWolf** · 08-12-2022, 05:08 PM

Stay cool, Lenny. Give Hank a big high five when God calls the final 65 Toss Power Trap.

kc rush · 08-12-2022, 05:12 PM

Prayers

LOCOChief · 08-12-2022, 05:12 PM

God speed Lenny the cool

Red Dawg · 08-12-2022, 05:12 PM

Lenny is the man. Sorry to see him go.

**BigRedChief** · 08-12-2022, 05:13 PM

Lenny the cool to Otis Taylor hooked me then. Sorry to hear of his health state. You were the man back in the day. You’ll be remembered.

————————————————-

Legendary quarterback Len Dawson, who led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl triumph and was with the organization for six decades as a player and broadcaster, has entered hospice care in Kansas City, a friend of the family confirmed to The Star. Dawson, 87, became the starting quarterback in 1962, the franchise’s final year in Dallas, and he was the Chiefs’ primary quarterback until his retirement in 1975.

With the Chiefs he was reunited with Hank Stram, who had been his assistant coach at Purdue. Along the way, the Chiefs won three AFL championships, played in Super Bowl I and captured Super Bowl IV. Dawson was named the MVP in the victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He’s the franchise leader in touchdown passes and passing yards.

Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nf...#storylink=cpy

WhawhaWhat · 08-12-2022, 05:14 PM

He's been going there a lot today.

Chief Roundup · 08-12-2022, 05:17 PM

Mods want to merge this one or just delete it since it is obvious someone did not even look before posting.

HonestChieffan · 08-12-2022, 05:25 PM

Lenny and Marty were very much the reason many of us found our love for this team. Mr Hunt was icing on that cake. Makes me very sad to think its Lenny's time. Had multiple opportunities to talk to him over the years and will always remember such a gentleman and fine person.

Heaven gains a great new member

Prayers for the Dawson family.

Hog's Gone Fishin · 08-12-2022, 05:27 PM

The "Len Dawson Lounge" what's the hold up?

WilliamTheIrish · 08-12-2022, 05:30 PM

My boyhood hero.

That 37 yard toss to Otis in the final AFL game. In Oakland. From his own end zone. Under incredible pressure from the Raiders DL. On 3rd down. The biggest pass play in Chiefs history prior to WASP.

It led to the game leading TD.

Dammit this makes me sad.

**srvy** · 08-12-2022, 05:31 PM

It took a special man to lead a special team. When I was a kid playing pickup games on any piece of grass field or even on neighborhood streets I was Otis Taylor receiving passes from Lenny the cool.

Then one by one the greatest team I felt was ever assembled retired or moved on. Lenny didn't leave he became the voice of the KC Chiefs. He never wavered in his belief in the team and promoted players of past and present and was a supporter of the city. When your voice became silent I knew it had to be bad.

I pray for an easy passage to your eternal rest. When it is your time it will be like a family member has passed. I will never forget as long as I am breathing the memories you made.

Lenny The Cool the legend and Hall or Fame man, you will be missed.

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: 23,316

08-12-2022, 04:49 PM	#31
Chief Roundup Admitted Planet Junky Chief Roundup's Avatar Join Date: Oct 2000	Prayers for a peaceful and quick ending to this situation.
Posts: 19,198

08-12-2022, 04:52 PM	#32
Chris Meck MVP Chris Meck's Avatar Join Date: May 2001 Location: midtown KC	Well, I guess we'll just have to win the whole damned thing for Lenny the Cool, then.
Posts: 17,513	3 0

08-12-2022, 04:58 PM	#33
Rainbarrel MVP Rainbarrel's Avatar Join Date: Mar 2021	Only the best
Posts: 8,036

08-12-2022, 05:01 PM	#34
Spott Court Jester Spott's Avatar Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Orlando	After all the years doing the radio broadcasting for the team, I’m glad he was there to see us finally win it all again.
Posts: 19,706	3 0

08-12-2022, 05:08 PM	#35
LoneWolf Constable of Untruths LoneWolf's Avatar Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wichita	Stay cool, Lenny. Give Hank a big high five when God calls the final 65 Toss Power Trap.
Posts: 14,997	1 0

08-12-2022, 05:12 PM	#36
kc rush Blah Blah Blah kc rush's Avatar Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: In front of the computer.	Prayers
Posts: 12,554

08-12-2022, 05:12 PM	#37
LOCOChief True Chiefs Fan LOCOChief's Avatar Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bull Bay	God speed Lenny the cool
Posts: 5,453

08-12-2022, 05:12 PM	#38
Red Dawg Going home eventually Red Dawg's Avatar Join Date: Dec 2002	Lenny is the man. Sorry to see him go.
Posts: 30,424

08-12-2022, 05:13 PM	#39
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills BigRedChief's Avatar Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water	Lenny the Cool enters Hospice and appreciation thread Lenny the cool to Otis Taylor hooked me then. Sorry to hear of his health state. You were the man back in the day. You’ll be remembered. ————————————————- Legendary quarterback Len Dawson, who led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl triumph and was with the organization for six decades as a player and broadcaster, has entered hospice care in Kansas City, a friend of the family confirmed to The Star. Dawson, 87, became the starting quarterback in 1962, the franchise’s final year in Dallas, and he was the Chiefs’ primary quarterback until his retirement in 1975. With the Chiefs he was reunited with Hank Stram, who had been his assistant coach at Purdue. Along the way, the Chiefs won three AFL championships, played in Super Bowl I and captured Super Bowl IV. Dawson was named the MVP in the victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He’s the franchise leader in touchdown passes and passing yards. Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nf...#storylink=cpy
Posts: 79,009

08-12-2022, 05:14 PM	#40
WhawhaWhat MVP Join Date: Feb 2013	He's been going there a lot today.
Posts: 17,230

08-12-2022, 05:17 PM	#41
Chief Roundup Admitted Planet Junky Chief Roundup's Avatar Join Date: Oct 2000	Mods want to merge this one or just delete it since it is obvious someone did not even look before posting.
Posts: 19,198	8 0

08-12-2022, 05:25 PM	#42
HonestChieffan Seeking the Truth daily HonestChieffan's Avatar Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the Country in MO	Lenny and Marty were very much the reason many of us found our love for this team. Mr Hunt was icing on that cake. Makes me very sad to think its Lenny's time. Had multiple opportunities to talk to him over the years and will always remember such a gentleman and fine person. Heaven gains a great new member Prayers for the Dawson family.
Posts: 53,345

08-12-2022, 05:27 PM	#43
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Hog's Gone Fishin's Avatar Join Date: Nov 2001	The "Len Dawson Lounge" what's the hold up?
Posts: 40,342

08-12-2022, 05:30 PM	#44
WilliamTheIrish Champion Golfer Of The Year WilliamTheIrish's Avatar Join Date: Aug 2001	My boyhood hero. That 37 yard toss to Otis in the final AFL game. In Oakland. From his own end zone. Under incredible pressure from the Raiders DL. On 3rd down. The biggest pass play in Chiefs history prior to WASP. It led to the game leading TD. Dammit this makes me sad.
Posts: 34,630	5 0

08-12-2022, 05:31 PM	#45
srvy Fight, build, win! srvy's Avatar Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: KC	It took a special man to lead a special team. When I was a kid playing pickup games on any piece of grass field or even on neighborhood streets I was Otis Taylor receiving passes from Lenny the cool. Then one by one the greatest team I felt was ever assembled retired or moved on. Lenny didn't leave he became the voice of the KC Chiefs. He never wavered in his belief in the team and promoted players of past and present and was a supporter of the city. When your voice became silent I knew it had to be bad. I pray for an easy passage to your eternal rest. When it is your time it will be like a family member has passed. I will never forget as long as I am breathing the memories you made. Lenny The Cool the legend and Hall or Fame man, you will be missed.
Posts: 24,358	3 0