Len Dawson

Len Dawson, a Pro Football Hall of Famer as both a quarterback and a broadcaster, has died at the age of 87, according to his family.

He was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, setting records in football and basketball, and turned his success on the gridiron into a scholarship offer from Purdue. By the end of his college career, Dawson had thrown for more than 3,000 yards despite playing in an era that favored ground-and-pound football, and was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 1957 draft. Dawson went on to become an analyst for games on NBC as well as a longtime host of HBO's "Inside the NFL." Dawson remained a beloved figure in Kansas City, even though he cut back on public appearances several years ago when his health began to fail him. [Minnesota Vikings](/nfl/team/_/name/min/minnesota-vikings) in Super Bowl IV. The man Stram once called "the most accurate passer in pro football" immediately showed he was worthy of being a team's No.

Len Dawson, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl IV, has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was 87.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 2012. After his playing career came to an end after the 1975 NFL season, Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame just over a decade later in 1987. 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. He later went onto become the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, an honor that he still holds today. 12, spent 47 years with the Chiefs: 14 as a player and 33 as a broadcaster. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers.

After seeing little action for five seasons, he emerged as a star of the fledgling A.F.L. and one of the best quarterbacks in pro football.

But he was a backup in his three seasons with them and two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He was the guy here in Kansas City.” He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987. Lamar Hunt, the Texans’ owner, moved the team to Kansas City for the 1963 season, renaming it the Chiefs, and Dawson took the team to an A.F.L. He became a star quarterback for Purdue when Stram was an assistant coach with the Boilermakers, then was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 1957 N.F.L. That upset was a prelude to the Chiefs’ championship victory, which cemented the league’s credibility preceding the completion of the A.F.L.-N.F.L. “That was huge for us,” Dawson told The Times-Picayune of New Orleans long afterward. Seemingly unfazed by the headlines, Dawson closed out the Super Bowl scoring by combining with receiver Otis Taylor on a 46-yard third-quarter touchdown play in the face of a blitz. The Justice Department did not confirm the report, but Dawson, while denying any connection to gambling, told reporters that he had a “casual acquaintanceship” with one of the men who had been arrested. Dawson, who played professionally for 19 seasons, 13 of them in Kansas City, was known as Lenny the Cool. after his unhappy time with the N.F.L.’s Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, once called him “the most accurate passer in pro football.” Dawson had recently entered hospice care at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.

Len Dawson, a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to the franchise's first Super Bowl win, has passed away. He was 87 years old.

[New York Jets](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/NYJ/new-york-jets/) and Oakland [Raiders](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/LV/las-vegas-raiders/) -- in the playoffs. In 1975, the 40-year-old Dawson led the NFL in completion percentage in what was his final season. He received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award for his longtime contributions as a sports broadcaster in 2012. A picture taken of Dawson [smoking a cigarette](https://twitter.com/wingoz/status/1217606018508693505?s=20&t=nHwI7rOsjikcPL4uQRFEgQ) at halftime became one of the most iconic images in pro football history. On Christmas Day, 1971, he quarterbacked in the longest game in NFL history, as Kansas City fell to Don Shula's He was named to his seventh Pro Bowl in 1971 while helping lead the Chiefs to a division title. The Chiefs were also led by Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram and Hall of Fame owner Lamar Hunt. Kansas City would face the heavily favored [Vikings](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/MIN/minnesota-vikings/) in the final game played before the AFL-NFL merger. One of pro football's best quarterbacks during the 1960s, Dawson led the AFL in completion percentage seven times over an eight-year span. Dawson led the Texans to an AFL title that season after leading the league in completion percentage and touchdown passes. He got his break in 1962 when he joined the Dallas Texans, an AFL club in its third year of existence. Dawson spent 40-plus years at the station, before stepping away from the anchor desk in 2009.

Kansas City Chiefs legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson has died at the age of 87.

Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson has died at 87. Although his pro career didn't start as planned, Dawson helped the Kansas City Chiefs hoist their first Lombardi ...

After he was released by the Browns, Dawson joined the AFL's Texans in 1962 and promptly led them to an AFL Championship Game victory over the Houston Oilers. Dawson went 12 of 17 passing for 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception en route to MVP honors. Dawson, who led the AFL in passer rating six times, retired following the 1975 season. When Dawson joined the show, HBO was hardly the juggernaut it would become, but Inside the NFL was one of the network's early staples. Unlike most former players in that era, Dawson wasn't just an analyst -- he hosted the show, quarterbacking a cast that included One of the elite QBs of the 1960s, Dawson was overshadowed in history's hindsight by contemporaries The Chiefs were pummeled by Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers on that day at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 35-10. His 28,507 yards and 237 TD passes as a Chief are still tops in franchise history. Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. "Fans connected with Len's story of perseverance, appreciating how he gave the game one more try after five nondescript seasons when many others would have quit. Dawson and the soon-to-be Kansas City Chiefs franchise never looked back. "Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Len Dawson, the legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory, has died, his family and ...

"Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. "Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs," Clark Hunt, Chiefs Chairman and CEO said in a statement. In 1962, he was named AFL Player of the Year. Dawson guided the Chiefs to a surprise 23-7 win over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in 1970. "He loved Kansas City and no matter where his travels took him, he could not wait to return home. "He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, whose unmistakable swagger in helping the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title earned ...

The second came in 1966, when Dawson led the Chiefs to an 11-2-1 record and a 31-7 blowout of the Bills in the AFL title game. Dawson was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 1957 draft, but he wound up riding the bench behind Earl Morrall as a rookie and then failed to beat out Bobby Layne for he starting job the following season. “RIP to the legend Len Dawson,” Mahomes wrote in a tweet. Dawson was married to his high school sweetheart, Jackie, from 1954 until her death in 1978, and together they had two children. Stram tapped into his talent, helping Dawson to quickly become one of the league’s prolific passers as the Texans went 11-3 and won the first of three championships. He was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, setting records in both football and basketball, and turned his success on the gridiron into a scholarship offer from Purdue. By the end of his college career, Dawson had thrown for more than 3,000 yards, despite playing in an era that favored ground-and-pound football. Dawson always remained a beloved figure in Kansas City, even though he cut back on public appearances several years ago when his health began to fail. “Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City and the people that call it home. Dawson’s family announced his death in a statement through KMBC, the Kansas City-based television station where he starred in his second career as a broadcaster. 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.” — Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, whose unmistakable swagger in helping the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title earned him the nickname “Lenny the Cool,” died Wednesday.

Dawson, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 1987, has died at age 87, his family said in a statement released early Aug. 24. He had entered ...

“When I think of Lenny I also think of honor, I think of class, I think of style, I think of grace and I think of dignity,” Stram said in presenting Dawson for Enshrinement. Dawson was the 1973 NFL Man of the Year and winner of the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award in 2008. He was our man of the moment.” “When I think of Lenny, I think of winning because he played a dominant role in helping us become the winningest team in the history of the American League. He led the Chiefs to appearances in Super Bowl I, a loss to the powerhouse Green Bay Packers, and Super Bowl IV, where his MVP performance helped produce a 23-7 upset of the NFL-champion Minnesota Vikings. From 1977 to 2001, Dawson became visible to a new generation of football fans, hosting HBO's “Inside the NFL.” He also worked as a TV analyst for NBC (1977-1982) and as an analyst on the Chiefs’ radio broadcast team (1985-2017). Because to tell you the truth, I was awful after five years of not playing,” Dawson said at his Enshrinement, referring to joining Stram and owner Lamar Hunt, another future Hall of Famer, in Dallas. 7, 1963 in Denver, Dawson completed 12 of 15 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in a 59-7 romp. The Texans relocated to Kansas City for the 1963 season, and Dawson again would lead the AFL in TD passes (26), although the team took a step back in the standings. Dawson, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 1987, has died at age 87, his family said in a statement released early Aug. Three and a half decades later, he delivered his enshrinement speech outside the stadium, recalling the rough start to his pro career and the two men who revived it. Although modest by today’s standards, Dawson’s passing statistics were tops in the Big Ten over his three seasons as a starter.