Len Dawson has passed - RIP - Page 6

Al Bundy · 11:37 AM

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.

IowaHawkeyeChief · 08-12-2022, 08:43 PM

Godspeed to a Chiefs Legend and hero... What a life!

smithandrew051 · 08-12-2022, 08:44 PM

Absolutely on the Chiefs Mount Rushmore.

One of the genuine good guys.

Kman34 · 08-12-2022, 08:50 PM

Prayers sent to Len and his family..

Stryker · 08-12-2022, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Lenny the cool was the definition of a cool player back in the day. Sitting on a metal folding chair, Fresca and a smoke at halftime. That’s as cool as it gets back then. It’s an iconic image.

And exactly why he is a permanent part of my man cave!

**SAGA45** · 08-12-2022, 09:25 PM

Let's get that Lombardi for him!

Inspector · 08-12-2022, 09:26 PM

Thanks for the great times Lenny! My best memories of the 1960's.

Stryker · 08-12-2022, 09:44 PM

Super Bowl IV plate

LongSufferingToady · 08-12-2022, 10:51 PM

Oh man, not Lenny. We've lost so many great ones of late.

But if any man deserves accolades as he exits this life for the next it is Len Dawson.

Godspeed Lenny the Cool.

ThyKingdomCome15 · 08-12-2022, 11:44 PM

Oh man, I love that guy. Great quarterback and a pleasure to listen to in the broadcast booth. All the best to Lenny.

scho63 · 08-13-2022, 06:11 AM

May you travel this last journey peacefully with a huge parade.

Len the cool is a big reason I am a Chiefs fan.

Sad news for sure.

**PHOG** · 08-13-2022, 07:04 AM

Class act through and through. Godspeed Lenny.

Eleazar · 08-13-2022, 08:13 AM

Time comes for us all eventually. God speed, Leonard.

Halfcan · 08-13-2022, 08:21 AM

Lenny the Cool is in the NFL HOF as a player and broadcaster. Two well-deserved honors.
He is an amazing guy that will be missed by all.

Wilson8 · 08-13-2022, 09:57 AM

Len Dawson, a very special person and I always will have fond memories of him.

Hospice care can mean that death is imminent. They can give you morphine and other drugs to ease the pain but with new Medicare laws and rules, Hospice care can also be used when the family needs assistance in the care. It allows extra people in bathing and other care. I imagine though since the family is letting people know, that it means that Lenny does not have long to live.

He was one of my heroes.

**Rain Man** · 08-13-2022, 11:32 AM

We're so lucky that we've had Lenny as the face of the franchise for so many years. Great player, likeable guy.

08-12-2022, 03:34 PM
Al Bundy Damnit Peg Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Overland Park Casino cash: $4181831	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: 23,552

08-12-2022, 08:43 PM	#76
IowaHawkeyeChief In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2016 Casino cash: $840400	Godspeed to a Chiefs Legend and hero... What a life! __________________ Chiefs are my favorite football team of all time!
Posts: 28,105

08-12-2022, 08:44 PM	#77
smithandrew051 I Like The Kansas City Chiefs Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Shawnee, KS Casino cash: $1194400	Absolutely on the Chiefs Mount Rushmore. One of the genuine good guys. __________________ My 2024 Adopt a Chief: Leo Chenal Holy Hat!
Posts: 28,736

08-12-2022, 08:50 PM	#78
Kman34 My Mamma Says Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Glass Cage Of Emotion Casino cash: $-68214 VARSITY	Prayers sent to Len and his family.. __________________ SFC... Stay ****ing Calm..
Posts: 14,508

08-12-2022, 09:25 PM	#80
SAGA45 Supporter Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Compton, CA Casino cash: $3534955	Let's get that Lombardi for him!
Posts: 1,613

08-12-2022, 09:26 PM	#81
Inspector MVP Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: K.C. Casino cash: $9914975	Thanks for the great times Lenny! My best memories of the 1960's. __________________ As always, this is IMO.
Posts: 7,915

08-12-2022, 10:51 PM	#83
LongSufferingToady Old, not Dead Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Where the Buffalo Roam... Casino cash: $9290400	Oh man, not Lenny. We've lost so many great ones of late. But if any man deserves accolades as he exits this life for the next it is Len Dawson. Godspeed Lenny the Cool.
Posts: 774

08-12-2022, 11:44 PM	#84
ThyKingdomCome15 MVP Join Date: Jun 2019 Casino cash: $910400	Oh man, I love that guy. Great quarterback and a pleasure to listen to in the broadcast booth. All the best to Lenny.
Posts: 8,321

08-13-2022, 06:11 AM	#85
scho63 Politically Incorrect Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Casino cash: $731110	May you travel this last journey peacefully with a huge parade. Len the cool is a big reason I am a Chiefs fan. Sad news for sure. __________________ *"The only difference between sex for free and sex for money is that sex for free costs you a WHOLE LOT more!"* ~Redd Foxx~ ~~2018 2019 2020 20212022 2023~~ 2024 Adopt a Chief - Clark Hunt and Brett Veach "The men who drafted Patrick Mahomes"
Posts: 53,021

08-13-2022, 07:04 AM	#86
PHOG Dazed and Confused Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Somewhere Out There Casino cash: $500	Class act through and through. Godspeed Lenny.
Posts: 18,147

08-13-2022, 08:13 AM	#87
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	Time comes for us all eventually. God speed, Leonard.
Posts: 80,659

08-13-2022, 08:21 AM	#88
Halfcan In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7327995	Lenny the Cool is in the NFL HOF as a player and broadcaster. Two well-deserved honors. He is an amazing guy that will be missed by all.
Posts: 43,200

08-13-2022, 09:57 AM	#89
Wilson8 Veteran Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $3477557	Len Dawson, a very special person and I always will have fond memories of him. Hospice care can mean that death is imminent. They can give you morphine and other drugs to ease the pain but with new Medicare laws and rules, Hospice care can also be used when the family needs assistance in the care. It allows extra people in bathing and other care. I imagine though since the family is letting people know, that it means that Lenny does not have long to live. He was one of my heroes.
Posts: 3,921	1 0

08-13-2022, 11:32 AM	#90
Rain Man Seize life. Be an ermine. Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $1278491 VARSITY	We're so lucky that we've had Lenny as the face of the franchise for so many years. Great player, likeable guy. __________________ Active fan of the greatest team in NFL history.
Posts: 143,312	1 0