Len Dawson has passed - RIP

[Al Bundy]

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.

[jallmon]

Thanks for the great memories, Lenny! Prayers to family and friends.

[ChiefsFan63]

My very first sports hero. God bless you Lenny.

[Graystoke]

Lenny the cool.
His coolness will transcend all worlds.
Godspeed

[POND_OF_RED]

Len and his wife/high school sweetheart Jackie taken on the hood of the car he received for winning Super Bowl IV MVP. Sure the Fresca and cigarette is the most iconic, but in his final days I love seeing this picture. She was taken from him 44 years ago. I know right where he’s headed after his final breath! Go get her Lenny!

Thanks for all the hard work, dedication, and love you poured into the Chiefs over your lifetime. A true Kansas City legend. You will be greatly missed!

[Al Czervik]

He was my childhood hero!!!!
I ran into Lenny and his wife while picking up
Italian Delight in Mission, KS about 4 years ago.
We talked Chiefs until my order came up.
He has just retired from broadcasting.

HOF guy on and off the field.
Godspeed Lenny the Cool!

[Stewie]

When I played YMCA football as a youngster it was exciting when jerseys were assigned. Everyone was jealous of the kid that got #16. It really mattered.

[Frazod]

I'll never forget my brief encounter with Len. I went to a Chiefs/Bears preseason game back in '96 at pre-molested Soldier Field. This was a different time, and security was lax to say the least. This was my first Chiefs game in person since childhood, and I was very excited. Got to the stadium hours before game time - they hadn't set anything up yet and the gates were wide open. I just walked in. I assume that any security people just figured I was with the team, because nobody ever said a word to me. I walked into the seating area, then down by the field, then onto the field. I was standing at about the 20 yard line, turned around, and Len was walking right toward me. I was completely dumbstruck. All I could manage was "Uh, Mr. Dawson?" He replied, "Hi, how you doing?" and walked right past me. I just stood there in shock. Too bad I didn't see him coming from a distance - perhaps I would have handled it better and had a conversation or at least gotten an autograph. Oh well. It was still a neat experience.

So sorry to hear about this. Godspeed, Len.

[InChiefsHeaven]

Years ago I won tickets to a Chiefs game and there was also backstage passes to the booth before the game. I think it was The Fox radio station. Anyway, we got to get a picture with one of the radio announcers, but we didn't know who because it depended on who was in the booth at the time. My wife and I went, had a great tailgate, then went back stage up to the booth. The tour guide (or whatever) said "Let's get this picture lined up...Mr. Dawson, are you available?" And he stood up and said absolutely. I remember how big a guy he was. He came over and said "I'll stand here next to the little lady" and took the pic with me and my wife. I asked for one more, and switched places with my wife and got the pic, shaking his hand with the ring on it...he was awesome and we talked for a minute before the next people came in for their photo. Saddest part is...I can't find the pic of me next to him, I only have the pic of my wife next to him. But, I'll never forget that.

God Bless you Lenny. Class act all the way. Take it easy...

[scho63]

****, this thread is making me weep.

[Chiefaholic]

When you look at the whole picture, Kansas City couldn't have found a better person to represent their franchise. On the field, off the field, in the booth..... The man was phenominal at ALL of them. I was born in November of '71, so I obviously don't remember the live games on TV. But, thanks to Youtube, I've had the privilege of watching many of his games, including Superbowl 4. Hank, Lamar, Lynch, Culp, D. Thomas, Delaney, and a host of others are waiting for you to huddle up one last time as you call your final play into the kingdom of heaven.

RIP Lenny....

[REDHOTGTO]

my first sports game was in 72 at arrowhead, if i remember right they played joe namath and the jets, lenny was bigger than life back then. what a man, we'll miss ya

[GloryDayz]

Ugh. Prayers...

[Mile High Mania]

Sucks when legends get old.. prayers for him and the family.

[O.city]

Man, that sucks.

I'm a young pup so my memories of him were always listening to him on teh radio with Mitch.

[Prison Bitch]

Loved Inside The NFL as a kid. I’d have my helmet sticker book open figuring out what teams he was talking about. Back then it was the only source of highlights around the league, local news never covered it and PrimeTime wasn’t on yet