Hall of Fame Chiefs QB Len Dawson Dies at Age 87
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and Kansas City Chiefs legend Len Dawson has died at the age of 87, according to his family.
Dawson quarterbacked the Chiefs to the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game (now known as Super Bowl I) and to the franchise's first Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl IV on Jan. 11, 1970.
The Dawson family released a statement following Dawson's passing, as told to KMBC in Kansas City:
"With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson. He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers.
"He loved Kansas City and no matter where his travels took him, he could not wait to return home.
"Linda wants to acknowledge and thank the wonderful team of doctors, nurses and support staff at KU Med who showed tremendous amounts of love and compassion for Len."
The Chiefs released a statement from Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, mourning Dawson's passing and remembering his time with the organization both on and off the field:
"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."
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987, Dawson remains the Chiefs' all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and quarterback wins. He signed with the AFL's Dallas Texans in 1962, one season before the Texans moved to Kansas City. Dawson went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowler, In the AFL, Dawson won four passing titles and was a six-time All-Star.
On Aug. 8, 1987, Dawson was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and ended his enshrinement speech with a message of thanks for his home state of Ohio before addressing the city that had become his home.
"This week has been so special. The treatment that we have received here in Canton, Ohio has been nothing but the very, very best. The people have been tremendous in helping us to do whatever we possibly can to get over the nervous feeling right now. The people from Canton are great, but you know something, I’ve always known that, because this is where I grew up. The people of Kansas City, for those of you who don’t know this place, is some kind of town. The people of Kansas City are tremendous; they have been tremendous to me and my family and to the Kansas City Chiefs. I am very proud, very proud to be here. This has been the greatest week of my life. Thank you very much."
Dawson, who earned the nickname "Lenny The Cool" during his playing days, stayed front-and-center in Kansas City for decades after his retirement, starting as KMBC Channel 9's first sports director in 1966, while he was still playing for the Chiefs.
In a 2017 story on chiefs.com, this era was recounted by Dan Israel, executive producer of the Chiefs' radio network, and current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
"Practice would end at like 4:30 and he would pop off his shoulder pads, grab a mic and interview a player right then and there before he showered or anything," Israel explained. "Then they would rush the film downtown for processing, Lenny would shower get dressed and go to Channel 9 and then like 15 minutes before they went on air, the film would arrive.
"That's the kind of chaos he was dealing with on a daily basis while he was playing."
"I love those pictures where he's got his football pants on and he's interviewing one of the players. That's unbelievable," Chiefs coach Andy Reid laughed. "It was a different time and era, and he was at the beginning of that. He busted his tail to become one of the best at it and still had all of the respect of the players and the organization."
Dawson spent more than 50 years in broadcasting after (and during) nearly two decades of playing. Dawson retired from the Chiefs' radio network in 2017.
As noted by Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star in a story about Dawson's retirement from the radio booth in 2017, Dawson had "quadruple bypass heart surgery and a battle with prostate cancer a few years ago and a more recent episode of shingles and some memory lapses" as a series of health issues later in life.
This story will be updated as necessary, including when the Chiefs or the Dawson family announce memorial services or other opportunities for fans to celebrate and remember Dawson's life and memory.
