The AFC’s Kansas City Chiefs have been playing professional football since 1963. IN actuality, the team was technically in existence three years prior to that, when it was known as the Dallas Texans, and – of course – located in Dallas. AS the Texans, the franchise was one of the founding members of the old AFL, and can now be found playing in the American Football Conference. No one would argue with the fact that the Chiefs’ past rosters included some of the true greats in football history. One of those great Kansas City players was Len Dawson, the Hall of Fame quarterback from Purdue University.

Len’s college days

Quarterback Lenny Dawson was a star long before he hit the professional ranks. He led his Purdue Boilermakers in three successful seasons first. His presence with the Purdue team was never a foregone conclusion, however, as he was also heavily recruited by the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Eventually, his decision came down to the type of offense that the teams ran and his newfound fondness for Purdue’s coach. History was kind to both the team and Dawson, since he led all of his competition in the Big Ten Conference in each of the three years he started as quarterback, while posting gaudy passing yard numbers throughout.

Slow start in the NFL

Dawson’s entry into the NFL was much-heralded. Despite that fact, his experience with the Steelers was less than satisfactory, and even after being traded to Cleveland he found himself unable to acquire the starting job at quarterback. In truth, he had very stiff competition at both locations. In 1962, he signed with the then-Dallas Texans and began to find his stride. His first season with the team resulted in him being the touchdown and yard per attempt leader, as well as the MVP of the AFL. When the team moved in 1963 to Kansas City, Dawson went with them.

Home in the Chiefs jersey

Dawson was known for his laser-like accuracy, which was a necessity in the Chief’s offense – then known as the “moving pocket”. As a Chief, Dawson became the leader in AFL passing. His 1966 season earned him the high honor of taking his Chiefs team into the very first Super Bowl – a contest against the NFL champion Green Bay Packers. As fans of football know, the Packers won that game somewhat handily. Still, Dawson’s performance showcased his accuracy and gave no indication that he had lost any of his skill.

Super Bowl IV

Just a few years later, Len Dawson and his Chiefs would redeem themselves as they played in and won Super Bowl IV. Without Lombardi, Starr, or the Packers to stop him – the opponent was instead the Vikings of Minnesota – Dawson emerged victorious, providing the Chiefs with what would eventually turn out to be the only Super Bowl win of the franchise. Though Joe Namath had shocked the world the year before by being the first AFL quarterback to win a Super Bowl, Dawson is now known as the man who showed that the AFC’s first win was not a fluke.

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Tagged with: Actuality • American Football Conference • Big Ten Conference • College Days • Dallas Texans • Fondness • Football History • Foregone Conclusion • Hall Of Fame • Kansas City Chiefs • Len Dawson • NFL • Pocke • Professional Football • Professional Ranks • Purdue Boilermakers • Purdue Team • Purdue University • S College • Sports • Stiff Competition • True Greats

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