Corridor of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, whose unmistakable swagger in serving to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to their first Tremendous Bowl title earned him the nickname "Lenny the Cool," died Wednesday. He was 87.
Dawson's household introduced his demise in a press release by means of KMBC, the Kansas Metropolis-based tv station the place he starred in his second profession as a broadcaster. No trigger was given, although Dawson had been in declining well being for years.
"With spouse Linda at his aspect, it's with a lot disappointment that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson," the household's assertion learn. "He was an exquisite husband, father, brother and buddy. Len was all the time grateful and plenty of instances overwhelmed by the numerous bonds he made throughout his soccer and broadcast careers."
In a assertion, Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt stated he was "heartbroken."
"Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. Len embraced and got here to embody Kansas Metropolis and the folks that decision it dwelling. You'll be hard-pressed to discover a participant who had an even bigger impression in shaping the group as we all know it immediately than Len Dawson did," Hunt stated.
The MVP of the Chiefs' victory over the Vikings in January 1970, Dawson had entered hospice care on Aug. 12.
"He liked Kansas Metropolis," his household stated, "and regardless of the place his travels took him, he couldn't wait to return dwelling."
Dawson personified the Chiefs nearly from the beginning, when the suave standout from Purdue misplaced out on beginning jobs in Pittsburgh and Cleveland and landed with the nascent franchise, then positioned in Dallas. There, Dawson reunited with Hank Stram, who had been an assistant with the Boilermakers, and collectively they eternally modified the franchise.
The coach and quarterback gained the AFL championship collectively in 1962, their first yr collectively, and have become bona fide stars the next yr, when membership founder Lamar Hunt moved the group to Kansas Metropolis and rechristened it the Chiefs.
They proceeded to win two extra AFL titles, one in 1966 after they misplaced to the Packers within the first Tremendous Bowl, and the opposite in '69, when Dawson got here again from an harm to assist beat the Vikings at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.
"Trying again on my profession, I have been blessed for what I had the chance to do," Dawson stated advised The Related Press in 2017, shortly after he introduced his retirement from broadcasting.
"I couldn't have achieved a lot with out my teammates and colleagues, and I am grateful for every of them."
Dawson all the time remained a beloved determine in Kansas Metropolis, regardless that he in the reduction of on public appearances a number of years in the past when his well being started to fail him. However he all the time had time for followers, whether or not it's a photograph or signature, the latter usually on an iconic black-and-white picture from halftime of that first Tremendous Bowl: the exhausted quarterback, white uniform caked with mud, sitting on a folding chair with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of Fresca at his toes.
It completely captured a time and place. And it completely captured a person that embodied poise and self-assurance.
"Subsequent to my father, few folks have had a extra lasting impression on the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs than Len Dawson," Hunt stated a couple of years in the past. "Over the course of a legendary profession, first as a participant and later as a broadcaster, Len has been part of each main second in franchise historical past."
Dawson was born June 20, 1935, the ninth of 11 youngsters that stuffed the home of James and Annie Dawson within the blue-collar manufacturing city of Alliance, Ohio. He was a three-sport athlete at Alliance Excessive Faculty, setting information in each soccer and basketball, and turned his success on the gridiron right into a scholarship provide from Purdue.
There, Dawson led the NCAA in passing effectivity as a sophomore whereas additionally taking part in protection and kicking, and he helped lead a memorable upset of Notre Dame throughout that 1954 season. By the tip of his school profession, Dawson had thrown for greater than 3,000 yards, regardless of taking part in in an period that favored ground-and-pound soccer.
Dawson was chosen by the Steelers within the first spherical of the 1957 draft, however he wound up using the bench behind Earl Morrall as a rookie after which didn't beat out Bobby Layne for the beginning job the next season. The Steelers in the end traded him to the Browns, the place Dawson was unable to beat out Milt Plum for the job and was launched.
One of many nice disappointments of Dawson's profession wound up being among the finest issues to ever occur to him.
With newfound freedom to signal anyplace, Dawson jumped to the upstart AFL and the Texans, lured partially by the prospect to play for considered one of his outdated coaches at Purdue. Stram was capable of lastly faucet into his expertise, serving to Dawson to shortly change into one of many league's prolific passers because the Texans went 11-3 and gained the primary of three championships.
The second got here in 1966, when Dawson led the Chiefs to an 11-2-1 document and a 31-7 blowout of the Payments within the AFL title recreation. That earned the Chiefs the prospect to face the powerhouse Inexperienced Bay Packers — and coach Vince Lombardi — within the inaugural Tremendous Bowl, the place Dawson threw for 210 yards and a landing in a 35-10 defeat.
It was the 1969 season that proved to be essentially the most memorable of Dawson's profession, although. He sustained a severe knee harm towards the Patriots in Week 2, forcing him to overlook the following 5 video games, however went on a tear as soon as he returned to the sector. Dawson led the Chiefs to victories over the defending champion Jets and bitter rival Raiders to achieve what can be the ultimate Tremendous Bowl earlier than the AFL-NFL merger, the place he threw for 142 yards and a rating in a 23-7 triumph.
"It was overwhelming," Dawson stated afterward. "It is simply, you understand how that aid comes with you recognize it is over with, and we have been profitable? That is the sensation that I had after I got here off the sector."
Dawson continued to play for six extra seasons in Kansas Metropolis, setting many franchise information that stood till a teenager named Patrick Mahomes got here alongside, earlier than hanging up his helmet after the 1975 season.
Alongside the way in which, Dawson parlayed what started as a publicity stunt right into a second profession in broadcasting.
In 1966, then-Chiefs basic supervisor Jack Steadman needed to drum up assist for the franchise in Kansas Metropolis and satisfied Dawson to anchor a sports activities section on the nightly information. His pure charisma and folksy type made Dawson a pure, he turned his consideration to TV and radio on a full-time foundation after his taking part in profession had completed.
Dawson continued to work in native TV for a number of a long time, including recreation evaluation for NBC from 1977-82 and internet hosting HBO's iconic "Contained in the NFL" from 1977-2001. He additionally served greater than three a long time on the Chiefs' radio broadcast group.
After going into the Corridor of Fame as a participant in 1987, Dawson was inducted as a broadcaster in 2012.
"It has been a real privilege and honor to have Len on the heart of our broadcast group for the final 33 years," stated Dan Israel, the manager producer of the Chiefs' radio community, upon his retirement a couple of years in the past. "His contributions to not solely this sport, however our trade, are extremely profound."
Dawson was married to his highschool sweetheart, Jackie, from 1954 till her demise in 1978, and collectively they'd two youngsters. His second spouse, Linda, remained by his aspect as Dawson entered hospice care.