Kansas City Chiefs and NFL Hall of Famer Len Dawson died Wednesday at age 87, his family announced.
Dawson, who quarterbacked the Chiefs/Texans from 1962-75 and was the MVP of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl IV win against the Vikings in January 1970, had entered hospice care two weeks ago.
“With his wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson,” the family said in a statement to KMBC, the TV station Dawson worked at as a sports anchor while also quarterbacking the Chiefs at the same time. “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.”
Dawson led the franchise to AFL championships in 1962, 1966 and 1969 after being reunited with his college coach Hank Stram, who was an assistant at Purdue. Dawson, who was originally drafted by the Steelers and later released by the Browns, quickly became one of the best players in the game under Stram.
Dawson led the AFL in passing four times and is the franchise leader in completions (2,115), attempts (3,696), passing yards (28,507) and touchdowns (237).
Dawson is also remembered for a famous photo taken during Super Bowl I, where he is shown smoking a cigar while sitting in a chair in the locker room at halftime.
“My family and I are heartbroken,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a release. “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.
“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.”
Following his retirement in 1975, Dawson worked as a color analyst for NFL games at NBC from 1976-84. He also was a mainstay on HBO’s “Inside the NFL” from 1977-2001. In 1984, Dawson joined the Chiefs radio network as a color commentator. In 2017, Dawson scaled back on those duties and retired from broadcasting at the end of that season. That same year, the Chiefs named their broadcast booth in his honor.
Dawson was enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987. In 2012, he was enshrined in Canton again as a broadcaster. Dawson continued working at KMBC until 2009.
