Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson (born June 20, 1935) is a former American collegiate and
Professional FootballIn the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country...
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who attended
Purdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the
Dallas Texans/Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Dawson led the Chiefs to three
American Football League ChampionshipsBelow is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
, and a victory in the fourth and final
AFL-NFL World Championship GameBelow is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
, for which he won the game's
MVP awardThe Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
. Dawson retired from professional football in 1975 and was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1987. He is sports director at
KMBC-TVKMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
in Kansas City and color analyst for the Chiefs Radio Network.
College career
During the recruiting process, Dawson had to choose between
Ohio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
and Purdue. While he was reluctant to take over
Woody HayesWayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
' split-T offense with the Buckeyes, the true reason for his selection of Purdue stemmed from the chemistry he had established with a Boilermaker assistant coach,
Hank StramHenry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
, beginning a friendship that would last for more than a half century. During three seasons with the Boilermakers, Dawson threw for over 3,000 yards, leading the
Big Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in that category during each campaign. During his college career, Dawson became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.
As a sophomore in 1954, Dawson put together an outstanding first season as the
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's leader in pass efficiency, while also playing defense and serving as the Boilermaker kicker. Blessed with a strong offensive line, he threw four touchdown passes in a 31-0 victory over the
University of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, then later engineered a huge upset of the
University of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. The Fighting Irish had entered the contest in the midst of a 13-game winning streak.
Professional career
Despite his status as a first round draft pick, Dawson was unable to make an impact with the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Following his rookie campaign, his status in the Steel City became even more tenuous when the Steelers acquired future Hall of Famer
Bobby LayneRobert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
. Failing to dislodge the colorful signal caller, Dawson was then traded to the
Cleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 31, 1959.
After encountering similar problems in battling Browns' quarterback
Milt PlumMilton Ross Plum was an American football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants of the National Football League.-Career:...
, Dawson was released, having completed only 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his five seasons of NFL play. However, he soon found his calling when he signed with the
American Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's
Dallas TexansThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
on June 30, 1962. The move reunited him with Stram, who was beginning his third year as the Texans' head coach.
In that first season, 1962, Dawson led the league in touchdowns and yards per attempt, and was
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
' selection as the
AFL MVPDuring its ten-year existence , the American Football League's best player for each year was called the Most Valuable Player by some sports-news sources and the Player of the Year by others...
, and was selected by his peers as a Sporting News 1966 AFL All-League player. He also led them that year to the first of three league titles in a thrilling double-overtime victory over the two-time defending champion Houston Oilers. Dawson ran a ball-control offense in the 20-17 win, and tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to halfback
Abner HaynesAbner Haynes is a former college and professional football player in the United States.Haynes is a graduate of North Texas State University where he and his then teammate Leon King integrated college football in the state of Texas in 1956...
. Then the team moved to
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and were renamed
The ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in 1963.
A pinpoint passer, Dawson's mobility helped him flourish in Stram's "moving pocket" offense. He would win four AFL passing titles and was selected as a league All-Star six times, ending the 10-year run of the league as its highest-rated career passer. From 1962 to 1969, Dawson threw more touchdown passes (182) than any other professional football quarterback during that time. In 1966, Dawson led the Chiefs to a, 11-2-1 record and a 31-7 win over the
Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the AFL championship game, earning his team the honor of representing the AFL in
Super Bowl IThe First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
, the first championship game between the AFL and their NFL rivals. The NFL champion
Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
won easily, 35-10, but Dawson had a fairly good performance in the game, completing 16 of 27 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, with 1 interception.
While he threw for more than 2,000 yards in each of the previous seven campaigns, Dawson's
1969 season with Kansas CityThe 1969 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 11–3 record and a 23–7 victory in Super Bowl IV over the NFL’s heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings. The team beat their rivals, the Oakland Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game, claiming their third AFL Championship in franchise history...
would be his most memorable by making a dramatic comeback from a knee injury suffered in the season's second game. The injury was first feared as season-ending, but after missing five games, Dawson went on to lead the Chiefs to road playoff victories over both the defending champion New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders, and was the Sporting News selection as the 1966 All-AFL quarterback.
He then capped his year with MVP accolades in
Super Bowl IVSuper Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
, the last game ever played by an American Football League team. In the game, Dawson paced the Chiefs to a win over the NFL's heavily-favored
Minnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
by completing 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, with 1 interception, and rushing for 11 yards. The performance was especially notable given the fact that he had been linked to a gambling investigation (by an unrelated gentleman who was named Donald Dawson) in the days leading up to the game.
With the league's absorption into the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in 1970, Dawson earned one final honor from the league as a member of the second team
All-time All-AFL TeamThe American Football League All- Time Team was selected on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams would be determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors: Since the First team included two halfbacks, rather than a halfback and a fullback, Cookie Gilchrist, a...
. He is also a member of the Chiefs' Hall of Fame and the
Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. He would earn
Pro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
honors following the
1971 NFL seasonThe 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, then ended his career in 1975, having completed 2,136 of 3,741 passes for 28,711 yards and 239 touchdowns, with 181 interceptions. He also gained 1,293 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground
On November 1, 1970, the Chiefs led the
Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
17-14 late in the fourth quarter. Facing third and long, a run by Dawson apparently sealed victory for the Chiefs, but as Dawson lay on the ground, he was speared by Raiders’ defensive end
Ben DavidsonBenjamin Earl Davidson is a former collegiate and professional American football player between 1961 and 1972, most notably in the American Football League with the Oakland Raiders from 1964 through 1969, and for the NFL Raiders from 1970 through 1972. He had also played in the NFL for the league...
, who dove into Dawson with his helmet, provoking Chiefs’ receiver
Otis TaylorOtis Taylor was an American college and professional American football player, for Prairie View A&M University and the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs...
to attack Davidson. After a bench-clearing brawl, offsetting penalties were called, nullifying the first down under the rules in effect at that time. The Chiefs were obliged to punt, and the Raiders tied the game on a
George BlandaGeorge Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
field goal with eight seconds to play. Taylor’s retaliation against Davidson not only cost the Chiefs a win, but Oakland won the AFC West with a season record of 8-4-2, while Kansas City finished 7-5-2 and out of the playoffs.
After professional football
In 1987, Dawson was recognized for his play with the Chiefs with his induction into the
Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
In 1966, while still playing for the Chiefs, Dawson became sports director at
KMBC-TVKMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
in Kansas City. On March 16, 2009, Dawson announced he would step down from anchoring on a nightly basis. He will still report for KMBC during the Chiefs football season and will fill in when other anchors are on leave. Since 1985, Dawson has also been color analyst for the Chiefs radio broadcast team.
From 1977 to 2001, he served as the host of HBO's
Inside the NFLInside the NFL is a weekly cable television sports show that focuses on the National Football League. It originally aired on HBO from 1977 through 2008...
, and also worked as an analyst for
NBCNFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
's AFC coverage from 1977-1982.
In 1991, Dawson was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In 1994, Dawson began serving as a color commentator for the Chiefs Radio Network. He currently works with
Mitch HolthusMitch Holthus, the "Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs", is the play-by-play announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs on KCFX and the Kansas City Chiefs Football Radio Network. Additionally, he hosts "Chiefs Insider" on television station KCTV, Kansas City....
and former Chiefs player
Kendall GammonKendall Robert Gammon is a retired American football player who played multiple positions for the Kansas City Chiefs...
.
In 2006, Dawson was interviewed for the
NFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
documentary
America's Game: The Super Bowl ChampionsAmerica's Game: The Super Bowl Champions is an annual documentary series created by NFL Films . Its 45 installments profile the first 45 winning teams of the National Football League's annual Super Bowl championship game; each episode chronicles an individual team.A spin-off debuted on September...
chronicling the
1969 Kansas City Chiefs seasonThe 1969 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 11–3 record and a 23–7 victory in Super Bowl IV over the NFL’s heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings. The team beat their rivals, the Oakland Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game, claiming their third AFL Championship in franchise history...
.
In 2008, Dawson teamed with
DependDepend is a brand of unisex adult underwear for those experiencing urinary or fecal incontinence by Kimberly-Clark. They were first introduced in 1984....
to encourage men to visit their doctors and be screened for prostate cancer. Dawson is married to his second wife Linda, Dawson was married to his first wife Jackie from 1953 until her death in 1978 and has two grown children (Lisa Anne and Len,Jr.)from this marriage. He and his family live in
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
In 2010, Dawson presented the
New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and another Purdue quarterback,
Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, with the
Vince Lombardi TrophyThe Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
after their victory in
Super Bowl XLIVSuper Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
.
Dawson is a
seventh son of a seventh sonThe seventh son of a seventh son is a concept from folklore regarding special powers given to, or held by, such a son. The seventh son must come from an unbroken line with no female children born between, and be, in turn, born to such a seventh son...
.
Career statistics
| Year |
Team |
G |
Passing
Att.-Comp. |
Yards |
Pct. |
TD |
Int. |
Sacks-Lost |
Pass
Rating |
| 1957 |
Pittsburgh |
3 |
4-2 |
25 |
.500 |
0 |
0 |
n/a-1 |
69.8 |
| 1958 |
Pittsburgh |
4 |
6-1 |
11 |
.167 |
0 |
2 |
n/a-11 |
0.0 |
| 1959 |
Pittsburgh |
12 |
7-3 |
60 |
.429 |
1 |
0 |
n/a-0 |
113.1 |
| 1960 |
Cleveland |
2 |
13-8 |
23 |
.615 |
0 |
0 |
n/a-24 |
65.9 |
| 1961 |
Cleveland |
6 |
15-7 |
85 |
.467 |
1 |
3 |
n/a-19 |
47.2 |
| 1962 |
Dallas Texans |
14 |
310-189 |
2,759 |
.610 |
29 |
17 |
n/a |
98.3 |
| 1963 |
Kansas City |
14 |
352-190 |
2,389 |
.540 |
26 |
19 |
n/a |
77.5 |
| 1964 |
Kansas City |
14 |
354-199 |
2,879 |
.562 |
30 |
18 |
n/a |
89.9 |
| 1965 |
Kansas City |
14 |
305-163 |
2,262 |
.534 |
21 |
14 |
n/a |
81.3 |
| 1966 |
Kansas City |
14 |
284-159 |
2,527 |
.560 |
26 |
10 |
n/a |
101.7 |
| 1967 |
Kansas City |
14 |
357-206 |
2,651 |
.577 |
24 |
17 |
n/a |
83.7 |
| 1968 |
Kansas City |
14 |
224-131 |
2,109 |
.585 |
17 |
9 |
n/a |
98.6 |
| 1969 |
Kansas City |
8 |
166-98 |
1,323 |
.590 |
9 |
13 |
13-98 |
69.9 |
| 1970 |
Kansas City |
13 |
262-141 |
1,876 |
.538 |
13 |
14 |
34-277 |
71.0 |
| 1971 |
Kansas City |
14 |
301-167 |
2,504 |
.555 |
15 |
13 |
30-303 |
81.6 |
| 1972 |
Kansas City |
14 |
305-175 |
1,835 |
.574 |
13 |
12 |
28-255 |
72.8 |
| 1973 |
Kansas City |
9 |
101-66 |
725 |
.653 |
2 |
5 |
14-104 |
72.4 |
| 1974 |
Kansas City |
14 |
235-138 |
1,573 |
.587 |
7 |
13 |
25-199 |
65.8 |
| 1975 |
Kansas City |
12 |
140-93 |
1,095 |
.664 |
5 |
4 |
23-196 |
90.0 |
| Totals |
209 |
3,741-2,136 |
28,711 |
.571 |
239 |
183 |
167-1,478 |
76.3 |
See also
External links