Lynn Dickey
Encyclopedia
Clifford Lynn Dickey is a retired National Football League quarterback
, who played for the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers
in the 1970s and 1980s.
, where he led his high school football team to a state championship. The football stadium there is named after him.
in 1967, and he soon became the top quarterback
in the Big Eight Conference
. Following his senior season in 1970, Dickey finished 10th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy
and was named MVP of the East-West Shrine Game
. His 6,208 career passing yards stood as a record at Kansas State for 38 years, until it was passed by Josh Freeman
in 2008.
by the Houston Oilers, where he played four seasons starting ten games winning two.
he was packaged in a trade to the Green Bay Packers
involving John Hadl
.' Dickey led the Packers to the playoffs in the strike-shortened 1982 season
. The Packers won the opening round after Dickey went 19 of 26 (73%) for 286 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-16 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals
. Green Bay was eliminated the following week by the Dallas Cowboys
in the divisional round after Dickey went 24 of 37 for 274 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions as the team fell 37-26.
Perhaps the high point of Dickey's NFL career came in 1983
when he powered the Packers' offense to a then-team record 429 points. He threw for a team record 4,458 yards, and a career-best 32 touchdowns, the most in the NFL in 1983
. Dickey was named second-team All-NFC behind Joe Theismann
. Dickey's Packers had beaten Theismann's Super Bowl
champion Washington Redskins
in a thrilling Monday Night Football
game earlier that season (Washington kicker Mark Moseley
missed a field goal in the closing seconds, preserving the Packers' 48-47 win). The game remains the highest aggregate score in MNF history.
Dickey retired from professional football after the 1985
season. He holds Packers records for highest completion percentage in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts (19-21, 90.48%, versus New Orleans
on December 13, 1981); most passing yards in a game (418 versus Tampa Bay
on October 12, 1980); and highest average gain in a season (9.21 yards per attempt in 1983). The latter is an NFL single-season record for quarterbacks with 400 or more attempts.
area where he opened a football-themed restaurant
. After a business partner was found to be unethical, he left the restaurant business for a career in public relations. Dickey has four grown daughters; Natalie, Meredith, Elizabeth and Paloma Wells Komacho Mountian Dew Dickey and resides in Leawood, Kansas
. He then worked for the popular Kansas City AM station Sports Radio 810
on the show "Crunch Time", airing at 9:00 a.m. He now works at Serve You, a Pharmacy Benefit Management company home based in Milwaukee, WI.
, the Associated Press
named Dickey as the All-Time Big Eight Quarterback. Kansas State University
has retired the No. 11 to jointly honor Dickey and his successor at KSU, Steve Grogan
. It is the only number retired by Kansas State's football program.
Dickey is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, who played for the Houston Oilers and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The 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...
in the 1970s and 1980s.
High school
Dickey grew up in Osawatomie, KansasOsawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie is a city in Miami County, Kansas, United States, southwest of Kansas City. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,447. It derives its name from two streams nearby, the Osage and Potawatomie.-History:...
, where he led his high school football team to a state championship. The football stadium there is named after him.
College career
Dickey was recruited by Kansas State UniversityKansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
in 1967, and he soon became the top quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
. Following his senior season in 1970, Dickey finished 10th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
and was named MVP of the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
. His 6,208 career passing yards stood as a record at Kansas State for 38 years, until it was passed by Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...
in 2008.
Houston Oilers
Following graduation in 1971, Dickey was drafted in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft1971 NFL Draft
The 1971 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1971.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Houston Oilers, where he played four seasons starting ten games winning two.
Green Bay Packers
In 19761976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
he was packaged in a trade to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The 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...
involving John Hadl
John Hadl
John Willard Hadl is a former collegiate and professional football player.Hadl was born in Lawrence, Kansas. After playing halfback on both offense and defense at the University of Kansas as a sophomore, Hadl played quarterback for his last two years at Kansas, and was selected as the school's...
.' Dickey led the Packers to the playoffs in the strike-shortened 1982 season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. The Packers won the opening round after Dickey went 19 of 26 (73%) for 286 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-16 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Green Bay was eliminated the following week by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the divisional round after Dickey went 24 of 37 for 274 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions as the team fell 37-26.
Perhaps the high point of Dickey's NFL career came in 1983
1983 Green Bay Packers season
The 1983 Green Bay Packers season was their 63rd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8–8 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a second-place finish in the NFC Central division. The 1983 season was the last that the Packers played under Starr. The team set an NFL record...
when he powered the Packers' offense to a then-team record 429 points. He threw for a team record 4,458 yards, and a career-best 32 touchdowns, the most in the NFL in 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
. Dickey was named second-team All-NFC behind Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
. Dickey's Packers had beaten Theismann's Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in a thrilling Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game earlier that season (Washington kicker Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley
Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Houston Oilers , the Washington Redskins , and the Cleveland Browns . He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season...
missed a field goal in the closing seconds, preserving the Packers' 48-47 win). The game remains the highest aggregate score in MNF history.
Dickey retired from professional football after the 1985
1985 Green Bay Packers season
The 1985 Green Bay Packers season was their 65th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8–8 record under coach Forrest Gregg, earning them a second-place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Regular season:...
season. He holds Packers records for highest completion percentage in a game with a minimum of 20 attempts (19-21, 90.48%, versus New Orleans
New Orleans Saints
The 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 ....
on December 13, 1981); most passing yards in a game (418 versus Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on October 12, 1980); and highest average gain in a season (9.21 yards per attempt in 1983). The latter is an NFL single-season record for quarterbacks with 400 or more attempts.
Personal life
After retiring from football, Dickey relocated to the greater Kansas CityKansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
area where he opened a football-themed restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
. After a business partner was found to be unethical, he left the restaurant business for a career in public relations. Dickey has four grown daughters; Natalie, Meredith, Elizabeth and Paloma Wells Komacho Mountian Dew Dickey and resides in Leawood, Kansas
Leawood, Kansas
Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. The city is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 31,867.-History:...
. He then worked for the popular Kansas City AM station Sports Radio 810
WHB
WHB is a commercial sports radio station in Kansas City, Missouri, and is known as the first full-time Top 40 station in the country...
on the show "Crunch Time", airing at 9:00 a.m. He now works at Serve You, a Pharmacy Benefit Management company home based in Milwaukee, WI.
Honors
In 1996, when the Big Eight expanded to the Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
named Dickey as the All-Time Big Eight Quarterback. Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
has retired the No. 11 to jointly honor Dickey and his successor at KSU, Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
. It is the only number retired by Kansas State's football program.
Dickey is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame was the first hall of fame built to honor a single professional American football team. After receiving approval from coach Vince Lombardi, William L. Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Hall of Fame in 1966...
and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in Wichita, Kansas, dedicated to preserving the history of sports in the state of Kansas. The museum provides exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individuals and teams whose achievements in sports brought...
.