Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, who led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl IV, has died at the age of 87, according to his family.
“With 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 in Kansas City, where Lawson previously worked as a sportscaster. “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.”
Born in Alliance and a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School before playing college football at Purdue, Dawson spent 14 of his 19 NFL seasons with the Dallas Texans/Chiefs. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns in the early stages of his playing career.
Dawson was a 7-time Pro Bowler and was twice named to the All-Pro first team, and held multiple Chiefs passing records at the time of his retirement. He also guided Kansas City to the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship Game (now known as the Super Bowl) in 1966, losing to the Green Bay Packers, 35-10.
Three years later, Dawson won Super Bowl MVP honors in the Chiefs’ 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the championship game.
Dawson, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987 and as a broadcaster in 2012, went on to become an analyst for games on NBC as well as a longtime host of HBO’s “Inside the NFL.”