‘I admired Len my entire life’: KC Chiefs chair/CEO Clark Hunt on death of Len Dawson

Lamar Hunt founded the Chiefs franchise, and his son Clark Hunt is the team’s chairman and CEO. But quarterback Len Dawson became its first widely known personality.

Dawson, whose death at age 87 was announced by his family on Wednesday, played in the first Super Bowl, was the MVP of Super Bowl IV and is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

His career in media added to his fame. It began when Dawson became a sports anchor at KMBC-TV while he played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Later, he was a studio analyst for HBO’s groundbreaking Inside the NFL, and he spent more than three decades in the Chiefs’ radio booth.

Clark Hunt spoke for the Chiefs Wednesday morning, remembering Dawson’s contributions and offering condolences to Dawson’s widow, Linda Dawson, and their family.

“My family and I are heartbroken,” Hunt said in a statement. “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.”

The Pro Football Hall of Fame noted that Dawson’s hometown of Alliance, Ohio, is less than 20 miles from the Hall’s home in Canton, and how after five seasons as a reserve with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Dawson found success in the AFL.

“Len grew up only a few miles from where the Pro Football Hall of Fame later was built, and fans in the area have always taken a special pride in seeing one of the greats from this region enshrined in Canton,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement.

“Fans connected with Len’s story of perseverance, appreciating how he gave the game one more try after five nondescript seasons when many others would have quit.

“The American Football League, and Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram, gave Len a true opportunity, and he made the most of it, building the Chiefs into a Super Bowl contender, and eventually a world champion. Our thoughts and prayers extend to his wife, Linda, and to all of Len’s family and friends in Kansas City and in Alliance, Ohio.

“The flag at the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be flown at half-staff in his honor.”