Graduating from Purdue (where Hank Stram was as assistant coach) he was originally a 1st round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957. He was traded to Cleveland in 1959 and in 1962 he joined the Dallas Texans and led them to an AFL Championship that year. After the team moved to Kansas City he remained the starter until he retired in 1975. With the Chiefs he was selected to 6 AFL All-Star teams (and 1 NFL Pro Bowl team in 1971) and 2 AFL All-League Teams (the equivalent of the NFL’s All Pro team). The AFL’s Player of the Year in 1966 and the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1973 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.
Passing for over 28,500 yards and 237 touchdowns he lead Kansas City to 3 AFL Championships (the first when they were the Dallas Texans), 2 Super Bowls and a Super Bowl victory during his 14-year career with the Chiefs. The MVP of the upset of the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV he is still the Chiefs All-Time leading passer in literally every passing category in the book.
Image Gallery of Len Dawson, Quarterback, 1957-1975
Chief's Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson led Chiefs/Texans teams to a total of 93 regular season wins and 5 post-season wins including 2 AFL Titles and a World Title in 1969.
Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson is stopped by the Raiders defense. #83 is Raider Ben Davidson.
Action from the Chiefs-Vikings showdown in Super Bowl IV. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson gets protection from running back Wendell Hayes as Vikings Carl Eller and Alan Page close in.
A former 1st-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Len Dawson spent 5 seasons sitting the bench for Pittsburgh and then Cleveland before coach Hank Stram gave him a chance with the Dallas Texans of the AFL in 1962. That year he not only had a league-high 29 passing touchdowns and a 61% pas-completion percentage, he led the Texans to an AFL Championship over Houston.
Chiefs QB Len Dawson gets good protection behind the likes of Ed Budde & Jim Tyer in Super Bowl I. The story behind this picture is this is the play where Dawson hit running back Curtis McClinton for the Chiefs lone touchdown of the game.
The Packers shown here are #60 - linebacker Lee Roy Caffey and defensive tackle Henry Jordan (#74).
Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson set to get the snap from center EJ Holub. Holub began his career at linebacker with Kansas City and was switched to center the last 3 seasons of his 10-year career. He started at linebacker in Super Bowl I and at center in Super Bowl IV.
A page from the 1966 issue of Pro Football Almanac previewing the Kansas City Chiefs. A sketch of quarterback Len Dawson (#16) as he hands off to Curtis McClinton (#32). The Chiefs would end up being crowned the 1966 AFL Champions and face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I. The caption refers to the sudden and tragic death of star running back Mack Lee Hill the previous year.
Standing tall behind the blocking of Wayne Frazier (#66) and Curtis McClinton (#32) Chiefs QB Len Dawson (#16) sets up to pass under the pressure of Henry Jordan (#74) & Willie Davis (#87). The best of both leagues met after the 1966 season and Dawson and his Chiefs were clearly outmatched against the Packers. Three years later Dawson would return in Super Bowl IV and write a very different story.
Also seen above are Packers linebacker Lee Roy Caffey (#60) and Chiefs Chris Buford (#88) & defensiveback Emmitt Thomas (#18) on the sideline.
Chiefs and Broncos, 1970. Kansas City quarterback Len Dawson readies to throw as Denver All Pro defensive end Rich Jackson moves in.
Meanwhile in Pittsburgh at the start of the 1958 NFL season.
With the Broncos John McGeever (#47) applying the duress Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson (#16) looks downfield for someone open.
Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson (#16) gets behind the blocking of All-AFL lineman Jim Tyrer (#77) and running back Wendell Hayes (#38). And that's defensive lineman Tony Cline (#84) of the Raiders containing.
Len Dawson Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl VI Quarterback
Leading the AFL Champion Chiefs in the first Super Bowl against Green Bay of the NFL. The Chiefs offense never got on track as Green Bay's defense managed 6 sacks and an interception. Final score - Packers 35 Chiefs 10.
Len Dawson Kansas City Chiefs All-Time Leading Passer
Len Dawson
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Chiefs QB Len Dawson passes behind the blocking of offensive lineman Wayne Frazier (#66) & Jim Tyrer (#77) in the 1966 AFL Championship game. Dawson completed 16 of 24 passes for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 31-7 beatdown of the Bills. The Chiefs went on to play the Green Bay Packers in the very first Super Bowl.
The Offense of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. Half-back Mike Garrett takes a hand-off from Quarterback Len Dawson and takes off around the right side. (#45) Fullback Robert Holmes leads as lineman (#71) Ed Budde and (#73) Dave Hill control the line-of-scrimmage. Vikings Hall of Fame defensive lineman is being handled quite well by Center E.J. Holub (#55).
Super Bowl 4 was the last official confrontation in the old NFL/AFL and ended up as a resounding upset for the Chiefs in a 23-7 victory over Bud Grant's Minnesota Vikings. Chiefs Kicker Jan Stenerud kicked 3 field goals and Mike Garrett rushed for 1 score. QB Dawson also connected with receiver Otis Taylor for another touchdown.
The Chiefs Mike Garrett looks for running room. Quarterback Len Dawson (#16) watches from the background.
Len Dawson Career Passing Table
Year
Age
Team
#
QB Record
Completions
Attempts
Completion %
Yards
Longest
Y/A
TD
Int
Y/G
Rate
Sacked
Lost Yards
4th Quart
1957 22
PIT
16
0-1-0
2
4
50.0
25
15
6.3
0
0
8.3
69.8
1958 23
PIT
16
1
6
16.7
11
11
1.8
0
2
2.8
0.0
1959 24
PIT
16
3
7
42.9
60
32
8.6
1
0
5.0
113.1
1960 25
CLE
18
8
13
61.5
23
23
1.8
0
0
11.5
65.9
1961 26
CLE
18
1-0-0
7
15
46.7
85
17
5.7
1
3
12.1
47.2
1962 *+27
DTX
16
11-3-0
189
310
61.0♦ 2759
92
8.9♦ 29♦ 17
197.1
98.3♦ 0
1963 28
KAN
16
5-7-1
190
352
54.0
2389
82
6.8
26♦ 19
170.6
77.5
1
1964 *29
KAN
16
7-7-0
199
354
56.2♦ 2879
72
8.1
30
18
205.6
89.9♦ 1
1965 30
KAN
16
6-4-2
163
305
53.4♦ 2262
67
7.4
21♦ 14
161.6
81.3♦ 1
1966 *+31
KAN
16
11-2-1
159
284
56.0♦ 2527
89♦ 8.9♦ 26♦ 10
180.5
101.7♦ 1
1967 *32
KAN
16
9-5-0
206
357
57.7 2651
71
7.4
24
17
189.4
83.7♦ 0
1968 *33
KAN
16
11-2-0
131
224
58.5♦ 2109
92
9.4♦ 17
9
150.6
98.6♦ 2
1969 *34
KAN
16
5-2-0
98
166
59.0♦ 1323
55
8.0
9
13
147.0
69.9
13
89
1
1970 35
KAN
16
5-5-2
141
262
53.8
1876
61
7.2
13
14
134.0
71.0
34
277
1
1971 *36
KAN
16
9-3-1
167
301
55.5
2504
82
8.3
15
13
178.9
81.6
30
303
3
1972 37
KAN
16
7-5-0
175
305
57.4
1835
44
6.0
13
12
131.1
72.8
28
255
2
1973 38
KAN
16
3-2-1
66
101
65.3
725
48
7.2
2
5
90.6
72.4
14
104
2
1974 39
KAN
16
3-5-0
138
235
58.7
1573
84
6.7
7
13
112.4
65.8
25
199
0
1975 40
KAN
16
1-4-0
93
140
66.4♦ 1095
51
7.8
5
4
91.3
90.0
23
196
0
14 seasons Texans/Chiefs 93-56-8
2115
3696
57.2
28507
92
7.7
237
178
155.8
83.2
167
1423
15
3 seasons Steelers 0-1-0
6
17
35.3
96
32
5.6
1
2
5.1
35.0
2 seasons Browns 1-0-0
15
28
53.6
108
23
3.9
1
3
12.0
35.1
1
19-Year NFL/AFL Career 94-57-8
2136
3741
57.1
28711
92
7.7
239
183
136.1
82.6
167
1423
15
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com : View Original Table
+ – AFL All-League Selection
* – AFL All-Star Selection
♦ – Led the AFL
