Boilermakers Country

Purdue Football Team to Honor Len Dawson With Helmet Decal Against Penn State

Purdue legend Len Dawson passed away on Aug. 24 at the age of 87. The Boilermakers will honor Dawson with a helmet decal during their season opener against Penn State.

D.J. Fezler

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — When the Purdue football team kicks off the 2022 season inside Ross-Ade Stadium on Thursday night against Penn State, it will honor the late Len Dawson with a commemorative helmet decal. 

Dawson — a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and former Boilermaker quarterback — passed away at the age of 87 on Aug. 24. He played for the program from 1953-1956 before having a stellar career in the NFL. 

During his three years with Purdue football, Dawson garnered recognition as an All-Big Ten selection while leading the Big Ten in passive and total offense as a starter in all three seasons. He set then-records for the program by passing for 3,325 yards and 29 touchdowns. 

Dawson would later become a first-round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft and spend 19 years with Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Dallas Texans (which would later relocate and be renamed the Kansas City Chiefs). He threw for 28,711 total yards in his professional career while recording 239 touchdowns. 

The former Boilermaker led the Chiefs to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl IV. Dawson earned Super Bowl MVP honors by completing 12 of his 17 passing attempts for 142 yards and one touchdown in the 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. 

Dawson set the Chiefs' single-season touchdown record with 30 in 1964, which stood until 2018 when Patrick Mahomes tossed 50 scoring passes during his second season with the team. Dawson is Kansas City's all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and wins despite his last season coming in 1975.

Following the end of his career, Dawson would eventually get his No. 16 retired by the Kansas City Chiefs and later be inducted as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. 

Dawson was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. 

Stories Related to Purdue Football

  • Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm Gives Injury Update Before Penn State: Purdue football entered fall training camp in August with several players still recovering from injuries. Coach Jeff Brohm said key starters Broc Thompson, Cory Trice and Jamari Brown among others will be ready to play Thursday against Penn State. CLICK HERE 
  • Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm Previews Season Opener Against Penn State: Purdue coach Jeff Brohm met with the media on Monday to discuss the team's season opener against Penn State. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Ross-Ade Stadium. CLICK HERE
  • Purdue Legend Len Dawson at 87 Years Old: Len Dawson played for Purdue from 1953-1956 before spending 19 seasons in professional football. He led the Chiefs to two Super Bowl appearances under Hank Stram and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. CLICK HERE
  • Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes Honors the Late Len Dawson: Former Purdue quarterback and Kansas City Chiefs all-time leading passer Len Dawson passed away at age 87 on Wednesday. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes paid his respects to the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee via social media. CLICK HERE 
  • Aidan O'Connell to Join "Boilers Live!" Podcast at Mad Mushroom: With the start of another school year at Purdue, it's time for the return of the live podcasts. ''Boilers Live!'' will debut on Monday, with Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O'Connell being the first special guest on the BoilermakersCountry.com website. CLICK HERE

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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