Hall of Fame Quarterback Len Dawson, Super Bowl IV Champ, Dies at Age 87

His family announced the news Wednesday less than two weeks after he had entered hospice care.

Len Dawson, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl IV, has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was 87.

“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 Dawson previously worked as a broadcaster. “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.

“He loved Kansas City and no matter where his travels took him, he could not wait to return home.”

Dawson, who entered hospice care in Kansas City on Aug. 12, spent 47 years with the Chiefs: 14 as a player and 33 as a broadcaster. To this day, he remains one of the preeminent figures in the franchise’s history.

“My family and I are heartbroken. Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement. “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.”

As a player, Dawson led the Chiefs to an appearance in Super Bowl I and was under center for the first Super Bowl victory in franchise history in 1970, where he also won Super Bowl MVP. He later went onto become the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, an honor that he still holds today. 

After his playing career came to an end after the 1975 NFL season, Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame just over a decade later in 1987. He left football as a seven-time Pro Bowler, a four-time AFL passing champion and a six-time AFL all-star.

In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Dawson began as a sports anchor on Kansas City television in 1966 while he was still playing for the Chiefs and would remain in sports media for the next five decades. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a broadcaster in 2012.

After a myriad of health issues, including prostate cancer and heart surgery, Dawson retired from broadcasting in 2017 following 33 years as the Chiefs’ radio color analyst.

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