30 Facts About Len Dawson

Leonard Ray Len Dawson was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and American Football League for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise.

Len Dawson left the NFL in 1962 to sign with the AFL's Chiefs, where he spent the last 14 seasons of his career, and rejoined the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger.

Len Dawson was named Most Valuable Player in 1962 and selected to six AFL All-Star games.

Len Dawson guided the Chiefs franchise to three AFL championships and the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV, of which he was named MVP.

Len Dawson retired from professional football after the 1975 season and later served as the sports director at KMBC-TV in Kansas City and color analyst for the Chiefs Radio Network.

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Len Dawson holds the Chiefs franchise records for career passing yards, passing touchdowns, and wins, in addition to holding the franchise record for single-season passing touchdowns from 1964 to 2018.

Len Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Len Dawson was the ninth of 11 children of Ohio native James and England-born Annie Len Dawson.

Len Dawson was MVP of the football team and was named outstanding Ohio back of the year by the International News Service.

Len Dawson was an All-Big Ten Quarterback during the 1955 and 1956 seasons.

Len Dawson was the fifth overall selection in the 1957 NFL Draft, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was unable to make an impact.

However, after encountering similar problems in battling Browns quarterback Milt Plum, Len Dawson was released after the 1961 season, having completed only 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his five seasons of NFL play.

In 1962, Len Dawson led the league in touchdowns and yards per attempt, and was the Sporting News selection as the AFL MVP.

Len Dawson led Dallas to the first of three league titles in a thrilling double-overtime victory over the two-time defending champion Oilers in Houston.

Pinpoint passer, Len Dawson's mobility helped him flourish in Stram's "moving pocket" offense.

From 1962 to 1969, Len Dawson threw more touchdown passes than any other professional football quarterback.

Len Dawson was selected by his peers as a Sporting News 1966 AFL All-League player.

The injury was at first feared to be season-ending, but after missing five games, Len Dawson went on to lead the Chiefs to road playoff victories over both the defending Super Bowl champion New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders.

Len Dawson then capped his year with MVP accolades in Super Bowl IV, the last game ever played by an American Football League team.

The performance was especially notable given that Len Dawson had been mistakenly linked to a gambling scandal in the days leading up to the game.

Len Dawson announced his retirement in May 1976, shortly before turning 41.

Len Dawson worked as an analyst for NBC's AFC coverage from 1977 to 1982.

From 1985 to 2017, Len Dawson was the color analyst for the Chiefs' radio broadcast team.

In 2012, Len Dawson was honored with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his longtime contributions as a sports broadcaster.

In 1979, Len Dawson was enshrined in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, followed by induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.

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In 2006, Len Dawson was interviewed for the NFL Network documentary America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions chronicling the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs season.

Len Dawson teamed with Depend in 1998 to encourage men to visit their doctors and to be screened for prostate cancer.

Len Dawson was the seventh son of a seventh son, born the ninth of 11 children overall.

Len Dawson was married to his high school sweetheart from 1954 until her death in 1978.

Len Dawson later remarried and remained married until his death.