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Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. After playing college football at Purdue, Dawson began his professional career with the NFL in 1957, spending three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and two with the Cleveland Browns. He left the NFL in 1962 to sign with the AFL's Chiefs (then known as the Dallas Texans), where he spent the last 14 seasons of his career, and rejoined the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger.
In the AFL, Dawson led the league in completion percentage seven times, passer rating six times, and passing touchdowns four times. He was named Most Valuable Player in 1962 and selected to six AFL All-Star games. Dawson also guided the Chiefs to three AFL championships and the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl IV, of which he was named MVP. He 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. His demeanor and style earned him the nickname "Lenny the Cool" from his teammates.[1][2][3]
^Anderson, Dave (January 11, 1970). "The Heat Is on Lenny the Cool". The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
^Morse, Greg (August 15, 2022). "Why Len Dawson will always be Lenny the Cool".
^"'Lenny the Cool' dies at 87". The Cowley CourierTraveler. August 25, 2022.
Raiders. LenDawson signed with the Chiefs (then known as the Texans) on July 2, 1962 and played for the franchise for 14 seasons. With Dawson as the team's...
after LenDawson suffered a leg injury which kept him out of most of the season's games. While getting plenty of help from the club's defense, Dawson returned...
(540 yards) all ranked among the top-ten rushers in the AFL. Quarterback LenDawson was the top-rated passer in the AFL, completing 159 of 284 (56%) of his...
but LenDawson returned to rally the club for three consecutive wins to get the club off to a 3–1 start for a third consecutive year. The aging Len Dawson...
Roethlisberger Kurt Warner Frank Tarkenton Bart Starr Jim Plunkett Eli Manning LenDawson Joe Theismann Brett Favre Russell Wilson Craig Morton Every Super Bowl...
2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023. Goldstein, Richard (August 24, 2022). "LenDawson, Who Took Kansas City to a Championship, Dies at 87". The New York Times...
Montana, Steve Young, Drew Brees), and one player (LenDawson) achieved the same feat in the AFL. Dawson holds the NFL record for most consecutive seasons...
was marred not only by an injury to quarterback LenDawson, but also controversy surrounding Dawson and his purported involvement in a sports gambling...
Under LenDawson, the Texans/Chiefs won three American Football League championships and appeared in two Super Bowl championship games. Dawson was named...
quarterbacks to lead the team. Among the most prolific include Hall of Famers LenDawson and Joe Montana, as well as superb quarterbacks of their era like Trent...
Merle Harmon and Hall of Fame quarterback LenDawson respectively. In 1980, Merle Harmon left for NBC as LenDawson was joined by fellow Hall of Famer and...
Ted Marchibroda (1956) Jack Scarbath (1956) Earl Morrall (1957–1958) LenDawson (1957) Bobby Layne (1958–1962) Rudy Bukich (1960–1961) Ed Brown (1962–1964)...
Young has led the NFL in passer rating a record six different times while LenDawson achieved the same feat in the AFL. Note: Minimum 10 attempts per team...
Hall of Fame quarterback LenDawson offered to let Montana wear since the organization had retired it. Montana declined Dawson's and Stenerud's offers and...
developing solid quarterbacks including Bob DeMoss, Dale Samuels and LenDawson. These players helped grow a strong tradition at Purdue of great quarterback...
passing yards to Ben Roethlisberger. He became the first Chief since LenDawson in 1966 to lead the league in passing touchdowns. He helped lead the Chiefs...
1955 and the head baseball coach from 1951 to 1955. In 1996, Stram and LenDawson were inducted into the Purdue Athletic Hall of Fame. After coaching at...
career, single season and games records. Most pass attempts, career: LenDawson, 3,696 Most pass attempts, season: Patrick Mahomes, 658 (2021) Most pass...
Western Division title five weeks earlier, on November 27. Quarterback LenDawson finished the season with 2,527 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, with only...
led by such talented quarterbacks as John Hadl, Daryle Lamonica and LenDawson. Despite having a national television contract, the AFL often found itself...
Babe Parilli (1956) Tommy O'Connell (1956–1957) Milt Plum (1957–1961) LenDawson (1961) Jim Ninowski (1962–1963, 1965) Frank Ryan (1962–1968) Gary Lane...
Reference, LLC. Retrieved February 7, 2011. "Chiefs' 'Man Of The Moment' – LenDawson: 1935-2022". Pro Football Hall of Fame. August 24, 2022. Retrieved February...
entire season in honor of former Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl IV MVP LenDawson, who died on August 24, and wore 16 his entire tenure with the Chiefs...
Stram, and featured players on offense included Abner Haynes, quarterback LenDawson, and rookie running back Curtis McClinton, a powerful 230 lb (104 kg)...
Ted Marchibroda (1956) Jack Scarbath (1956) Earl Morrall (1957–1958) LenDawson (1957) Bobby Layne (1958–1962) Rudy Bukich (1960–1961) Ed Brown (1962–1964)...
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