Chiefs all-time team features several Hall of Famers on defense
Chiefs all-time team features several Hall of Famers on defense
Lamar Hunt founded the Dallas Texans franchise in 1960. Three years later, fresh off winning the AFL Championship, Hunt moved his team north to Kansas City. The Chiefs played in the first AFL-NFL Championship Game, losing to the Packers. Three years later, Kansas City defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth edition of what was now called the Super Bowl.
Although Kansas City has not been back to the NFL’s title game since the team has had its share of memorable players. The Chiefs defense is full of members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coach: Hank Stram was the field general for the team’s first 15 years of existence. The Hall of Famer amassed a 124-76-10 record and went 5-3 in the playoffs. Under his leadership, the Texans won the AFL Championship in 1962, and the Chiefs went to a pair of Super Bowls. Under Marty Schottenheimer, the team ended a drought which included just one postseason appearance in 18 years. The run-heavy “MartyBall” offense resulted in a 101-58-1 record and seven playoffs in 10 seasons, but Kansas City only made it as far as the AFC Championship Game in 1993. Under current coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs have gone 65-31 and made the playoffs five times in six years, including a run to the 2018 AFC title game. Dick Vermeil (44-36) won a Super Bowl with the Rams, but could only lead the Chiefs to one playoff appearance in five seasons.
Quarterback: Hall of Famer Len Dawson was under center in all three league championship games the team has played. He holds franchise records with 28,507 passing yards and 237 touchdowns, which is twice as many as the next highest total. Dawson is a seven-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he led the AFL in scoring passes four times. Trent Green is second in team history with 21,459 yards and 118 touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowler led the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2003, and he threw for more than 4,000 yards three times. Alex Smith led the club to the playoffs four times and played in three Pro Bowls. He threw 102 touchdowns to just 33 interceptions in five seasons. Bill Kenney went to the Pro Bowl in 1983 after throwing for 4,348 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he only led the team to the playoffs once in seven seasons.
Running Back: Priest Holmes is second in franchise history with 6,070 yards, and he is first by a wide margin with 76 touchdowns. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro who led the league with 21 scoring runs in 2002 and a then-record 27 more the next year. Larry Johnson is third with 6,015 yards and second with 55 touchdowns. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2006, when he ran for 1,789 yards and 17 scores. Jamaal Charles is the club’s all-time leader with 7,260 yards to go along with 43 touchdowns. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he had five 1,000-yard seasons. Hall of Famer Marcus Allen ended his storied career with five seasons in Kansas City. He was named Comeback Player of the Year and went to the Pro Bowl in 1993 after leading the NFL with 12 scoring runs. Abner Haynes was the first running threat on those early Texans teams, including the AFL Championship team. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and the AFL’s inaugural Player of the Year after leading the league with 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 1960. Ed Podolak played in Super Bowl IV and rushed for 4,451 yards and 34 touchdowns in nine seasons.
Fullback: Bruising runner Christian Okoye was known as the “Nigerian Nightmare.” He was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1989 after running for 12 touchdowns and leading the NFL with 1,480 yards. Curtis McClinton was Haynes’ backfield mate in the early 1960s, and the pair helped the team win an AFL title in 1962. He was a three-time Pro Bowler who also appeared in both of the team’s Super Bowls. Tony Richardson was a two-time Pro Bowler in 11 seasons thanks to his stellar blocking in front of Allen, Holmes, and Johnson.
Wide Receiver: Otis Taylor is second in team history with 7,306 yards and 57 touchdowns. He led the AFL with 11 scores in 1967 and the NFL with 1,110 yards four years later. Taylor is a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he played in two Super Bowls. Chris Burford was the franchise’s first receiving threat, and he was Dawson’s favorite target in the 1962 AFL Championship season. Burford amassed 5,505 yards and 55 touchdowns in eight years. Dwayne Bowe is third on the franchise list with 7,155 yards, including three seasons with 1,000 or more. He has 44 scores, with a league-high 15 coming in his 2010 Pro Bowl season. Stephone Paige, Henry Marshall, and Carlos Carson gave Kenney a top-notch trio of receivers in the late 1980s. Paige was the scoring threat with 49 touchdowns, Marshall had 6,545 yards in 12 years, and Carson went to two Pro Bowls and had three 1,000-yard seasons. Eddie Kennison had 5,230 receiving yards in seven years, topping 1,000 yards twice.
Tight End: Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez is one of the all-time greats at the position. His 12-year totals of 916 receptions, 10,940 yards, and 76 touchdowns are all team records by quite a bit. He is a 10-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro who had four seasons with more than 1,000 yards. Travis Kelce has 5,236 yards and 32 touchdowns. His best season was 2018 when he had 103 catches, 1,336 yards, and 10 scores. Kelce was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and he was named an All-Pro twice. Fred Arbanas played in all three championship games, winning the AFL title in his rookie season. He went to five Pro Bowls and was a three-time All-Pro.
Tackle: Jim Tyrer went to three championship games in 13 seasons with the Texans and Chiefs. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro as Dawson’s protector. Dave Hill played in both Super Bowls and started 148 games on the right side in 12 seasons. John Alt was a left tackle on seven playoff teams over 13 years. He appeared in 179 games and two Pro Bowls. Hall of Famer Willie Roaf made the Pro Bowl in all four of his seasons in Kansas City. He was also a two-time All-Pro. Dave Lutz started 123 games opposite Alt during the late 1980s.
Guard: Ed Budde appeared in two championship games with the Chiefs. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro who played 177 games in 14 seasons. Hall of Famer Will Shields is a 12-time Pro Bowl selection who started all but one of 224 team games over 14 years. He was a two-time All-Pro and the 2003 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Brian Waters was a Pro Bowler five times and an All-Pro twice in 11 seasons. Dave Szott started 136 games in 11 years, and he was an All-Pro in 1997. Tom Condon played in 147 games in 11 years in the 1970s and ’80s.
Center: Jack Rudnay played in 178 games and was a four-time Pro Bowler in 13 seasons. His only playoff game was the longest in NFL history, a double-overtime loss to the Dolphins in the 1970 Division round. E.J. Holub was drafted by the Texans as a linebacker, but he was one of the better two-way players in the 1960s. He went to five Pro Bowls, was a two-time All-Pro, and he appeared in three championship games. Tim Grunhard was a 1999 Pro Bowler who started 169 games in 11 years.
Defensive End: Left-side stalwart Neil Smith is third in team history with 85½ sacks, including a league-leading 15 in his 1993 All-Pro season. He also went to six Pro Bowls. Jared Allen had 43 sacks in four Kansas City seasons, including an NFL-high 15½ in a Pro Bowl and All-Pro year in 2007. Mike Bell amassed 40 sacks in 12 seasons, with 10 in 1983 and 13½ the following year. Jerry Mays played in three league championship games and seven Pro Bowls, and he was also a two-time All-Pro. Mel Branch went to three Pro Bowls, was an All-Pro in 1960 and was part of the Texans championship team two years later. Art Still went to four Pro Bowls and had 42½ sacks, including 14½ in 1984. Eric Hicks ranks fifth on the franchise list with 44½ sacks, with 14 coming in 2000.
Defensive Tackle: Two Hall of Famers start at this position. Junious “Buck” Buchanan played in two Super Bowls and eight Pro Bowls, and he was a four-time All-Pro. Curley Culp was a two-time Pro Bowler who also started in Super Bowl IV. Bill Maas was the 1984 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He amassed 40 sacks and went to the Pro Bowl twice. Dan Saleaumua had 28 sacks, including seven in his 1995 Pro Bowl season.
Outside Linebacker: Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas holds the franchise record with 126½ sacks, including seven seasons of 10 or more. He had 44 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries and led the NFL with 20 sacks in 1990. Thomas was a nine-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro before his career was cut short by his death after a car accident in early 2000. Bobby Bell is a Hall of Famer who was also a nine-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro. He appeared in two Super Bowls and had 26 interceptions, with six returned for scores. Justin Houston is fourth in team history with 78½ sacks, and he led the league with 22 in his All-Pro 2014 season. Houston made four Pro Bowls in Kansas City before signing with Indianapolis in the offseason. Tamba Hali ranks second with 89½ sacks, including 14½ in 2010. He went to five Pro Bowls and forced 33 fumbles in 12 years. Jim Lynch played in Super Bowl IV, went to the Pro Bowl in 1968 and had 17 interceptions. Donnie Edwards made 758 tackles in eight years, with six seasons of 100 or more. Holub started six years at linebacker.
Middle Linebacker: Willie Lanier, another Hall of Famer, was a Super Bowl champion, an eight-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. He had 27 interceptions and 18 fumble recoveries. Derrick Johnson is a four-time Pro-Bowler and an All-Pro in 2011. He is the franchise’s all-time leader with 1,151 tackles, and he returned four interceptions for touchdowns. Sherrill Headrick was a four-time Pro Bowler and was an All-Pro twice. He played on the 1962 AFL Championship team and appeared in the original Super Bowl.
Cornerback: Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas is ninth in NFL history with 58 interceptions, and he returned five for touchdowns. His totals of 12 picks for 214 yards and two scores all led the NFL and earned him All-Pro honors in 1974. Thomas appeared in two Super Bowls and five Pro Bowls. Albert Lewis ranks fifth on the franchise list with 39 interceptions. He is a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. Kevin Ross is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who had 30 picks and is second in team history with 827 solo tackles. Dale Carter went to four Pro Bowls and picked off 21 passes in seven years. James Hasty had 21 interceptions and made the Pro Bowl twice.
Safety: Johnny Robinson, a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, is second with 57 interceptions. The original Texan played in all three championship games, and he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro. Deron Cherry ranks third with 50 picks. He went to six Pro Bowls and was a three-time All-Pro. Bobby Hunt had 37 interceptions, including an AFL-leading 10 in 1966. He appeared in two championships games, was an All-Pro in the 1962 title season and went to the Pro Bowl two years later. Gary Barbaro, a three-time Pro Bowler, picked off 39 passes and returned three for scores. Eric Berry is a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro, who was also named the 2015 Comeback Player of the Year. Greg Wesley had 29 interceptions and 502 solo tackles. Lloyd Burress picked off 22 passes and also made the Pro Bowl in 1986. Jim Kearney played in Super Bowl IV and returned five of his 23 interceptions for touchdowns.
Kicker: Jan Stenerud was the first at the position to gain election to the Hall of Fame. The Super Bowl IV kicker had 1,231 points, went to the Pro Bowl five times and was an All-Pro in 1970. Nick Lowery is the franchise leader with 1,466 points, including a league-leading 139 in 1990. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he had 11 seasons with 100 or more points.
Punting: Jerrel Wilson led the league in punt average five times in 15 years. He played in two Super Bowls and three Pro Bowls. Dustin Colquitt has averaged 44.9 yards per punt and has appeared in two Pro Bowls in 14 seasons.
Returners: Dante Hall is the team’s all-time leader with 8,644 kickoff return yards and six touchdowns, and he also returned five punt returns for scores. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a 2003 All-Pro. Tamarick Vanover is second in both kickoff (5,099) and punt return yards (1,930), and he has eight combined touchdowns. J. T. Smith tops the franchise list with 2,289 punt return yards, with four returned for scores. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 1980.
Special Teams: Long Snapper Kendall Gammon played 106 games in six years and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. Gary Stills played seven seasons as a backup linebacker in Kansas City. He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2003.
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-By: Kevin Rakas