Kansas City Chiefs greatest defensive players ever, part two – here is the second and final part of my Chiefs Greatest Defensive players submission. If you responded to part one of the series and had recommendations that are not included in this article, please forgive me, as this article was submitted for review and editing prior to publication of the first article.
Hopefully, those disappointed with my picks yesterday, are mollified by the selections in today’s article. If not by the other three chosen, then perhaps by the plethora of honorable mentions near the end.
Jim Lynch (1967-1977) – Linebacker
The Chiefs drafted Jim Lynch in the second round of the 1967 NFL draft (47th overall).
Lynch was a member of the Chiefs terrible trio of linebackers (along with Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier) who terrorized opposing offenses in the late sixties and early seventies. Lynch also was a member of the Chiefs in their solitary Super Bowl Championship season.
Lynch played eleven years for the Chiefs, retiring in 1977 with 17 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, and one touchdown. He was an AFL All-Star in 1968 and a two-time All-AFL selectee.
Said his college coach, Notre Dame’s Ara Parseghian of Lynch,
“I am often asked who was the best player to coach, and Jim Lynch always comes to mind. He was an All-American in every sense – talented, hard-nosed and honest.”
Although he is in the Chiefs Ring of Honor, Lynch is the only defensive selection in this series that is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Bobby Bell (1963-1974) – DE/LB
Although he was selected in the second round of the NFL draft (17th overall) in 1963 by the Minnesota Vikings, Bell opted for the Chiefs who selected him in the seventh round of the AFL draft (56th overall). This was due because the fledgling AFL did not believe that they had a chance with the versatile six-foot-four, 228-pound lineman.
Chiefs head coach Hank Stram wasted no time in taking advantage of Bell’s athleticism and speed (reportedly 4.5 40-yard dash). Although Bell started as a defensive end, Stram implemented a “stack defense” in which Bell would drop out of the 4-3 alignment to become a fourth linebacker. In 1965, the Chiefs shifted Bell to outside linebacker for good.
Bell proved instrumental in the 1969 AFL divisional game against the New York Jets. He, along with Willie Lanier and Jim Lynch stuffed Namath and his Jets at the one-yard line for three consecutive plays, forcing the Jets to settle for a field goal.
Coach Stram would remember that game years later when he presented Bobby Bell for enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.
“He made things happen. He was a big play guy. And how could any of us in the old American Football League and especially the Kansas City Chiefs forget the big play he made against the New York Jets before our Super Bowl win in 1969. We were winning the game 6 to 3, the New York Jets with Namath himself and Weeb Ewbank, They were on the 1-yard line with the score 6-3 in our favor and one yard to go for a touchdown and our great defense rose to the occasion and stopped them. It was second-and-one and we did the same thing. Third-and-one we did the same thing and on fourth and one we called a blitz, Bobby Bell was supposed to blitz from the outside, he got a whiff of the fact that he thought Snow was going to get a pass. he stopped in the middle of the blitz, made Joe Namath deliberate for just a second while he was doing that he gave Namath the sack and we went on to win the game 13-6.”
Known as a great blitzer, Bell bagged 40 career quarterback sacks. He was also renowned as one of the most effective open-field tacklers in NFL history. If he missed the first time, he had the speed, reflexes, and presence of mind to make up for it.
Selected as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1969, Bell is also a three-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Chiefs 1970 Super Bowl Championship team.
Bell retired as a Chief in 1974. Bell played for twelve seasons as a Chief, snagging 26 interceptions, six of which he returned for touchdowns. He also scored an additional three touchdowns, two on fumble recoveries and one on an onside kick return.
Bell is in the Chiefs Ring of Honor and his jersey number 78 is retired.
Bell became the first Chiefs player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with his enshrinement in 1983.
Emmitt Thomas (1966-1978) – Cornerback
Emmitt Thomas is the only player selected among these six greats who came into either the AFL or NFL as an undrafted free agent.
Joining the Chiefs in 1966, it did not take Thomas long to make an impact. In 1968, he was named an AFL All-Star. Thomas followed that up as a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro.
Thomas led the AFL in interceptions in 1969 and the NFL in 1974. Thomas also was a member of the 1970 Super Bowl Championship Chiefs team in which he snagged an interception on the final play of the game.
“I could get the football. I had great ball skills and speed.”
– Emmitt Thomas
Thomas is in the Chiefs Ring of Honor, and his uniform number, #18 is retired. His career 58 interceptions still stands as a franchise record.
Thomas retired as an NFL player after 13 seasons and 181 games in 1978. He gained 937 yards and returned five of his 58 interceptions for touchdowns. Thomas recovered four fumbles in his Chiefs career.
Additionally, he returned 29 kickoffs for 673 yards and another 64 yards returning punts.
A #Chiefs Thanksgiving memory: In 1969, Emmitt Thomas' pick-six against Denver helped Kansas City pick up a big win in the AFL West. They later won the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/qmgBPEvhWE
— TOM MARTIN ™️ (@TomKCTV5) November 22, 2018
In 2008, Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At his Hall of Fame Enshrinement speech, a humble Thomas addressed his fellow HOFers, well-wishers, and fans.
“Maybe all these fine compliments are true, but one thing I can assure you, that every time I stepped on the field at Municipal Stadium and later at Arrowhead Stadium I did it with the knowledge that I was representing the Kansas City Chiefs and I knew what it meant to millions and millions of Americans across the world.
I did play the game with passion. I did play the game with respect. And I played it with a lot of heart.”
After his career with the Chiefs, Thomas went on to coach in the NFL with various teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Atlanta Falcons (where he served as interim head coach for four games in the 2007 season).
Perhaps fittingly, Thomas’ last NFL coaching stint was with the Chiefs as defensive backs coach where he coached since the 2010 season. In February of this year, Thomas announced his retirement.
“I have been blessed and honored to be a part of the NFL for the last 51 years. My journey started in Kansas City, and by the grace of God I am able to end my NFL career here as well. I would like to thank the Hunt family and the Chiefs organization for all that they have done for me in my special days here in Kansas City. It has been a privilege to work alongside the great coaches that have come through this building. Having the opportunity to coach so many talented young men in my time as a coach has been one of my greatest gifts… I love Kansas City and this fan base and can’t thank them enough for all the support they have given me in my time here as a player and a coach.”
Greatest Defensive Honorable Mentions
Obviously, I could not include everyone that I wanted to in my selections, but I wanted to give an appreciation to those other defensive Chiefs who deserve recognition. My honorable mentions are:
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- Tamba Hali
- Eric Berry
- Jerry Mays
- James Hasty
- Dale Carter
- Aaron Brown
- Johnny Robinson
- Sherrill Headrick
- Curley Culp
- Jared Allen
- Albert Lewis
- Neil Smith
- Derrick Johnson
I went through a lot of back and forth on selecting the players for this article. Of the original ten that I had selected, I dropped four and selected one that I had not initially considered. Although it was not criteria in my selections, it is not lost on me that all selections played their entire careers as Chiefs, and all are in the Chiefs Ring of Honor (with five in the NFL Hall of Fame). Notable also is that five of the six selections were on the Chiefs 1970 Super Bowl Championship team.
Forthcoming will be articles that cover both the Chiefs Greatest Offensive Players and Chiefs Greatest Special Teams Players, along with a very special piece about a very special Chief at a very special time of year.
If you wish to offer your opinions and ideas concerning the selections for the greatest offensive and special teams Chiefs, please feel free. Struggling to pick the best Chiefs among all the great Chiefs which comprise their storied sixty-year history is a daunting task. I can use all the help I can get!
Bonus Fun Fact: The Kansas City Chiefs are the only team in the Super Bowl era to win the title without allowing as much as 10 points in any postseason game.
Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne
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