Kansas City Chiefs Greatest Special Teams Players Ever – Today we tackle the greatest special teams players ever to don the Red and Gold. These unsung heroes are usually overlooked and underappreciated, but all too often are the difference makers in a win or a loss.
It was not until 1969 that teams began to see the value of special teams when Philadelphia Eagles Coach Jerry Williams created the position on his staff. The Chiefs have (albeit a few bumps) been fortunate with their special teams over the years. This has been particularly true for the past six seasons.
Norwegian Jan Stenerud tops our rather short list of the Chiefs greatest special teams players. Drafted by the Chiefs in a special redshirt draft in 1965, the All-American ski jumper turned kicker was one of the first NFL kickers to kick “soccer style.” Hungarian-born Pete Gogolak, of the Buffalo Bills, was the first. Stenerud, however, was the first to be good at it.
“I was starting to make a lot of 50-yard field goals 50 years ago and that was a big deal. Now it’s a big deal, darn near, if you miss from 50.”
– Jan Stenerud
In his first three seasons in the AFL, Stenerud hit 70% of his field goals compared to his contemporaries who averaged 53%. He also proved to be effective at long distances, something other kickers struggled with.
When the Chiefs took on the heavily favored Vikings in Super Bowl IV, Stenerud was the Chief that most worried them.
“The Vikings said they were worried about the kicker because if the Chiefs reached the 50-yard line, they had a chance to score.”
– Jan Stenerud
Chiefs DE Jerry Mays, bragged,
“If Jan-ski (Stenerud) can make three field goals, we’re going to win the game. There is no way they’re going to score more than a touchdown.”
Well, Stenerud kept up his end, with three field goals accounting for the first nine points in the game. In the third quarter, the Vikings got the one touchdown… which Mays predicted. Not that it mattered, but KC added two touchdowns of their own. Stenerud accounted for 11 of the Chiefs 23 points.
Oddly enough, as a Norwegian, Stenerud was the only true Viking on the field that day.
Few Chiefs fans can forget the 1971 Divisional playoff game at Municipal Stadium. On that dreadful Christmas day, the Chiefs made the fateful decision to not allow Stenerud an attempt at an NFL record-long 68-yard field goal in the final minute of the game, opting for overtime instead.
In defense of head coach Hank Stram, Stenerud had missed a clutch 32-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter. Also, speedster Mercury Morris was under the field goal for a return attempt in the event kick was short.
The rest is history. In the longest game in NFL history, Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian kicked the game-winning field goal. The Dolphins advanced after a conference championship win against the Indianapolis Colts, but lost 24-3 in Super Bowl VI against the Dallas Cowboys.
Stenerud kicked for 19 years in the NFL, including stints with the Green Bay Packers and Vikings. In his career, Stenerud scored 1,699 points on 580 PATs and 372 field goals. He played in six Pro Bowls and had 17 field goals over 50 yards.
He holds the Chiefs record for most field goal ever attempt in a career at 436. The Chiefs retired his #3 jersey and inducted him into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1991. That same year, Canton called and enshrined Stenerud into the National Football League Hall of Fame.
Stenerud and Morten Andersen are the only true placekickers in the HOF. George Blanda and Lou Groza are there also, but they played quarterback and offensive tackle, respectively.
Dante Hall not only electrified Chiefs fans but the entire NFL whenever he stood far back and alone on the receiving end of a kickoff or punt. Called the Human Joy Stick by some and the X Factor by others, watching a Dante Hall return was true poetry in motion.
I had friends who absolutely despised the Chiefs, but would watch the sports highlights each Sunday night religiously just to see what “Dante did today.”
“Anything that is unexpected is the X-factor.”
– Dante Hall
Rarely could one player turn the tide of a football game with a single play, but Hall most definitively could.
Once the ball was in his hands,
he could juke & jolt
and just when you thought
he was going down
zoom, he would bolt!
Off like a flash,
Hall eluded them all,
his pursuers but distant memories
and tiny dots
in his rear-view mirror,
As for the Chiefs?
They were six points richer!
Older, or rather more mature Chiefs devotees, know how blessed we were to witness what some consider the most amazing few years in the art of return specialization. In his magical season of 2003, Hall returned a kickoff and punt return for touchdowns four games in a row which still an NFL record.
“If I had the hand strength to sign autographs for everybody in Kansas City, I would… but it’s just impossible to get to everyone.”
– Dante Hall
Hall is 6th all-time in kickoff and punt return yards with 12,397 and tied for third with the most kick returns for a touchdown at six. As a Chief, the Human Joystick scored eleven touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns.
NFL Network’s NFL Top 10 Return Aces ranked the X Factor the 10th greatest return specialist in NFL history.
The only honorable mention is placekicker Nick Lowery (Nick the Kick). The seven-time Pro-Bowler from Germany was a Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee in 2007. In 2009 the Chiefs inducted Lowery into the Chiefs Hall of Fame.
In keeping with my policy of ensuring that I include no active players in my ‘Greatest Chiefs…‘ series, I will not mention long-time Chiefs punter, Dustin Colquitt. I will further not mention that Colquitt has played 222 games as a Chief, a mere three games away from surpassing Will Shields as the player who has played the most games ever for the Chiefs at 224 games.
“I’m not sure I ever had a punter like him as far as the way the ball flies off his foot is just amazing. He’s a bomber. He can flip the field for you. He’s definitely a guy that we’re happy to have.”
– Dave Toub on Dustin Colquitt
Nor will I mention that Colquitt holds the Chiefs record for longest punt (81 Yards, 2007), or that he’s a two-time Pro-Bowler (2012, 2016).
If I were so inclined, which I’m not, I would mention that Colquitt has punted for 48,267 yards in his career, 12th most in NFL history. That’s over 27 miles of punts! I will, however, mention all these facts and more in approximately a decade, when I write a piece on his Hall of Fame enshrinement, hopefully.
The Chiefs have fielded some awesome special teams in the past twenty years. Alas, we also fielded some duds. According to footballoutsiders.com, the Red and Gold have ranked in the top ten special teams seven of the last twenty years. Unfortunately, we have also ranked in the bottom ten special teams those same years, too. Here’s the Chiefs ranking for the past 19 years.
One need only look at the chart above to see how important special teams are to a successful season. However, admittedly, I don’t know what the heck happened in 2010. Fortunately, we have Dave Toub running the show. In the six seasons since Toub came aboard the “USS KCChiefs,” the captain has steered us to six top ten special teams rankings.
So today, let’s salute these great Chiefs special teams players, but also, let’s also acknowledge and appreciate all the unsung heroes who toil on special teams and appreciate just how significant special teams and those players are to a successful season.
Bonus Fun Fact: Currently, the Chiefs three longest-tenured players are Dustin Colquitt, 14 seasons, tight end Travis Kelce, 6 seasons, and offensive tackle Eric Fisher, 6 seasons, respectively.
Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne
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