My Chiefs Mt. Rushmore

My Chiefs Mt. Rushmore – I have to be honest, when ArrowheadOne editor, Laddie Morse, first floated the idea of a Mt. Rushmore of Chiefs, I was a bit skeptical. I just wasn’t sure how I could make it work, or whom I would even choose. However, the more I thought about it, the more intriguing the thought of penning such an article became to me, but I was still reluctant. Trying to fit the accomplishment of four Kansas City Chiefs greats in a single article seemed too daunting a task. Moreover, if they are worthy to be the subjects of a proposed Mt. Rushmore of Chiefs, they are each certainly deserving of single articles dedicated to themselves, right?  Laddie convinced me, time to do some research.

First stop in my research was the original Mt. Rushmore. A history buff, I eagerly read the several articles on the history of Mt. Rushmore, along with Mt. Rushmore Wikipedia page and watched about five documentaries on the famous landmark.  What stood out to me about the national monument was not just that the architect and sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, chose the four U.S. Presidents to appear on Mt. Rushmore (that surprised me), but why Borglum chose the Presidents he did.

Borglum chose George Washington and Abraham Lincoln since they were the two most famous presidents in American history when construction begin in 1927. Of course, they still are. He chose Thomas Jefferson because he nearly doubled the size of the United States in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. Lastly, Borglum chose Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt in part because then U.S. President Calvin Coolidge suggested it, but also because Roosevelt introduced the National Park Service to the country.

That was it! Rarely do I get epiphanies, and on the rare occasions I do, it’s usually when I’ve been drinking and I’ve long since forgotten it come the morning. Not this time, my “epiphany” was the answer to my dilemma as to how to include and do justice to these great Chiefs in a single article without writing a 5,000 plus word article. I decided to just follow Borglum’s example and explain why I chose who I chose.  Emphasis will be placed not on stats and major accomplishments so much as it will be on what these men and players did for the Chiefs and why they’re worthy to grace the face of my Chief’s Mount Rushmore.

Lamar Hunt, AFL and Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs Founder, 1959-2006

I’ll have to admit that it took some prodding by Laddie to get Mr. Hunt included. I was focused primarily on players, but in a single email, Laddie convinced immediately with just a few words, “… but Hunt was the man.” Consider me sold. Fourteen years gone, Hunt is still the man.

We’re all familiar with the story of how, in 1959, Hunt had grown tired of banging his head against the wall in his quest to purchase or start a new NFL franchise. Then, on a plane trip home after being turned down yet again, the 26 year old Hunt had his own epiphany (I wonder if he was drinking, too?) grabbed a napkin from a stewardess (flight attendant) and the AFL was born.

It was a much different kind of league than the stuffy NFL.  Free-wheeling, pass happy, and colorful, eclectic characters.  While many NFL teams were loathe to draft and/or sign African-American players (the Redskins were the last NFL team to do so, in 1961, and only then because it was forced to by the U.S. government), the AFL, and, in particular the Texans/Chiefs had no such qualms.  With the help of scout agents like the famous Lloyd Wells, the Chiefs and other AFL teams raided the campuses of Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) and changed professional football forever.

Hunt was at the forefront of this movement. He had no problem drafting and signing black players and was known to treat all of his players equally, with respect. Not only was that the right thing to do, it was a winning strategy. In fact, his 1969 Chiefs were the first predominately African-American team to win a professional football national championship with their victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Did I say, Super Bowl? Oh, yeah, Hunt coined that term, too. Although, he’s also famous for writing then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in July 25, 1966, “I have kiddingly called it the ‘Super Bowl,’ which obviously can be improved upon.” Rarely was Hunt wrong. However, he could not have been more wrong on that one.

Not as widely known is that Hunt proposed naming the Super Bowl trophy the Lombardi Trophy, as well after learning of the former Green Bay Packers coaches terminal diagnosis. In yet another letter to then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, Hunt wrote, ” … I can think of no more appropriate name to be remembered in pro football than that of Vince Lombardi.”

Lamar Hunt was such a good guy and a nice person. A man who wore his heart on his sleeve. He cared about his players. When promising Chiefs RB Joe Delaney tragically drowned while trying to save three drowning boys in his hometown of Monroe, Louisiana, Lamar Hunt was there days later with his wife to speak at Delaney’s funeral.

“In a league often dominated by veteran players and inflated egos, Joe displayed his skills with a grace and humility far beyond his years…. While Joe Delaney’s athletic accomplishments are many, it will be the character, the dedication, and the genuine good nature of this man which we will always treasure in Mid America.”

Hunt set up a trust fund for Delaney’s wife and children that still takes care of them to this day.

Of course, this comes as no surprise to Kansas City Chiefs fans. Lamar Hunt’s charity is legendary in the City of Fountains. The Hunt Family Foundation is as active as ever, and helps hundreds of Kansas City residents and organization.

One of my greatest memories of our 2019 Super Bowl season was when Chiefs co-owner and Hunt’s son, Lamar Hunt, Jr. was asked about how his father would feel after the Chiefs downed the Tennessee Titans to win the trophy named for him, “I think he’s dancing in heaven.”

Lamar Hunt, although one of the richest men in America, was just a common, down-to-earth, every man. The kind of dude you’d like to have a beer with. Although Mr. Hunt preferred coach class when he flew, he lived a first-class life. Even today, nearly 14 years after his death, his Kansas City Chiefs players, coaches, and organization are still emblematic of his first class character.

I chose Lamar Hunt for inclusion into our Chiefs Mt. Rushmore, because, without Mr. Hunt, there is no Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL would be a far cry from the blockbuster, exciting league it is today, and it is somewhat doubtful if football would be the most popular sport in America.

Bobby Bell, #78, Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs DE/LB, 1963-1974

“I just liked to play football, no matter what the position,” Bobby Bell, arguably the most athletic linebacker ever to play the game once said.

That was just fine by Chiefs coach Hank Stram, who took full advantage of the imposing Bell’s speed (Bell reportedly ran a 4.5 40-yard dash). While Bell started as a defensive end, it was that very athleticism and speed that allowed Stram to institute the first-ever “stack defense” in professional football. In this defense, Bell would drop out of his 4-3 alignment to become a fourth linebacker, effectively switching the Chiefs defense to a 3-4 alignment.

Said Stram of his versatile powerhouse Pro-Bowler, “The most important question was not where Bobby could play. He could have helped us at a number of positions, even on offense. The real question was where we needed him most.”

As if doubling as both a defensive end and a linebacker were not enough, Bell also played special teams and served as the Chiefs long-snapper. In short, Bell could do it all and Stram knew it. Stram considered Bell the best player he ever coached: “He could play all 22 positions on the field, and play them well.”

One of the hallmarks of Bobby Bell’s twelve, absolutely amazing, seasons in the AFL and NFL was his persistence and perseverance: his never-say-quit attitude. Bell took that same attitude with him even after he retired from the Chiefs. Not only did he run a successful restaurant in Kansas City for years, the pertinacious Bell returned to his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, to finish his college degree, because he promised his dad over fifty years earlier that he would.

One of the highlights of Bell’s life, aside from the Chiefs Super Bowl IV victory and his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame, or even graduating college at age 74… was being able to present the Lamar Hunt trophy to Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, after the Chiefs won the AFC Championship Game. In fact, Bell said that was at “the top of my list” of personal achievements.

Bell remembered the Chiefs former owner fondly, “Lamar and I were really close. He was like a dad to me.”

Not surprisingly, Bell was at Super Bowl LIV when the Chiefs finally won it fifty years after his 1969 brought the Lombardi home. Not a second too soon it would seem, either. After the Chiefs finally won their second Super Bowl, Bell said, “I thought I would have to go back to playing for them. I thought I’d have to put the uniform back on.”

Bobby Bell is included on our Chiefs Mt. Rushmore simply because Bell, arguably, was the face of the Chiefs defense until the emergence of fellow Hall-of-Famer and Chief Derrick Thomas. His “ride or die” mentality infected his teammates and still permeates the Chiefs organization to this day. Tyrann Mathieu exudes that same tenacity. Moreover, Matthieu’s yin to Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ yang, is reminiscent of Bell’s yin to then Chiefs QB Len Dawson’s yang.

Len Dawson, #16, QB, Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, 1962-1975

Lenny “the Cool” Dawson: just the name itself conjures up images of Chiefs glory days. For fourteen seasons, Chiefs QB Len Dawson was the commander-in-chief during what remains the greatest era of Kansas City Chiefs football.

If you were to ask Coach Stram, the addition of Dawson to the Texans roster was the beginning of the Chiefs glory days:

“Lenny joined our team and won the starting job and led us to an AFL championship, was Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and made the All-AFL team. This acquisition was really the turning point for our franchise.”

“He was our man of the moment. When I think of Lenny, I think of consistency. He was always the same; he never let you see him sweat. That’s why his teammates called him Lenny the Cool and he completed over 57% of his passes, over a 19 year span of time. That is hard to do in the pre-game warm up.”

While Stram’s praise of Dawson seems excessive, it’s not. Dawson was not only a mobile quarterback for the era, but also a pinpoint passer. A perfect fit for Stram’s “moving pocket” offense, much the same as Patrick Mahomes is such a great fit for Andy Reid’s offense.

While not in consideration for the GOAT in the NFL, Dawson was definitely the AFL GOAT during their ten-year run.  Besides winning four AFL passing titles, Lenny “the Cool” was also selected as an AFL All-Star six times. When the AFL ended at the end of the 1969 season, Dawson was its highest-rated career passer. From 1962 to 1969, no other professional quarterback threw more than did the Chiefs QB (182).

There should be no doubt that Len Dawson has earned a spot on My Chiefs Mt. Rushmore. Just as Bobby Bell was the face of the Chiefs defense for years, Len Dawson was not only the face of the Chiefs organization for years, too. I’d even argue that until our young Mr. Mahomes took over the reigns of the Chiefs just two seasons ago, Lenny Dawson was the first image in most Chiefs fans head when they hear… “Kansas City Chiefs quarterback.” That’s amazing when you consider that 29 quarterbacks have started games for the Chiefs in the years between Dawson and Mahomes. You’ve got to be one cool dude to leave that kind of legacy. You know, like… Lenny The Cool Dawson.

Derrick Thomas, #58, Kansas City Chiefs, LB/DE, 1989-1999

If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn that Chiefs sack monster Derrick Thomas was a clone of Bobby Bell. The gridiron gods blessed both with unworldly athleticism and speed along with an extra heaping helping of talent. Like Bell, Thomas was tenacious when he took the field and gave it his all. He strived to be the best. Also, like Bell, the versatile Thomas was as adept at defensive end as he was at linebacker.

It was Thomas who patented the “sack and strip.” He’d careen off the edge to sack an unwitting quarterback wrapping one arm around the QB just before smashing into them with his massive frame, while at the same time bringing one arm down in tomahawk fashion to force a fumble. It was a thing of beauty. An art form, really, evoking similarities of a hapless gazelle caught by a faster and more powerful lion.

Just ask Seahawks QB Dave Krieg, sacked by Thomas a total of seven times in a single game on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 1990.  Thomas had devoted the game to his father, Air Force Captain and B-52 pilot, Robert James Thomas, killed on a mission in the Vietnam War when his plane was shot down. Sadly, the elder Thomas never saw his legendary son play football. Thomas’ seven sacks is an NFL single-game sack record that still stands today, almost thirty years later. Thomas’ one regret… the Chiefs didn’t win the game as Krieg completed a pass on a near-sack which Thomas missed, a pass completion for a game winning TD.

Or perhaps – and this is my favorite – ask Denver Broncos Hall of Fame QB John Elway, sacked a total of 17 times in the course of his career by Thomas. Or journeyman QB Jeff George, sacked as an Oakland Raider six times. Perhaps ask Los Angeles Raiders QB Vince Evans (who?), also sacked six times by Thomas. Actually, ask any NFL QB who saw #58 on the other side of their offensive line between 1989-1999. Derrick Thomas was the very stuff of which makes QB nightmares: their own personal Freddy Krueger.

Derrick Thomas caught the Lamar Hunt philosophy, the Chiefs philosophy early in his NFL career, founding the Third and Long foundation with teammate Neil Smith. Said Thomas,

“On the field accolades are great, but in order to reach your full potential, you have to overstep the boundaries of football and go out into the community and be an All-Pro there too.”

Thomas earned his spot on the Chiefs Mt. Rushmore because of his dedication to excellence. His tenacity. His utter dedication to being the best. He said it best when he stated,

“I don’t ever want it to be a question whether I’m a Pro Bowl-caliber player, I believe I’m the best at what I do, and it’s my responsibility to play like I’m capable of playing and help this defense as much as possible.”

That, Chiefs Kingdom is the stuff of legends. So much a hero and legend in Kansas City that almost 50-years later, during the Chiefs Super Bowl LIV parade, defensive studs Terrell Suggs and Frank Clark prominently wore and displayed Thomas’ retired #58 jersey. A simple yet powerful display of unmitigated respect to the man who demonized NFL quarterbacks for over a decade.

My proposed monument would be incomplete without his inclusion to be honest. During a 50-year drought, it was Thomas that made it an exciting time to be a Chiefs fan. His tragic death at 33 still stings to this day.

Well, there you have it. My choices for the Chiefs Mount Rushmore. Just as the United States would not be the great country it is today without the presidents picked by Gutzon Borglum, likewise, the Kansas City Chiefs would not be the finest franchise in the National Football League without the amazing efforts and contributions of my four choices above.

Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne

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