Kansas City Chiefs History

In 1959, a 26-year-old Texan, frustrated by his unsuccessful attempts to gain a pro football franchise in the NFL, embarked on an alternative course that was to change the face of pro football forever. The young man was Lamar Hunt, who founded the American Football League (AFL) that season and served as the league’s first president when his eight new teams began play in 1960.Hunts own team, the Dallas Texans, was located in his home town where he would face direct competition from the newest NFL expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys.

The Texans quickly made their mark as one of the new league’s strongest teams. In their third season in 1962, they won the AFL championship with a 20-17 win over the Houston Oilers.

Even though the Texans fared well in Dallas, Hunt decided for the good of the league, it would be best to move the franchise to Kansas City in 1963.

The team was renamed the Chiefs. The Chiefs won a second AFL title in 1966 and was the first team to represent the AFL in Super Bowl competition when they played the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I.

Kansas City won another title in 1969 and became the only team in AFL history to win three championships.

Although the Minnesota Vikings were the favorites to win Super Bowl IV, Kansas City upset the NFL champions 23-7 to complete the AFL vs. NFL portion of the Super Bowl series tied at two wins each. It was the last game played by an AFL team.

The Texans-Chiefs 10-season AFL record of 92-50-5 was the best of any AFL team. Head coach Hank Stram became the only man to serve as a head coach throughout the AFL’s history.

Thanks to Hunt, his teams were loaded with potential superstars, including five, quarterback Len Dawson, defensive end Buck Buchanan, linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier and kicker Jan Stenerud, who have been selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hunt himself, was the first Chief elected for his role in forming a new league that caused pro football to grow from 12 teams to 26 teams in the 1960′s.

The 1971 Chiefs were regarded as the best team ever in franchise history. The team featured 11 Pro Bowlers, including wide receiver Otis Taylor, who led the league in receiving yards with 1,110.

The Chiefs won the AFC Western Division, but their Christmas day, overtime playoff loss that year would mark their last playoff appearance until the 1986 Chiefs captured a Wild-card playoff birth.

The Chiefs were playoff contenders under coach Marty Schottenheimer from 1989-1998. Schottenheimer had all-stars like linebacker Derrick Thomas, running back Christian Okoye, fullback Barry Word, and quarterback Steve DeBerg.

The Chiefs signed tight end Tony Gonzales in 1997 and he became one of the most feared tight ends in pro football. In 2006, Gonzales became the first tight end to appear in eight straight Pro Bowls.

In 2001, the Chiefs signed running back Priest Holmes who became the chief’s second running back to lead the NFL in rushing, and in 2003 became the Chiefs all-time leading rusher.

In 2003 the Chiefs drafted running back Larry Johnson and in 2006 he broke the NFL record for most rushing attempts with 416 carries.