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In one of the Texans' biggest games, they defeated the [[Houston Oilers]] in a dramatic [[1962 AFL Championship]] which went into double overtime. Until the [[December 25]], [[1971]] playoff game between the Chiefs and [[Miami Dolphins]], the game was the longest ever played at over 77 minutes.
In one of the Texans' biggest games, they defeated the [[Houston Oilers]] in a dramatic [[1962 AFL Championship]] which went into double overtime. Until the [[December 25]], [[1971]] playoff game between the Chiefs and [[Miami Dolphins]], the game was the longest ever played at over 77 minutes.


Following two years of competition with the Cowboys, and despite winning the AFL Championship just months before, Hunt decided to relocate the team. He eventually turned to [[Kansas City, Missouri]] where [[List of Mayors of Kansas City, Missouri|Mayor]] [[H. Roe Bartle]] persuaded him to move to the Midwest <ref name="Chiefs founder"/> and re-established the team as the Kansas City Chiefs. Most impressive about this move was the support the team received from the community even before the team announced the move. Hunt made the move dependent upon the ability of Kansas City Mayor [[H. Roe Bartle]] and the Kansas City community to guarantee him 35,000 in season ticket sales.
Following two years of competition with the Cowboys, and despite winning the AFL Championship just months before, Hunt decided to relocate the team. He eventually turned to [[Kansas City, Missouri]] where [[List of Mayors of Kansas City|Mayor]] [[H. Roe Bartle]] persuaded him to move to the Midwest <ref name="Chiefs founder"/> and re-established the team as the Kansas City Chiefs. Most impressive about this move was the support the team received from the community even before the team announced the move. Hunt made the move dependent upon the ability of Kansas City Mayor [[H. Roe Bartle]] and the Kansas City community to guarantee him 35,000 in season ticket sales.


Hunt, with a roster replete with players who had played college football in Texas, wanted to maintain a lineage to the team’s roots and wanted to call the club the '''Kansas City Texans'''. "The [[Los Angeles Lakers|Lakers]] stayed the Lakers when they moved from Minnesota to California," he reasoned. "But Jack Steadman convinced me that wasn’t too smart. It wouldn’t sell." The team was renamed Chiefs — one of the most popular suggestions Hunt received in a name-the-team contest, along with '''Kansas City Mules''' — and began playing in Kansas City’s [[Municipal Stadium (Kansas City)|Municipal Stadium]]in 1963.<ref name="Chiefs founder"/>
Hunt, with a roster replete with players who had played college football in Texas, wanted to maintain a lineage to the team’s roots and wanted to call the club the '''Kansas City Texans'''. "The [[Los Angeles Lakers|Lakers]] stayed the Lakers when they moved from Minnesota to California," he reasoned. "But Jack Steadman convinced me that wasn’t too smart. It wouldn’t sell." The team was renamed Chiefs — one of the most popular suggestions Hunt received in a name-the-team contest, along with '''Kansas City Mules''' — and began playing in Kansas City’s [[Municipal Stadium (Kansas City)|Municipal Stadium]]in 1963.<ref name="Chiefs founder"/>

Revision as of 16:41, 7 May 2007

Kansas City Chiefs
Established 1960
Play in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Chiefs logo
Kansas City Chiefs logo
Logo
League/conference affiliations

American Football League (1960-1969)

  • Western Division (1960-1969)

National Football League (1970–present)

Current uniform
Team colorsRed and White
MascotK.C. Wolf (1989-present) Warpaint (1963-1988)
Personnel
Owner(s)The Hunt Family
(Clark Hunt, chairman)[1]
General managerCarl Peterson
Head coachHerman Edwards
Team history
  • Dallas Texans (1960-1962)
  • Kansas City Chiefs (1963–present)
Championships
League championships (3)†
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (8)
  • AFL West: 1962, 1965, 1966
  • AFC West: 1971, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2003
† – Does not include the AFL or NFL championships won during the same seasons as the AFL–NFL Super Bowl championships prior to the 1970 AFL–NFL merger
Home fields

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are currently members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Chiefs main rivals are the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos, both of whom were original teams in the AFL. The team plays at Arrowhead Stadium which has a reputation for being one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.

The club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League as the Dallas Texans. After three season in Dallas, the team moved to Kansas City due largely to the efforts of then-Kansas City mayor H. Roe Bartle. The Chiefs joined the NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL-NFL Merger.

The Chiefs won their only world championship when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. Following this victory, the team experienced difficulties and and only made the playoffs twice over the next twenty years. In the 1990's the Chiefs experience a resurgence with the success of head coach Marty Schottenheimer who made the playoffs seven times in ten years, but often lost in the early rounds. Since the departure of Schottenheimer, the team has won only one division title yet never lost more than six games in a season. In 2006, the Chiefs made the playoffs but lost in the first round to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

Franchise history

Further information: History of the Kansas City Chiefs

AFL

The most dominating team in the AFL

In 1959, The Dallas Texans were founded by Lamar Hunt as part of Hunt’s American Football League. The Dallas Texans, as they were known then, shared the Cotton Bowl with the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys.

In one of the Texans' biggest games, they defeated the Houston Oilers in a dramatic 1962 AFL Championship which went into double overtime. Until the December 25, 1971 playoff game between the Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, the game was the longest ever played at over 77 minutes.

Following two years of competition with the Cowboys, and despite winning the AFL Championship just months before, Hunt decided to relocate the team. He eventually turned to Kansas City, Missouri where Mayor H. Roe Bartle persuaded him to move to the Midwest [2] and re-established the team as the Kansas City Chiefs. Most impressive about this move was the support the team received from the community even before the team announced the move. Hunt made the move dependent upon the ability of Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle and the Kansas City community to guarantee him 35,000 in season ticket sales.

Hunt, with a roster replete with players who had played college football in Texas, wanted to maintain a lineage to the team’s roots and wanted to call the club the Kansas City Texans. "The Lakers stayed the Lakers when they moved from Minnesota to California," he reasoned. "But Jack Steadman convinced me that wasn’t too smart. It wouldn’t sell." The team was renamed Chiefs — one of the most popular suggestions Hunt received in a name-the-team contest, along with Kansas City Mules — and began playing in Kansas City’s Municipal Stadiumin 1963.[2]

The Texans/Chiefs franchise was the flagship team of the American Football League, with the most playoff appearances as an AFL team, six (tied with Oakland), the most American Football League Championships (3), and the most Super Bowl appearances of the AFL teams, playing in the first Super Bowl, and in the last to be played between NFL and AFL league champions.

Following their 1966 season, the Chiefs lost in the first Super Bowl to the Packers. The Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl following their 1969 season and upset the heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

With a high powered offense and blistering defense, Hank Stram's innovative play-calling would revolutionize the game. Stram would utilize audibles and line changes that would confuse opponents on the field, giving the Chiefs the advantage. The Chiefs would go on to win 43 games between 1966 and 1969. Five Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees played for the Chiefs in the era, including quarterback Len Dawson, linebackers Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier, defensive tackle Buck Buchanan and placekicker Jan Stenerud. Other notable players included wide receiver Otis Taylor, linebacker Jim Lynch, back-up quarterback Mike Livingston and running back Mike Garrett.

NFL

Fall from greatness, 1971-1989

In 1971, the Chiefs made it back to the playoffs as they won the AFC West division title, but on Christmas Day, they lost a double overtime heartbreaker to the Miami Dolphins 27-24. The game was the Chiefs’ last game at Municipal Stadium and would go one to be remembered as "the longest game," clocking in at 82 minutes. Jan Stenerud missed two field goals and had another kick blocked in the playoff game. The Dolphins won on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian. This game is considered as the start of the end of the Chiefs winning legacy for the rest of the 1970s and most of the 1980s.

In 1972, the Chiefs moved into the new Arrowhead Stadium but could not replicate their success from Municipal Stadium and their 1960’s dominance in the AFL. The Chiefs suffered through multiple losing seasons throughout the 1970’s, including a franchise worst 2-14 season in 1977.

The Chiefs would not return to the playoffs for 15 straight years, compiling only four winning seasons in this stretch. In 1974, Head coach Hank Stram was fired and in 1975 Len Dawson played his final game in the NFL. By the mid-1970’s, nearly all of the Chiefs’ championship players from the AFL were gone.

1990s: "Martyball"

In 1989, Carl Peterson became the team's new President and General Manager. Peterson hired Marty Schottenheimer as the team's coach. Schottenheimer led the team to six straight playoff appearances, three AFC West championships, nine winning seasons, and 76 consecutive soldout games at Arrowhead in the 1990s. Schottenheimer's impressive 101-58-1 regular season record (.634) made the Chiefs the winningest team of the 1990s. The Chiefs re-established a strong fanbase and Arrowhead Stadium quickly began to sell-out every home game, a streak that began in 1990 and is still alive through the 2006 season.

The Chiefs' popularity rose in the 1990s with their "college football game atmosphere" and noisy fans reaching over 120 decibels, a traditions still alive today. Much of the "college atmosphere" has arrived due to popularity of Big 12 college football games, often held at Arrowhead Stadium and also the Chiefs' additions of players from local Big 12 schools throughout the nineties, like Neil Smith and Will Shields from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While the Chiefs have appeared in the playoffs in seven out of eight seasons, the team only won three playoff games, the last in 1993.

In 1993, Joe Montana was traded to Kansas City from the San Francisco 49ers. Along with Marcus Allen from the Los Angeles Raiders, the Chiefs gained both a powerful passer and rusher to assist their powerful defense, advancing to the AFC Championship Game. The Chiefs lost the AFC Championship 30-13 to former coach Marv Levy and the Buffalo Bills.

Montana retired after the 1994 season and was replaced by Steve Bono with Rich Gannon as backup. In 1995, the Chiefs went 13-3 and were the odds-on favorite to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XXX. However, on a cold night full of dropped passes and missed field goals, they lost 10-7 against the Indianapolis Colts in the 1996 playoffs. During that game, kicker Lin Elliot made himself infamous for missing three field goals.

In 1997, a ”quarterback controversy" began to brew in training camp. Starting QB Elvis Grbac was injured early in the season and back-up Rich Gannon took over and eventually led the Chiefs to the playoffs. After going 13-3 in the regular season and winning the AFC West division title, the Chiefs suffered a loss in the AFC Divisional playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. The following year, with Elvis Grbac back at the helm, the Chiefs fell to 7-9 in 1998. Schottenheimer resigned as head coach and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham began his two-year stint as coach before getting fired after two non-productive seasons.

2000s

After coaching the St. Louis Rams to a win in Super Bowl XXXIV, Dick Vermeil was lured out of retirement and took over as head coach of the Chiefs in 2001. Vermeil brought many elements of "The Greatest Show on Turf" from St. Louis to Kansas City's own offense, but much like the Schottenheimer era in the 1990s, the offense didn't win any playoff games.

The Chiefs went 13-3 in 2003 and their powerful offense, helped make Kansas City again a favorite to win the Super Bowl. After starting 9-0, the Chiefs' began to lose momentum by November, but they still managed to gain the number one seed in the 2004 playoffs. The mighty homefield advantage of Arrowhead Stadium and their high-powered offense wouldn't lead the Chiefs to glory and the Chiefs lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional playoffs in an offensive shootout in which neither team punted, a first for the NFL playoffs.

The Chiefs managed to finish the 2004 season with a 7-9 record. For their 2005 season, the Chiefs brought in several new players to boost a defense that had finished among the worst units the past three years. The year also saw Larry Johnson start at running back in place of an injured Priest Holmes. But despite winning ten games, the Chiefs became just the fourth team in NFL history to go 10-6 and not reach the playoffs.

Main article: 2006 Kansas City Chiefs season

A tearful head coach Dick Vermeil announced his retirement before the final game of the 2005 season. Within two weeks, then-New York Jets head coach Herm Edwards had signed a new 4-year contract to coach the Chiefs. Starting quarterback Trent Green was injured in the first game of the season and missed seven games. Back-up quarterback Damon Huard stepped in and helped the Chiefs find their momentum, leading the team to a 5-4 record. Much like nine years before, a ”quarterback controversy” began when Trent Green returned but only managed to get a 4-3 record to finish the season. The 2006 Chiefs returned to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, only to lose 23-8 in the Wild Card round against their playoff nemesis (and much like their “quarterback controversy” loss in 1997, against the eventual Super Bowl champion), the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs reversed their performance of 2003; this time the offense could not get it done and both team’s defenses were the story of the game. Kansas City did not have a first down until midway through the third quarter.

Chiefs owner and founder Lamar Hunt died on December 13, 2006 due to complications brought on by a ten-year battle with prostate cancer. Hunt was remembered throughout the remainder of the 2006 season all throughout the NFL with moments of silence and ceremonies in Kansas City.

Main article: 2007 Kansas City Chiefs season

Almost immediately after the Chiefs' painful loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, the state of the team was brought into question. The Chiefs' off-season began with turmoil over the contract of Tony Gonzalez, and the long-term career of Trent Green in Kansas City. Backup quarterback Damon Huard was signed to a three-year contract in February and Green was not only asked to restructure his contract but offered in trades to other teams. The Chiefs look to improve on their 9-7 record from the 2006 season and begin a new era likely with Damon Huard or Brodie Croyle starting at quarterback.

Logos

In 1959, at a meeting the AFL owners gathered to choose their team colors. Lamar Hunt wanted columbia blue and orange for his new franchise, but Houston Oiler owner Bud Adams claimed the colors for his team first. [3] Hunt was then forced to request his fall-back colors of red and gold. [3] When the team debuted in 1960 as the Dallas Texans, the logo consisted of the state of Texas in white with a yellow star marking the location of Dallas. When the team moved to Kansas City in 1963, the teams jersey did not change except for the helmet design. The new helmet featured an interlocking KC which was originally designed by Lamar Hunt on a napkin which has been the official team logo since. [3] The inspiration for the design was the San Francisco 49ers interlocking SF logo. [3]

The Chiefs have several secondary logos in their history which were not featured on the jersey. The logos were the work of Bob Taylor, a cartoonist for the now-defunct Dallas Times-Herald. The logo was originally a cowboy carrying a football in one hand, toting a gun in the other. [3] Taylor’s Texans logo adorned everything from the club’s stationery to the billboard outside the team’s offices. When the franchise moved to Kansas City in ’63, Taylor was commissioned to produce an updated logo for the team and his creation was very similar to the original. Taylor’s rendition featured a Native American figure running with the same stride and holding the pigskin in the same manner as the gunslinger with the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa and Arkansas serving as his backdrop. [3] This logo was utilized prominently during the ’60s and was affixed to the club’s Swope Park headquarters on 63rd Street before the club moved to Arrowhead in ’72.

Uniforms

The uniform design has essentially remained the same throughout the club's entire history. It consists of a red helmet, and either red or white jerseys with the opposite color numbers and names trimmed in yellow. White pants were used with both jerseys until 1969, when red pants were used with the white jerseys. The white jersey–red pants combination was not used between 1989 and 1999, primarily during the period when Marty Schottenheimer was the team's head coach. The first regular-season game of the Herman Edwards regime also featured the team wearing white on white for a home game. It's believed to be the first time the Chiefs had worn white for a home game since the early 1980s, when Marv Levy coached the team. However, when the Chiefs played the Broncos at Denver, they wore red pants.

Following Lamar Hunt's death on December 13, 2006, the Chiefs wore the all-white combination for road games against the San Diego Chargers Dec. 17 and Oakland Raiders Dec. 23. It is said the all-white combination was a tribute to Hunt, who reportedly favored the all-white kit. The team wore the all-white combination in their playoff game vs. the Colts.

Even though many NFL teams in recent years have worn their dark jerseys with their dark pants, the Chiefs have to yet to unveil an all-red combination. The Chiefs also have yet to wear an alternate jersey in a game, although gold jerseys with red numbers trimmed in white and black jerseys with red number trimmed in gold are commonly available for sale in Kansas City-area sporting goods stores.

Popular gameday traditions

The Chiefs Radio Network

Since the 1989 season, KCFX, a.k.a "101 The FOX", has broadcast Chiefs games from the site of the games under the moniker of "The Chiefs Radio Network." Mitch Holthus acts as play-by-play announcer as Super Bowl IV MVP Len Dawson acts as color commentator. Bob Gretz gives updates from the field, as well as pre-game and post-game commentary. Legendary Chiefs broadcaster Bill Grigsby adds memories and perspective on game day.[4] Mitch Holthus replaced Kevin Harlan, whom left the Chiefs Radio Network for Fox Sports, and is now at CBS Sports) in 1994.

The Chiefs Radio Network has extended its broadcast rights to Chiefs game through the 2009 season.[4] The current relationship between 101 the Fox and the Kansas City Chiefs represents the longest standing relationship in the NFL with an FM station.[4]

The Chiefs Radio Network extends throughout the six-state region of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, with over 60 affiliate stations.,[4] as well as an online stream of the broadcast on the internet.

Homefield reputation

From 1990 to 2006, the Chiefs have a 102-34 record at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs have sold out every home game for the past 17 seasons.

Even when their team suffers through losing seasons, devoted Chiefs fans are known for being the loudest in the NFL. These fans often reach sound levels of over 120 decibels (the sound of a jet airliner taking off). Because of this, Sports Illustrated has given the Chiefs' home field, Arrowhead Stadium, the title of being the "Toughest Place to Play".[5]

Arrowhead Stadium's tailgating environment is often compared to a "college football" atmosphere,[6] with fans arriving hours before gametime and even staying in the parking lot hours after the game has ended. Many Chiefs fans are so devoted that some sit in the parking lot and listen to the game even while not possessing any tickets.

National anthem fly-by's have been a tradition throughout sports, but the Kansas City Chiefs and Arrowhead Stadium are the only ones to have a B-2 Spirit to do a fly-by. This occurs at most Kansas City Games because the Whiteman Air Force Base is where the airplanes are kept, which is near Knob Noster, Missouri. The air force base is about 1 hour to 1½ hour drive from Arrowhead Stadium.

Hospitality

At the end of the National Anthem fans are known to yell "and the home of the CHIEFS!" where traditionally "the brave" is supposed to be sung. Only after the September 11, 2001 attacks did Chiefs fans refrain from doing so in honor of those who lost their lives. In fact, the September 23 2001 home game versus the New York Giants, the first Kansas City regular season contest since the September 11, 2001 attacks, was one of the few times in Chiefs history where Kansas City fans welcomed an opposing team onto the field without booing.[7]

"The War Chant"

Fans' occasional use of "The War Chant", especially when playing the Washington Redskins has become a tradition and also a controversy among Native American activists who protest the chant.

Stadium music

The "TD Pack Band" leads the crowd from the southeast end-zone with live in-stadium music during Chiefs games since Arrowhead opened in 1973. It was led by Tony DiPardo who has written songs about the home team including "The Chiefs are on the Warpath" and "The Hank Stram Polka" for the man who presented Tony with a Super Bowl ring 30 years after the fact.

Tony (Mr. Music), now 94 years old, has been with the club since the beginning (1963) in old Municipal Stadium when his ensemble was named the "Zing Band." Tony was born on August 15, 1912 and grew up in an impoverished section of downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

Tony performed "Taps" on his trumpet at the Chiefs' final home game on December 31, 2006 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars in tribute to Lamar Hunt, owner and founder of the Chiefs.

Tony's daughter, Patti DiPardo-Livergood, has directed the TD Pack Band for the past 18 seasons, although Tony still plays his signature red lacquer trumpet in the band. Patti, an accomplished vocalist, sings the National Anthem at select Chiefs game throughout the season.

Throughout the years, kickoff has begun with in-stadium music from Mötley Crüe ("Wild Side" & "Kickstart My Heart"), Guns n' Roses (Sweet Child O' Mine), AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)", Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train", "Sirius" by Alan Parsons Project, "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones and Ram Jam's "Black Betty".

Other songs played during games include Prince's "Let's Go Crazy", Archie Eversole's "We Ready", Rush's "Tom Sawyer", AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long", Eminem's "Lose Yourself", Heart's "Barracuda", P.O.D.'s "Boom" and even the War Chant conjured by the fans.

"We're gonna beat the hell outta you"

For numerous years up through the 2005 season, after every Chiefs touchdown, the crowd would chant "We're gonna beat the hell outta you...you...you, you, you, you," over Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll (Part 2)." The chant has been said to have originated from a similar chant (excluding profanity) from Wichita State University's fans at their now defunct football program's games.

Beginning with the 2006 season, the Chiefs organization has opted to honor the NFL's request that this song no longer be played at games following Glitter's conviction in Vietnam of child molestation.

After a vote was taken for the new touchdown song, Chiefs fans chose "Boom" by P.O.D. as the song to replace Glitter's song. "Red" by Sammy Hagar came in second in voting, and "Elevation" by U2 finished third. Though to satisfy fans not willing to lose a tradition, in the first game of the 2006 NFL season, a cover rendition of "Rock and Roll Part 2" performed by the Tube Tops 2000 was played, complete with the "We're gonna..." chant. The song has been played at every home game since.[8][9][10]

Mascots

The mascot during the team's glory years at Municipal Stadium and until 1989 was the beautiful pinto horse named Warpaint. During its heyday, the first Warpaint (born 1955) was ridden bareback by rider Bob Johnson who wore full Indian headdress. Warpaint circled the field at the beginning of the game and then did a victory "dance" at each touchdown. The second Warpaint (born 1968) died in 2005 and is buried at Benjamin Ranch, 6401 E 87th Street, Kansas City, MO 64138. The Chiefs are reportedly considering bringing Warpaint back[8] in the near future.

In 1989 Warpaint was replaced by K.C. Wolf which is a man dressed in a wolf costume. K.C. Wolf was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame (MHOF) in 2006. He is nicknamed the 'Grand Daddy" of NFL mascots and he has averaged 350-400 appearances per year for the past 14 years.[11]

Season-by-season records

Season records
Season W L T Finish Playoff results
Dallas Texans
1960 8 6 0 2nd AFL West --
1961 6 8 0 2nd AFL West --
1962 11 3 0 1st AFL West Won AFL Championship (Oilers) 20-17 (2 OT)
Kansas City Chiefs
1963 5 7 2 3rd AFL West --
1964 7 7 0 2nd AFL West --
1965 7 5 2 3rd AFL West --
1966 11 2 1 1st AFL West Won AFL Championship (Bills) 31-7
Lost Super Bowl I (Packers) 35-10
1967 9 5 0 2nd AFL West --
1968 12 2 0 2nd AFL West Lost Western Division playoff (Raiders) 41-6
1969 11 3 0 2nd AFL West Won Divisional Playoffs (Jets) 13-6
Won AFL Championship (Raiders) 17-7
Won Super Bowl IV (Vikings) 23-7
Merged into NFL
1970 7 5 2 2nd AFC West --
1971 10 3 1 1st AFC West Lost Divisional Playoffs (Dolphins) 27-24
1972 8 6 0 2nd AFC West --
1973 7 5 2 3rd AFC West --
1974 5 9 0 3rd AFC West --
1975 5 9 0 3rd AFC West --
1976 5 9 0 4th AFC West --
1977 2 12 0 5th AFC West --
1978 4 12 0 5th AFC West --
1979 7 9 0 5th AFC West --
1980 8 8 0 3rd AFC West --
1981 9 7 0 3rd AFC West --
1982 3 6 0 11th AFC Conf.+ --
1983 6 10 0 5th AFC West --
1984 8 8 0 4th AFC West --
1985 6 10 0 5th AFC West --
1986 10 6 0 2nd AFC West Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Jets) 35-15
1987 4 11 0 5th AFC West --
1988 4 11 1 5th AFC West --
1989 8 7 1 2nd AFC West --
1990 11 5 0 2nd AFC West Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Dolphins) 17-16
1991 10 6 0 2nd AFC West Won Wild Card Playoffs (L.A. Raiders) 10-6
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Bills) 37-14
1992 10 6 0 2nd AFC West Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Chargers) 17-0
1993 11 5 0 1st AFC West Won Wild Card Playoffs (Steelers) 27-24
Won Divisional Playoffs (Oilers) 28-20
Lost AFC Championship (Bills) 30-13
1994 9 7 0 2nd AFC West Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Dolphins) 27-17
1995 13 3 0 1st AFC West Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 10-7
1996 9 7 0 2nd AFC West --
1997 13 3 0 1st AFC West Lost Divisional Playoffs (Broncos) 14-10
1998 7 9 0 4th AFC West --
1999 9 7 0 2nd AFC West --
2000 7 9 0 3rd AFC West --
2001 6 10 0 4th AFC West --
2002 8 8 0 4th AFC West --
2003 13 3 0 1st AFC West Lost Divisional Playoffs (Colts) 38-31
2004 7 9 0 3rd AFC West --
2005 10 6 0 2nd AFC West --
2006 9 7 0 2nd AFC West Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Colts) 23-8
2007 0 0 0 --- AFC West
Totals 383 334 12 (1960-2006, including AFL & NFL playoffs)

+ = Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, all teams were ranked by conference instead of division.

Team records and statistics

For more information, see Kansas City Chiefs statistics.

The following are team and league records. They may have been surpassed between the time of making the record and the current date. Records are listed in chronological order.

League records

Franchise records

  • 1987: Gary Spani records his team-record 999th career tackle and retires in the off-season.
  • 1990: Derrick Thomas sets team record with 20.0 sacks in a season.
  • 1990: Derrick Thomas established an NFL single-game record with 7.0 sacks in an inspiring Veterans Day performance vs. Seattle (11/11). The game was won by the Seahawks 17-16, after a last-second 25-yard TD pass to WR Paul Skansi by future Chiefs QB Dave Krieg. Kreig barely slipped out of Thomas' arms for what would have been the record breaking eighth sack.
  • 1995: Chiefs make team record sixth consecutive playoff berth.
  • 1996: Chiefs have first 4-0 start.
  • 2001: Priest Holmes sets the team single-season rushing record with 1,555 yards.
  • 2002: Team sets franchise record for most offensive yards with 6,000.
  • 2002: Priest Holmes sets the team single-season rushing record with 1,615 yards.
  • 2002: Mike Maslowski sets the team single-season tackles record with 162 tackles (109 solo).
  • November 9, 2003: the Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns (41-20), winning their ninth straight game which sets a new franchise record for consecutive victories.
  • 2003: Priest Holmes surpasses Otis Taylor for most career touchdowns by a Chief.
  • November 28, 2004: Dante Hall sets team record with 213 kickoff returns.
  • December 5, 2004: Will Shields extends team record of consecutive starts to 187 (actual consecutive games also a team record of 188).
  • December 5, 2004: Trent Green extends team record of consecutive quarterback starts to 60.
  • October 21, 2005: Priest Holmes surpasses Christian Okoye's previous record of 1246 career carries as a Chief.
  • January 1, 2006: Tony Gonzalez sets a new record of 84 consecutive games with at least one reception, surpassing Stephone Paige (83 games in 1985–91).[14]
  • January 1, 2006: After only his ninth game start in the season, Larry Johnson surpasses Priest Holmes's single-season rushing record with 1,750 yards and scores a career-high three touchdowns in one game. This is also his ninth straight 100-yard game (including two 200-yard performances) to tie him for third-longest streak in NFL history with Walter Payton, Fred Taylor and Deuce McAllister. (During the 2006 season Johnson surpasses this record with 1,789 yards in 16 games.)
  • November 5, 2006: Tony Gonzalez Most receiving touchdowns in team history as he catches # 58 & # 59 surpassing the previous record holder, Otis Taylor.

Players of note

Further information: Kansas City Chiefs players

Current roster

Kansas City Chiefs roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams


Rookies in italics

Roster updated May 22, 2024

90 active (+1 exempt)

→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Pro Football Hall of Famers

  • Marcus Allen (November 9, 2003; 1993-1997) Running Back. Scored the 100th rushing touchdown of his career as a Chief.
  • Bobby Bell (July 30, 1983; 1963-1974) Linebacker.
  • Buck Buchanan (1990; 1963-1975) Lineman. First player taken in 1963 American Football League Draft. NAIA All-America in 1962.
  • Len Dawson (1987; 1963-1975) Quarterback. Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1978. Two AFL championships. MVP of Super Bowl IV. 19-year career, passed for 28,711 yards and 239 touchdowns. 11th ranked passer in NFL history (retired No. 1).
  • Lamar Hunt (1972; 1960-2006) Founder and owner. Started American Football League that was the genesis of modern professional football.
  • Willie "Contact" Lanier (1986; 1967-1977) Middle linebacker. Second Chief selected to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 1969 Super Bowl IV Champion.
  • Marv Levy (2001; 1978-1982) Head Coach.
  • Joe Montana (2000; 1993-1994) Quarterback. Popular for come-from-behind wins, including the 1993 playoffs and the outdueling of John Elway in 1994 as a Chief.
  • Warren Moon (2006; 1999-2000) Quarterback.
  • Jan Stenerud (1991; 1967-1979) Placekicker. Only pure kicker in the Hall of Fame. 19-year career. 186 consecutive games played. Career 409 PATs and 436 field goals attempted. 44 field goals in a season. 7 field goal attempts in a game. Six postseason All-Star games (four NFL Pro Bowl). 48-yard field goal, the longest in Super Bowl history, against the Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
  • Hank Stram (2003; 1960-1974) Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs coach won three AFL titles and Super Bowl IV. Victories 87. Post-season appearances 6. Post-season record 5-1. Head coach of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs for the entire ten-year history of the AFL.
  • Mike Webster (1997; 1989-1990) Offensive line coach and center.

Retired numbers

Also the number 37 has not been worn since the death of Joe Delaney and is considered to be unofficially retired. Numbers 16 and 28 are the only numbers to have been worn by a single player.

Chiefs Hall of Fame

External Link: Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

Other notable alumni

Coaches

Head coaches

Chiefs head coaches with years of service, win-loss-tie record, and reason for leaving if other than firing:

*Interim head coach
**As of the end of the 2006 NFL regular season

Current staff

Offensive Coaches

Defensive Coaches

Speciality Coaches

See also

References

  1. ^ The four children of Lamar Hunt have split ownership of the Chiefs franchise into 25% shareholdings. Clark Hunt, being the Chairman of the Board, will represent the Hunt Family in the ownership.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Chiefs founder was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f Chiefs Uniform History KCChiefs.com, accessed 5-7-2007.
  4. ^ a b c d 101 THE FOX EXTENDS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS RADIO BROADCAST RIGHTS THROUGH 2009 SEASON KCChiefs.com, 24 August 2006.
  5. ^ Sports Illustrated's 2005 poll: "Toughest Places to Play"
  6. ^ Crumpacker, John. 49ers have to cope with the din of Arrowhead San Francisco Chronicle, 1 October 2006.
  7. ^ Giants beat Chiefs 13-3 in defensive struggle Associated Press, 24 September 2001.
  8. ^ a b Christopher Jr., Hearne.Part 3: Chiefs still ‘Rock and Roll’ Kansas City Star, September 1, 2006.
  9. ^ Cross, William."Chiefs eke out just enough offense", Lawrence Journal-World, 27 August 2006.
  10. ^ NFL Asks Teams To Stop Playing Gary Glitter Song Associated Press, 18 September 2006.
  11. ^ MHOF 2006 InducteesMascot Hall of Fame
  12. ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20041024012
  13. ^ "Chiefs' Gonzalez sets new mark for TEs". NFL.com wire reports. November 20, 2005. Retrieved 2006-10-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ "Chiefs beat Bengals, but miss playoffs". NFL.com wire reports. January 1, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)


External links

Preceded by Super Bowl Champions
Kansas City Chiefs
1969 		Succeeded by
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