Len Dawson
| Len Dawson | |
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Position (s): Quarterback |
Jersey number (s): 16 |
| born June 20, 1935 in Alliance , Ohio | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1957 - 1975 | |
| NFL Draft : 1957 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | |
| College : Purdue | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Touchdowns - interceptions | 239-183 |
| Yards | 28,711 |
| Quarterback rating | 82.6 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Leonard Ray "Len" Dawson (* 20th June 1935 in Alliance , Ohio ) is a former American American football player at the position of quarterback . He played 19 years in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) before their merger with the NFL, won the Super Bowl ( Super Bowl IV ) with the Kansas City Chiefs and was elected Super Bowl MVP .
Youth / college
Dawson played football in high school . At his school he met his future wife in his youth. Because of his achievements as a football player in high school, he was offered two scholarships, he accepted the offer from Purdue University in West Lafayette , Indiana and appeared for the Purdue Boilermakers as a quarterback, kicker and defender . He had already met the team's assistant coach Hank Stram before his studies and remained friends with him until his death in 2005. Dawson played for the Indiana team for three years, throwing passes for over 3,000 yards of space .
Professional career
Dawson was selected in the 1957 NFL Draft in the 1st round as the 5th player by the Pittsburgh Steelers . The early commitment was initially an indication of the player's ability and good future prospects, but his talent was not recognized by the Steelers. He received hardly any working time and in 1960 was given to the Cleveland Browns . After difficulties with their regular quarterback, he was dismissed by the Browns in 1961 after a disappointing two years for him.
Hank Stram, who had meanwhile become head coach of the Dallas Texans , seized the opportunity and tied Dawson to the Texans, who moved to Kansas City after the 1962 season and were renamed Chiefs . Dawson became one of the best quarterbacks of the time. In 1962 he threw 29 touchdowns for the Texans, who played in the American Football League (AFL), which was not yet united with the NFL - this was a league record. The move into the AFL Championship Game was the result. They won the game against the Houston Oilers 17:14.
From 1962 to 1969, Dawson threw more touchdowns than any other quarterback in the league. In 1966, the Chief's 31: 7 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFL Championship Game, which meant the move into the AFL-NFL World Championship Game later renamed Super Bowl I. This Super Bowl was clearly lost against the Green Bay Packers under coach Vince Lombardi with quarterback Bart Starr with 35:10, whereby he made a decisive mistake at the beginning of the second half. He threw an interception . The intercepted pass was then carried by the Packers ' safety , Willie Wood , until just before the Chiefs' end zone . The Packers scored the decisive touchdown with the next move of their offense . Dawson was able to convince in the season (he threw 26 touchdowns in the regular season - that was a league record) and despite his mistake in the Super Bowl. In the 1969 season, the move into the Super Bowl was again. Before the game, however, the favorites for the win were the Chiefs' opponents - the Minnesota Vikings . In Super Bowl IV Dawson brought 12 of his 17 passes to the man, the game went 32: 7 to the Chiefs. In 1975 Dawson ended his career.
Dawson played in the AFL / NFL for 19 years. With precise passes in 209 games, he achieved 239 touchdowns and 183 interceptions. He was famous for his calm demeanor on the field. No matter what happened, Dawson was upset. Dawson was able to achieve nine touchdowns through his own runs.
Honors
Dawson played in two Pro Bowls and was voted All Star in the AFL six times . In 1962 he was elected MVP of the season, in 1968 the MVP of the AFL All Star Games and in 1969 the Super Bowl MVP of Super Bowl IV. His shirt number 16 is no longer given by the chiefs of whose hall of fame he is a member. In 1970 he was inducted into the American Football League All-Time Team , in 1973 he received the NFL Man of the Year Award , and in 1987 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
After the career
Dawson is still employed by the Chiefs today and moderates their games on the club's own radio station .
Web links
source
- Jens Plassmann: NFL - American Football. The game, the stars, the stories (= Rororo 9445 rororo Sport ). Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-19445-7 .
| personal data | |
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| SURNAME | Dawson, Len |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dawson, Leonard Ray (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 20, 1935 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Alliance , Ohio , United States |