Former Steelers QB Len Dawson Dies at 87

Former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson died at the age of 87, the Kansas City Chiefs announced on Wednesday.

Dawson, a native of Northeast Ohio, was the Steelers’ first-round draft pick out of Purdue in 1957. He played in 19 games over three seasons with the Steelers, but was used sparingly as a passer, stuck behind fellow future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne on the Pittsburgh depth chart.

The Steelers traded Dawson to the Cleveland Browns in 1959, but it wasn’t until he caught on with the Dallas Texans of the American Football League in 1962 that Dawson found success. The team moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs in 1963.

Dawson was the team’s primary starting quarterback from 1962 to 1975, winning FL titles in 1962, 1966 and 1969 and Super Bowl IV in 1970. He was NFL Man of the Year in 1973, a Pro Bowler in 1971, a six-time AFL All-Star and a four-time All-AFL selection.

After his playing days, Dawson works as a broadcaster for NBC’s NFL coverage, along with HBO’s Inside the NFL and for KMBC-TV in Kansas City. He is a member of the Purdue, Kansas City and Pro Football halls of fame, and was enshrined in Canton, Ohio in 1957.