WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A pioneer of the Cradle of Quarterbacks, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and an expert in the broadcast booth, Len Dawson lived an extraordinary life. Dawson, a football legend, passed away Wednesday morning (Aug. 24) at the age of 87.
Dawson was Purdue's starting quarterback for three seasons (1954-56), earning All-Big Ten accolades and leading the conference in passing and total offense all three years. He threw for 3,325 yards and 29 touchdowns over his Boilermaker career, both school records at the time.
Dawson was an immediate success with the Boilermakers, tossing four touchdowns in a 31-0 shutout over Missouri on Sept. 25, 1954. For an encore, Dawson's precision passing led to a 27-14 upset over No. 1 Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium one week later. Dawson torched the Fighting Irish secondary for 213 passing yards and four touchdowns on just 12 passes. When the 1954 season came to a close, the First Team All-Big Ten quarterback led the nation in passing efficiency (145.8) and touchdown passes (15).
Along with his success on the field, Dawson was an academic standout. In 1956, he became Purdue Football's first Academic All-American while also earning Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the fifth overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, Dawson became one of the greatest passers in pro football history.
After five seasons between the Steelers and Cleveland Browns during that span, primarily as a backup quarterback, Dawson needed a fresh start to rejuvenate his career. The Dallas Texans of the upstart American Football League took a chance on Dawson in 1962, and the team reaped immediate dividends. Dawson rewarded their faith by guiding the Texans to an AFL Championship in 1962. He led the league in completion percentage (.610), touchdown passes (29) and passer rating (98.3) that season.
The Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963, and Dawson led the Chiefs to AFL dominance for the rest of the decade, including appearances in Super Bowls I and IV. In Super Bowl IV, Dawson completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown en route to a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
Dawson finished his NFL career with 28,711 passing yards and 239 touchdown passes and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
Following his outstanding playing career, Dawson remained entrenched in the game of football as a broadcaster. He became an analyst for NBC and also hosted HBO's "Inside the NFL" for 25 years. Dawson also spent time as the radio analyst for Chiefs games. In 2012, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame once again, this time as a broadcaster.
Dawson was Purdue's starting quarterback for three seasons (1954-56), earning All-Big Ten accolades and leading the conference in passing and total offense all three years. He threw for 3,325 yards and 29 touchdowns over his Boilermaker career, both school records at the time.
Dawson was an immediate success with the Boilermakers, tossing four touchdowns in a 31-0 shutout over Missouri on Sept. 25, 1954. For an encore, Dawson's precision passing led to a 27-14 upset over No. 1 Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium one week later. Dawson torched the Fighting Irish secondary for 213 passing yards and four touchdowns on just 12 passes. When the 1954 season came to a close, the First Team All-Big Ten quarterback led the nation in passing efficiency (145.8) and touchdown passes (15).
Along with his success on the field, Dawson was an academic standout. In 1956, he became Purdue Football's first Academic All-American while also earning Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the fifth overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, Dawson became one of the greatest passers in pro football history.
After five seasons between the Steelers and Cleveland Browns during that span, primarily as a backup quarterback, Dawson needed a fresh start to rejuvenate his career. The Dallas Texans of the upstart American Football League took a chance on Dawson in 1962, and the team reaped immediate dividends. Dawson rewarded their faith by guiding the Texans to an AFL Championship in 1962. He led the league in completion percentage (.610), touchdown passes (29) and passer rating (98.3) that season.
The Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963, and Dawson led the Chiefs to AFL dominance for the rest of the decade, including appearances in Super Bowls I and IV. In Super Bowl IV, Dawson completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown en route to a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
Dawson finished his NFL career with 28,711 passing yards and 239 touchdown passes and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
Following his outstanding playing career, Dawson remained entrenched in the game of football as a broadcaster. He became an analyst for NBC and also hosted HBO's "Inside the NFL" for 25 years. Dawson also spent time as the radio analyst for Chiefs games. In 2012, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame once again, this time as a broadcaster.