The team is owned by Lamar Hunt, who founded the team along with their original league, the American Football League, in 1960. The Dallas Texans, as they were known then, defeated the Houston Oilers in a dramatic 1962 AFL championship which went into double overtime. The Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City in 1963. The name, "Chiefs" was selected by a fan contest, and is derived from the then Mayor of Kansas City, who was highly involved in persuading Hunt to move from Dallas to K.C. It is rumoured - though unconfirmed - that Hunt actually considered keeping the team name as it was, and playing as the "Kansas City Texans."
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, playing in the first Super Bowl, and in the last to be played between League champions. The Texans won the classic 1962 double-overtime AFL championship game against the Houston Oilers, 20 - 17, at the time the longest, and still one of the best professional football championship games ever played. The Chiefs dropped the first Super Bowl to the Packers, then pulverized the Vikings 23 - 7 in the final "true" AFL-NFL World Championsip game after the AFL's last season in 1969. They have the largest presence in the American Football League Hall of Fame, with 24 representatives, and they had just one coach throughout their AFL history, Hall-of-Famer Hank Stram.
The Kansas City Chiefs' (under Dallas Texans name) first stadium was at 22nd and Brooklyn, called "Municipal Stadium". Municipal Stadium opened in 1923 and had 49,002 seats. In 1971, Municipal Stadium was abandoned in favor of the new Arrowhead Stadium. Municipal Stadium was demolished in 1976; it is now a community garden. The Chiefs' first game at Arrowhead Stadium was against the St. Louis Cardinals (Chiefs 24, St. Louis Cardinals 14).
As the Chiefs, under coach Hank Stram, the team played in the first Super Bowl, losing 35-10 to Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. They earned revenge three years later, upsetting the Minnesota Vikings 23-7. The team won 43 games between 1966 and 1969. The Chiefs had only two winning seasons between 1974 and 1986. They did not get to the playoffs for 15 straight years.
In 1989, Carl Peterson became the team's new President and General Manager. Peterson hired Marty Schottenheimer as the team's coach. Marty Schottenheimer helped establish six straight playoff appearances, three AFC West championships, nine winning seasons, and 76 consecutive soldout games at Arrowhead. Since 1992, no NFL team has a better regular season home winning percentage than Kansas City (27-5 (.844) record).
On October 20, 2003, the Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders (17-10) in a shootout, winning their seventh straight game, which tied a franchise record for consecutive victories. On October 26, 2003, the Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills (38-5), winning their eight straight game. On November 9, 2003, the Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns (41-20), winnning their ninth straight game which sets a new franchise record for consecutive victories.
Bobby Bell (inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame [July 30, 1983]; Kansas City Chief 1963 and 1974; linebacker)
Buck Buchanan (First player taken in 1963 American Football League Draft; NAIA All-America in 1962; lineman.)
Len Dawson (Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1978; Pro Football Hall in 1987; 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].)
Willie "Contact" Lanier (Second Chief selected to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; 1969 Super Bowl IV Champion; Outside linebacker.)
Jan Stenerud (placekicker; only pure kicker in the Hall of Fame; 19-year career; consecutive games played 186; 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 (Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs couch won three AFL titles; 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.)
Lamar Hunt (Started American Football League that was the genesis of modern professional football)
Marcus Allen (scored the 100th rushing touchdown of his career as a Chief; Inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame as a Chiefs; received his ring on November 9, 2003)
Joe Montana (led two come-from-behind wins in the 1993 playoffs and in 1994 he outduels Elway as a Chief )
1971 Mack Lee Hill, Running Back
1972 Jerry Mays, Defensive Tackle
1973 Fred Arbanas, Tight End
1974 Johnny Robinson, Safety
1975 Chris Burford, Receiver
1976 E.J. Holub, Center/Linebacker
1977 Jim Tyrer, Offensive Tackle
1978 Mike Garrett, Running Back
1979 Len Dawson, Quarterback
1980s
1980 Bobby Bell, Linebacker
1981 Buck Buchanan, Defensive Tackle
1982 Otis Taylor, Wide Receiver
1983 No induction
1984 Ed Budde, Guard
1985 Willie Lanier, Linebacker
1986 Emmitt Thomas, Cornerback
1987 Hank Stram, Coach
1988 Jerrel Wilson, Punter
1989 Jim Lynch, Linebacker
1991 Abner Haynes, Running Back
1992 Jan Stenerud, Kicker
1993 Sherrill Headrick, Linebacker
1994 Jack Rudnay, Center
1995 Ed Budde (14 years as a Chief, member of the All-time AFL team, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Chris Burford (391 Pass Receptions, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Deron Cherry (50 interceptions; 15 career fumble recoveries; Byron White Humanitarian Award for service to his team, community, and country)
Abner Haynes (1960 Rookie of the Year and MVP. All-time AFL leader in all-purpose yards with 12,065, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Sherrill "Psycho" Headrick (Texan and Chief linebacker that withstood pain and injury when he played with a fractured neck vertebrae. Headrick played the entire game and the next game. Headrick is a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
E.J. Holub (started the first world championship game between the AFL and NFL (before it was called the Super Bowl) at linebacker and started Super Bowl IV, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Bobby Hunt (1962 [Dallas Texans] - 1967 [Kansas City Chiefs]; Defensive Back, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Curtis McClinton (scored a touchdown in Super Bowl I)
Christian Okoye (Nigerian; omitted from his Country's Olympic team in track and field; drafted in 1987 by the Chiefs in the second round; Chiefs rushing records, including total yards in a season, attempts in a season, touchdowns in a season, attempts in a single game, 100-yard games in a season, and was the first Chiefs running back to rush for 1,000 yards for more than one season.)
Johnny Robinson (In Super Bowl IV, helped defeat the Vikings, 23-7, picking off a Joe Kapp pass). A member of the All-time All-AFL team, one of only twenty players who were in the American Football League for its entire ten-year existence, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Otis Taylor (46-yard touchdown reception in Super Bowl IV, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Derrick Thomas (school record with 52 quarterback sacks and 74 tackles behind the line of scrimmage; Finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting; Kansas City Chief for eleven years; team career records: 119.5 sacks , 3 safeties and 18 fumble recoveries. Died in a car accident in 2000)
Jim Tyrer (Tackle 1969 Super Bowl IV Champion; 6-foot-6, 270 pound Tackle would take on two defensive linemen at once. Tyrer is a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
Jerrell Wilson (Punter 1963-77; Chiefs Hall of Fame 1987, and a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.)
