These four Chiefs legends moved one step closer to Hall of Fame election on Thursday

Four of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most legendary players and administrators — Albert Lewis, Otis Taylor, Lloyd Wells, and Marty Schottenheimer — advanced their bids for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

News of their achievement broke on Thursday afternoon following the Hall of Fame’s announcement of semifinalists.

Each of these outstanding Chiefs left an indelible mark on Kansas City’s beloved football franchise, and their accomplishments merit further consideration by the organization’s selection committee.

Take a look at the case for each of these legends as they advance within the selection’s semi-finals:

CB Albert Lewis

Lewis is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame and was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection in consecutive seasons from 1989 to 1990. He was selected for the Pro Bowl for four-consecutive seasons from 1987 through 1990 before ending his career with the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders in the mid-90s.

His candidacy hinges on these accolades and the impressive production that he achieved in his prime. Lewis tallied 38 of his 42 career interceptions in a Chiefs uniform and turned into a remarkably good pass rusher late in his career, notching sacks in each of his last five seasons.

WR Otis Taylor

Otis Taylor has everything that a selection committee could want from a Hall of Fame player. He won three league championships —  two in the AFL, and one Super Bowl — was picked as a first-team All-Pro in his 29 and 30-year-old seasons, and is also a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.

Add to that his production as a receiver in a league dominated by the running game, and Taylor turns into a player who should be considered among the best at his position in the pre-modern era. He co-led the AFL in receiving touchdowns in 1967 and led the NFL in receiving yardage in 1971.

Scout Lloyd Wells

The above picture is of Chiefs Hall of Fame defensive lineman Buck Buchanan, who was recruited to Kansas City by legendary scout and social trailblazer Lloyd Wells. A champion of the Civil Rights Movement, Wells played an integral part in the Chiefs’ early NFL success after the league merger in the late-60s.

In a time when African Americans were faced with discrimination when trying to get jobs in front offices, Wells persevered, eventually becoming the first full-time black scout and one of the most valuable assets that the franchise ever had.

Outside his role as an icon during the Civil Rights Movement, Lloyd recruited legendary talent that altered the Chiefs’ trajectory for all time. Over the years, he managed to obtain the services of the aforementioned Taylor and Buchanan, as well as Chiefs Hall of Famers Willie Lanier, and Emmitt Thomas. Without his help and the social change he worked to create in Kansas City, the Chiefs would have been severely less successful in their NFL infancy.

Head coach Marty Schottenheimer

Schottenheimer defined what being a successful head coach meant to Chiefs fans before the arrival of Andy Reid in 2013. His gritty win-at-all-costs mentality was emblematic of Kansas City’s blue-collar identity, and his gruff demeanor and no-nonsense coaching style were iconic pieces of a bygone era of football.

Schottenheimer’s record in Kansas City ended at 101-58, which is all the more impressive given that he managed to win 99 more games elsewhere during stints in Cleveland, Washington, and San Diego. The Hall’s voters would be remiss to not elect Schottenheimer, given the outsized role he played in more than 20 years of NFL history.

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Story originally appeared on Chiefs Wire