Hall of Famer Willie Lanier reflects on the late Len Dawson’s Super Bowl IV run with the Chiefs
Willie Lanier served up quite the history lesson when asked to share an anecdote that summed up the essence of Len Dawson.
“I think it was the confidence that the team in ’69 had in who he was,” Lanier, the Hall of Fame middle linebacker, told USA TODAY Sports. Dawson, the former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, will be laid to rest on Sept. 16 after passing away on Wednesday at 87.
Of course, that 1969 team Lanier referenced was a special cast that captured a Super Bowl IV crown behind the AFL’s best defense and its ultra-composed field general.
Early in the campaign, though, it may have seemed like the season would go up in flames. In Week 2, Dawson suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for six games.
“To not undergo surgery, which would have ended his career, left our team with the hope that he had to get back to be the engineer to go on a playoff run and go after a Super Bowl,” Lanier said. “You had to have someone who had experience.”
After Dawson’s backup, Jaky Lee, suffered a season-ending broken ankle in his first start, the Chiefs had to roll with young, unproven third-stringer Mike Livingston.
“And with that, it was a full commitment defensively that you had to keep the score close on everybody because the rookie would not have the ability to bring you back in any circumstance,” Lanier reflected. “If you were going to win the whole thing, you were going to have to have the veteran guy back in his position. With that belief in the process, he did just that. He (regained) his health, took the position and ended up taking on the rest of the playoff run.”
LEN DAWSON: Chiefs' Hall of Fame QB and broadcaster, dies at 87
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Dawson came off the bench to spark a comeback victory in his first game back from the injury, then led the way to road victories against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders that helped seal a playoff berth that allowed the Chiefs to become the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl.
At the end of that campaign, Dawson was named Super Bowl MVP – at a time when a quarterback could complete 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and win MVP honors. He ran Hank Stram’s offense, with its “moving pocket,” to a tee. And his Hall of Fame credentials are underscored by his four AFL passing titles and the eight times that he led that league in completion percentage.
Yet it was the unflappable persona, particularly in crunch time, that Lanier remembers most as it bolstered the confidence of the entire team.
“A calm demeanor,” described Lanier. “One that was never rattled. One that was confident that he could bring it back like any of the top-notch guys in the sport over time. He had the ability to manage men and expect and demand respect, and have the outcome show it.”
Lanier, who lives in Richmond, Virginia, was back in Kansas City this week mourning another loss from his Chiefs family. Last month, it was linebacker mate Jim Lynch. Earlier this summer, Bobby Bell’s wife, Pamela, passed away. Now Dawson, who made a sterling mark after his playing career as a broadcaster.
“To have Len pass, it just acknowledges the timeline,” said Lanier, 77. “That’s the reality of life and the stage we happen to be in. These calls are coming more and more.”
Yet it also seems apparent that the appreciation that Lanier carries certainly stands the test of time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Willie Lanier, Hall of Fame linebacker, reflects on Len Dawson
