1969 Kansas City Chiefs Yearbook: Super Chiefs, Super Champions (1080p/60fps)

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:07]It all began with coach Hank Stram's [music] training grind, which had the Chiefs supremely fit for the season's opener in sunny San Diego.

[00:00:19]As usual, the Chiefs defense swarmed all over the [music] Chargers. And as usual, their favorite target was quarterback John Hadl.

[00:00:30]Hadl was forced into four interceptions, two by Johnny Robinson.

[00:00:36]Despite a painfully swollen passing hand, Len Dawson threw [music] two touchdown passes to Otis Taylor as the Chiefs swept past the Chargers 27 to 9.

[00:00:51]The following week in Boston, Len Dawson rolled, sprinted, and passed the Patriots into submission, 31 to nothing.

[00:01:04]Len Dawson is the complete quarterback, a picture-book quarterback, the AFL's all-time leading passer, a durable leader who'd missed only three games in nine years.

[00:01:17]And then suddenly, it was over. A torn ligament in his left knee twisted Len Dawson's future into a question mark.

[00:01:28]>> [music] >> Quarterback Jackie Lee led the Chiefs to an early lead the next week in Cincinnati, but then Lee broke an ankle, and it was the Bengals who made the big plays.

[00:01:54]The Bengals won 24 to 19, and the Chiefs left Cincinnati in third place and without their top two quarterbacks.

[00:02:07]The next week, the Chiefs hobbled into Denver. The starting quarterback position had passed to a young man named Mike Livingston who had never before started a pro game. For three periods, two rugged teams slugged it out in a swamp.

[00:02:24]>> [music] >> Finally, a perfect sweep sprung newly acquired Warren McVea and Hank Stram had found a new way to win.

[00:02:33]>> [music] >> Then came the home opener against the indoor Oilers.

[00:02:38]The opening handshake was the last sane event of the day.

[00:02:45]>> [music] [music] >> From now on, the record book will read most fumbles, game, Kansas City, 10.

[00:03:14]The following week against Miami, Mike Livingston led the Chiefs to their third straight victory with his first 300-yard passing day, including the longest play from scrimmage of the pro season, 93 yards to Otis Taylor who pulled a muscle but was rescued by Robert Holmes.

[00:03:38]Then the largest crowd in Kansas City history came to see if Livingston could continue his startling success against Cincinnati.

[00:03:48]Livingston overcame his errors of inexperience and threw three touchdown passes. One to Gloster Richardson, one to Mike Garrett, and one to Robert Holmes, who does everything within his power to make every play [music] a touchdown.

[00:04:16]The crusher was applied by former Bengal Warren McVea, who scurried 80 torturous yards to a touchdown as the injury-riddled Chiefs closed the first half of the season by avenging their only defeat.

[00:04:40]The second half of the season began in Buffalo, where the famous O.J. Simpson got his first look at the famous Kansas City defense.

[00:04:49]Even more of the target was quarterback Dan Darragh. The front four dumped him nine times for more than 90 yards in losses as the Chiefs racked up their fifth straight victory, 29 to seven.

[00:05:05]Back home, another record crowd saw Warren McVea's left hand knock out the Chargers as the Chiefs rolled to their sixth straight win.

[00:05:16]>> [music] >> Joe Namath and the world champion Jets had also won six straight, and the largest crowd in AFL history jammed New York Shea Stadium to see Super Joe shoot holes through the Chiefs' bulletproof defense.

[00:05:34]Sometimes he succeeded.

[00:05:37]More often, he did not.

[00:05:44]The other quarterback that day was a man named Dawson, who was ready to test [music] himself against the Jets top pass rush.

[00:06:00]Dawson [music] avoided the pressure long enough to throw three touchdown passes to Otis Taylor.

[00:06:22]The Chiefs had won their seventh straight 34 [music] to 16, and a national audience finally recognized that the Kansas City Chiefs were for real.

[00:06:38]Another record crowd welcomed their conquering heroes, who in turn welcomed the Oakland Raiders.

[00:06:46]The Chiefs offense [music] kept rolling as it had the previous week in New York.

[00:06:56]Len Dawson continued to throw touchdown passes. One more sailed to Otis Taylor.

[00:07:03]Still another to Frank Pitts, but the rest of the day was a nightmare revisited.

[00:07:09]>> [music] [music] >> The Raiders literally stole the game 27 to 24.

[00:07:28]>> [music] >> On Thanksgiving Day against Denver, [music] Len Dawson's knee was re-injured slightly, and the offense was having its problems.

[00:07:52]The defense saved the day. Emmitt Thomas intercepted and flashed 47 yards to a touchdown.

[00:08:04]With time running out, Denver trailed by only a touchdown. Coach Lou Saban called for an onside kick.

[00:08:12]But all-pro linebacker Bobby Bell was ready.

[00:08:23]Bell's touchdown wrapped up the Chiefs 19th win in 20 games against the Broncos.

[00:08:36]O.J. Simpson had [music] a second look at the Kansas City defense in the Chiefs final home game.

[00:08:43]This time, Jack Kemp was Buffalo's quarterback with a problem.

[00:08:53]Late in the game, O.J. finally broke loose and tied [music] the score.

[00:09:01]But placekicker [music] Jan Stenerud kicked five consecutive field goals, which not only won the game, but set an [music] all-time pro record of 16 straight without a miss.

[00:09:14]The regular season ended in Oakland.

[00:09:16]>> [music] >> Each team scored only one touchdown.

[00:09:22]For the Raiders, [music] it was enough to defeat the Chiefs for the seventh time in eight games.

[00:09:35]Hank Stram became the winningest coach of the winningest team in AFL history because of an irrepressible drive to find a way to win.

[00:09:44]He built a team of infinite variety.

[00:09:47]From its opportunistic special teams to the longest and most accurate place kicker in football.

[00:09:53]>> [music] >> He built a defense which led the league in virtually every category. Number 75, [music] Jerry Mays, was voted the AFL's all-time best defensive end.

[00:10:11]>> [music] >> Number 87, Aaron Brown, became one of the strongest [music] defensive ends in the game.

[00:10:26]Middle linebacker, Willie Lanier, number 63, [music] is one of the best at getting to the ball, playing off the block, and then punishing the ball carrier.

[00:10:38]Number 51, Jim Lynch, is one of the most mobile linebackers [music] in football.

[00:10:50]Bobby Bell [music] was voted the AFL's all-time best outside linebacker. He is a collision looking for a place to happen.

[00:11:08]The Chiefs secondary [music] has always had tough hitters.

[00:11:18]Rookie cornerback, Jim Marsalis, stepped right in.

[00:11:24]The Chiefs grabbed 32 interceptions, the most in pro football.

[00:11:32]Johnny Robinson, number 42, the AFL's all-time [music] best safety man, had eight interceptions, second best in the league.

[00:11:42]Number 18, Emmitt Thomas, led the league with nine.

[00:11:53]Jim Kearney, number 46, became one of football's strongest strong safeties.

[00:11:58]Smart, aggressive, fast, he always seemed to be making good things happen for the Chiefs. He is the valuable but unsung kind of player every championship team must have.

[00:12:10]>> [music] >> Hank Stram's revolutionary offense has caused pro defenses [music] many anxious moments.

[00:12:34]Sometimes it really helps to have a quarterback who can run.

[00:12:42]Usually, however, the big five, Tyrer, Hill, Buddy, Warman, and Holub facilitated the more noticeable parts of the game like the forward pass.

[00:12:54]One of the more noticeable Chiefs was number 84, Fred Arbanas, the AFL's all-time best tight end.

[00:13:05]More often, the ball was thrown to a sticky-fingered wide receiver like Gloster Richardson, number 30.

[00:13:13]Or number 25, Frank Pitts, one of the swiftest runners in pro football.

[00:13:30]>> And of course, Otis Taylor, the game breaker.

[00:13:52]As usual, the Chiefs led the league in rushing.

[00:13:55]Number 38, Wendell Hayes, was the battering ram.

[00:14:06]And then there were the many backs.

[00:14:08]Number six, [music] Warren "Motor Mouth" McVea. Number 45, Robert "The Tank" Holmes. And number 21, "Marvelous" Mike Garrett. They're only 5 ft 9 in tall, but they are among the game's most scintillating performers.

[00:14:42]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> December 20th, in the cold, blustery Shea Stadium, the AFL playoffs were underway. In the fourth quarter, a New York field goal tied the score after the Jets been stopped three times from the Kansas [music] City one. On first down, Matt Snell had gained only 1/2 yd.

[00:15:39]On second down, Bill Mathis [music] had been stopped cold for no gain.

[00:15:46]On third down, Namath had rolled right and three Chiefs had crushed him.

[00:15:53]>> [music] >> Then suddenly, Len Dawson and Otis Taylor turned the game around with a 61-yd explosion [music] to the Jets 19-yd line.

[00:16:22]On the very next play, Dawson hit Gloster Richardson for the game's only touchdown.

[00:16:28]With time running out, Joe Namath faded a pass. The ball sailed straight for Bake Turner in the end zone, but Jim Marcellus leaped and grabbed his second interception and the Jets reign as world champions [music] was near its end.

[00:16:49]With less than a minute to play, the Chiefs punted and the Jets had one final chance.

[00:17:04]Suddenly, the only obstacle between the Chiefs and the Super Bowl was a team called the Oakland Raiders.

[00:17:12]The last AFL Championship game, the old nemesis, Oakland.

[00:17:18]Seven losses in eight games.

[00:17:21]Len Dawson tried to surprise the Raiders by throwing long to Otis Taylor.

[00:17:28]Nothing seemed to work.

[00:17:30]In the third quarter, Robert Holmes was nearly trapped for a safety.

[00:17:36]Third down from the two.

[00:17:38]Again, Len Dawson tried to surprise the Raiders by throwing long to Otis Taylor.

[00:17:46]>> [music] >> Suddenly, a 14 to 7 lead, and everything was up to the defense.

[00:18:29]Three times in the fourth quarter, a weird [music] turnover set up Daryle Lamonica within striking distance. And three times in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs intercepted Lamonica.

[00:18:44]The final turnover occurred when Emmitt [music] Thomas grabbed his second interception and took off for the Raider goal.

[00:18:53]>> [music] >> Thomas's [music] 62-yard dash set up Jan Stenerud's clinching field goal, and the Chiefs had finally beaten the Raiders and had won their way to the Super Bowl.

[00:19:13]>> [music] >> The Chiefs had played in the first Super Bowl game 3 years before, [music] and memories of that day still lingered.

[00:19:24]Memories of that beautiful, hopeful day in Los Angeles when Hank Stram's Chiefs met Vince Lombardi's Packers, the universally acclaimed team of the decade.

[00:19:35]But this time would be different as Joe Kapp and the Minnesota Vikings soon discovered.

[00:19:42]>> [music] [music] >> A decade of Green Bay Packer domination had long since ended. A new era had indisputably arrived.

[00:20:17]>> [music] [music] >> The Green Bay Packers may have been pro football's team of the '60s, but coach Hank Stram's Kansas City Chiefs had become pro football's undisputed team of the '70s.

[00:20:58]>> [music] [music] >> Oh.