KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Friends and colleagues paid their respects Friday morning during funeral services for the late Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson.
Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt was among the speakers memorializing Dawson during Friday's service.
Others who spoke included several colleagues from KMBC-TV, where Dawson was a long-time sports director.
In addition to his football and television career, Dawson was the long-time color commentator on the Chiefs Radio Network.
Dan Israel, a producer with the Chiefs Radio Network, remembered Dawson Friday.
"If Len Dawson's life is judged by those he had an impact to, then Len Dawson's life was truly legendary," Israel said.
Bobby Bell, Pro football Hall of Famer and former teammate of Dawson on the Chiefs, described Dawson as a "great human being and a great friend."
"In 60 years, we changed from strangers to brothers," Bell said. "He will be missed. I will be joining him, and we'll be playing ball again later."
Memorial services took place at Country Club Christian Church. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department shut down northbound lanes of Ward Parkway between 63rd Street and about 60th Street from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Other streets surrounding the church were also be closed.
Officers encourage drivers to detour by using nearby northbound roads like State Line, Wornall or Brookside Boulevard.
Dawson died Aug. 24 at the age of 87. He was the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1962 to 1975.
He was selected MVP of Super Bowl IV, which the Chiefs won, and earned multiple Hall of Fame inductions for his football and broadcasting careers.
In the weeks since his death, many friends, teammates and co-workers have highlighted what made Dawson so popular. Words like authentic, leader, competitive, funny, poised and heroic have come up time and time again.
Dawson’s wife, Linda, requests donations be made in her late husband’s memory to The University of Kansas Health System for nursing scholarships in lieu of flowers, according to an online obituary.
Donations can be mailed to Fund Development; 2330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 305; Westwood, KS 66205 and also can be made online.
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