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The Kansas City Chiefs

Founded by Lamar Hunt, youngest son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, the Dallas Texans were a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. Hunt offered the head coaching position to legendary college coach Bud Wilkinson and New York Giants defensive coordinator Tom Landry but after both men declined the opportunity, Hunt turned to Hank Stram, an assistant at the University of Miami, who accepted the job.

Playing their first two seasons in the Cotton Bowl, the Texans compiled a 14-14 won-loss mark. In their third season however, Dallas went 11-3 and faced the Houston Oilers in the AFL Championship game. In what at the time was the longest game in professional football history (77 min. 54 sec.), Dallas defeated Houston in two overtimes, 20-17.

Prior to the 1963-64 season, due to competition for fan support and ticket sales with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, Hunt relocated the franchise to Kansas City and renamed the team the Kansas City Chiefs. Building off of their 1963 championship, the Chiefs became one of the AFL's dominant teams, winning two more titles before the merger between the AFL and NFL in 1970. They represented the AFL in the inaugural AFL-NFL World Championship Game versus the Green Bay Packers, losing 35-10, but gained a large measure of respect both for themselves and their league.

Kansas City returned to the World Championship Game (now called the Super Bowl) following the 1969 season. Despite being 12 1/2 point underdogs to the powerful Minnesota Vikings, the Chiefs, led by QB Len Dawson, pulled off the upset, 23-7 and were crowned world champions, as to date, their only Super Bowl victory.

Upon entering the new NFL, Kansas City still continued to enjoy a measure of success on the field, but found the postseason difficult. After a succession of losing seasons, Stram was let go after the 1974 season, and for a 14-year period, the Chiefs were among the worst teams overall in the league.

Their fortunes began an upswing starting with the 1988 and 1989 NFL Drafts with their selections of DE Neil Smith and LB Derrick Thomas, who both became perennial All-Pro's. With those two anchoring one of the league's toughest defenses, Kansas City made the playoffs six consecutive seasons.

With future Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana obtained late in his career, the Chiefs enjoyed their best overall season in over two decades in 1993, going 11-5 and facing Buffalo in the AFC Championship game, losing 30-13.

In the ensuing seventeen NFL seasons, Kansas City has been an up-and-down team, reaching the postseason on six occasions, but losing their first round game in every appearance. The 2010 edition, however, surprised many by winning the AFC's Western Division and reaching the playoffs under second-year head coach Todd Haley.

There have been ten inductees into the NFL Hall of Fame who represented the Chiefs, including owner Lamar Hunt and Head Coach Hank Stram. The eight players enshrined in Canton, Ohio are: Marcus Allen, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Jan Stenerud, Emmitt Smith and Derrick Thomas. In addition, the organization has retired a total of nine uniform numbers, including Bell, Buchanan, Dawson, Lanier, and both Derrick and Emmitt Thomas.

In the 49-year history of the franchise, the Chiefs have an overall won-lost mark (including postseason) of 403-378-12. The Super Bowl IV (1969) upset over Minnesota continues to be the organization's high-water mark.