Len Dawson and his iconic Cigaretter picture. Who was Len Dawson?
Retired Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson suddenly passed away on Wednesday at the age of 87. The quarterback gave his sports services to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and the Chiefs over a 19-year spaned career in the NFL.
He is most famous for one of the most legendary photos ever taken during a landmark NFL game. In fact, that game was the first Super Bowl – Super Bowl 1.
Len Dawson drank a beer and smoked a cigarette when super bowl began:
The Chiefs quarterback was captured by photographer Bill Ray of LIFE magazine and he was captured doing one of the coolest things of all time in sports. He was smoking a cigarette in the locker room during halftime of the Super Bowl and that is when the pictures were clicked.
Back then, this was normal as it was usual practice to see a player with a cigarette or alcohol. But now the world has changed, it takes on a whole new meaning.
The Chiefs were down 14-10, so he sat on a chair, lit a cigarette, and drank a nice cold beer to prepare for the second half.
In today’s NFL world, players train every day, they are fit, strong, and adhere to a disciplined lifestyle.
The scenario of a player like Tom Brady sitting down at halftime of a Buccaneer’s game smoking is unreal. But that’s exactly what Dawson did.
Len Dawson became a hall of famer:
Len Dawson only started one game in his first three seasons in Steel City. He then found Cleveland and did not have a great career as he started just once in two years (which was a win).
But his world changed when he joined the Dallas Texans. He started 14 games and had an 11-3 record as he threw 29 touchdowns to just 17 interceptions and was named an All-Pro. The Texans then became the Chiefs.
Dawson was also a Pro Football Hall of Fame which is a rare achievement
Everyone at Sportskeeda sends their love and prayers to Len Dawson’s family and friends at this difficult time.
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