Hall of Fame Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson dies at 87

Whether it was in the huddle during the early days of the NFL or behind the microphone as the league grew into the behemoth it is today, Len Dawson carried himself with an unmistakable swagger and self-assurance that earned him the well-worn nickname "Lenny the Cool."

He was a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl championship and a Hall of Fame broadcaster who brought football into the homes of millions on the iconic HBO show "Inside the NFL."

"He was so far advanced in his time," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes once said. "One of the best to ever do it."

Dawson's family announced his death Wednesday at the age of 87. No cause was given, though Dawson had had prostate cancer and quadruple heart bypass surgery over the years. He had been in hospice care since Aug. 12.

"With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson," his family said in a statement issued by KMBC, the Kansas City-based TV station where Dawson spent his second career as a sports broadcaster. "He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers."

Dawson was the MVP of the Chiefs' 23-7 Super Bowl victory over the Minnesota Vikings in January 1970, and he went on to set numerous franchise records that only now Mahomes is starting to surpass. He was enshrined in Canton as a player in 1987, then received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

"Len Dawson is synonymous with the Kansas City Chiefs," owner Clark Hunt said in a statement. "Len embraced and came to embody Kansas City