Len Dawson, the Hall of Fame quarterback who spent his first five pro football seasons as a seldom-used backup but went on to take Kansas City to its first Super Bowl championship, died on Wednesday. He was 87.
His death was announced by his family in a statement. Dawson had recently entered hospice care at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
Dawson, who played professionally for 19 seasons, 13 of them in Kansas City, was known as Lenny the Cool. A slender 6 foot 1 and 190 pounds, on the smallish side even for his era, he played with little visible emotion.