Kansas City Chiefs’ current glory years were once years of struggle.
Founded in 1959, the franchise began as the Dallas Texans. It wasn’t until 1963 that their name became the Kansas City Chiefs, which it remains to this day.
The first Super Bowl in KC history was won in 1969 under quarterback Len Dawson.
He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall Of Fame in 1979.
Dawson is one of several players who have made their mark on the team’s legacy, even if not all of them have won a ring.
Marcus Allen, one of the best short-yard runners in the NFL
Marcus Allen played for the Kansas City Chiefs as running back from 1993 to 1997. He was primarily known for his time with the Los Angeles Raiders, where he began his career and achieved great success, including winning the Super Bowl XVIII MVP award.
Allen is celebrated for his prowess as one of the NFL’s top short-yard runners. Throughout his career, he demonstrated remarkable skill and determination in crucial situations near the goal line and on pivotal third-down plays.
When he joined the Chiefs in 1993, he brought with him a wealth of experience and a distinguished reputation from his years with the Raiders.
Marcus played a pivotal role in leading the KC to the playoffs during his tenure with the team. His on-field performance were instrumental in the Chiefs’ success during the mid-1990s.
During his tenure, the franchise made three playoff appearances: in 1993, 1994, and 1995.
The former player was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003 in recognition of his outstanding career as a RB.
Allen was very well supported by the Chiefs fans in the 90s
At the American Century Championship event, the former NFL player relived his stint with the Chiefs.
Allen recalled with nostalgia the reception from the Kansas City fans when he joined the team: “They accepted me immediately,” said.
He mentioned other teammates who made the journey worthwhile.
“Going out and playing hard certainly helps that, right? Also, playing the game the right way, hard and as tough as possible, and keeping it simple, the fan base was incredible. And then to play alongside some great players like Joe Montana and Derrick Thomas, John Alt, and Kimble Anders, and just several guys I played with. I remember getting so close on a couple of occasions but not being able to finish there.”
Marcus flashed back to moments in the game when KC came close.
“Those were the high points, just being involved and playing those games no one else thought we could win. And then there were some games we obviously let get away from us, which we should have won,” noted. “And then I think about the Hunt family and just how gracious they are, and just provided a great opportunity for the players to succeed there.”
The presence of Marcus Allen awakened a thirst in the KC fanbase at the time
The mid-90s Chiefs didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, but they were still a strong, winning team.
A lot of that was down to Allen: “We brought back the love and interest in the fire amongst the fans. 1993 was amazing,” claimed.
“We went all the way to the AFC Championship game. Unfortunately, we lost that game. If Joe doesn’t get knocked out of that game, I think we go in and beat Buffalo [Bills], which is one of the hardest things to do in Buffalo.”
At the event, the 64-year-old former player spoke about the powerful franchise that the Chiefs have become and revealed that he believes part of this is due to the fact that a lot of the mentality has changed in the era in which he was involved.
“The city was great. It was an incredible five years for me. I know they’re experiencing great success now, and rightfully so. They should get all the credit. But I do feel like, yeah, we early on. I think we sort of changed the dynamic there. That’s at least what I was told by a lot of people, you know, a lot of fans there and stuff like that.”