Willie Lanier revolutionizes the linebacker position with his ferocious tackling and historic leadership on the gridiron.
WILLIE LANIER
Football Bio
August 21, 1945 – Clover, Virginia – Willie Lanier, the All-Star linebacker from Morgan State University from 1963 to 1966, was born. Lanier earned first-team All-American honors after his junior season under the instruction and training of Hall of Fame coach Earl Banks.
Willie was a member of some great Morgan State squads that went to bowl games in both 1965 and 1966. They won both, and they held their opponents to zero total yards in the 1965 game. Yes, I said zero yards in a bowl game. Pretty big deal.
That same 1965 season, Lanier led a stubborn defense that held opponents to just 129 yards rushing all season long and 732 yards in total offense. That’s for an entire season. 129 yards rushing. That’s pretty stout.
In 1966, as an offensive guard, he used his strength to open up holes for the offense, which rushed for 2,220 yards in eight games, for thefootballfoundation.org. Lanier still holds the school record for tackles in a game with 26, and Willie Lanier is remembered in the College Football Hall of Fame for his outstanding play.
After college, Honeybear, as he was known, played pro ball for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was a five-time All-Pro middle linebacker. Years later, in 1986, Willie Lanier was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and to learn about the great Willie Lanier, make sure to get a copy of our friend Joe Zagorski’s book on the player titled America’s Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier.
Willie Lanier solidifies his legacy as a trailblazing middle linebacker who anchored historic defenses at both the collegiate and professional levels. He paves the way for future generations of athletes and cements his name among the all-time defensive greats in Canton.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1986.
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2000.
- Historic Pioneer: The first African American to start at middle linebacker in professional football.
- Super Bowl Champion: Won Super Bowl IV as a defensive star for the Kansas City Chiefs.
- 8Γ All-Pro Selection: Earned All-Pro honors consecutively from 1968 to 1975.
- 6Γ Pro Bowl Selection: 1970β1975.
- 2Γ AFL All-Star: 1968, 1969.
- Pro Bowl MVP: 1971.
- NFL Man of the Year: Awarded in 1972 (now known as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award).
- NFL Anniversary Teams: Selected to both the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
- Kansas City Chiefs Honors: Inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Honor; his No. 63 jersey is officially retired by the franchise.
- First-Team Little All-American: 1965 at Morgan State University.
- Morgan State Tackles Record: Holds the school record for most tackles in a single game (26).
