By Darin The tale of perseverance and triumph we recount today centers upon the remarkable journey of Len Dawson, a quarterback who, after facing multiple rejections from prominent NFL teams, ultimately found his calling in the nascent American Football League. Dawson’s narrative epitomizes the essence of resilience, as he transformed initial failures into a storied career, culminating in championship victories and a revered legacy in football history. He embarked on his professional journey with the Dallas Texans, a team that emerged as a formidable force under his leadership, ultimately securing their place in the annals of the sport. The culmination of his efforts was marked by his pivotal role in Super Bowl IV, where he not only led his team to victory but was also distinguished as the game’s Most Valuable Player. Through this episode, I aim to illuminate the indomitable spirit of a man who, against all odds, rose to greatness and forever altered the landscape of American football.
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Transcript
You're just in time for a great story of some super bowl success and a legendary hero.
Speaker A:Coming up in just a moment.
Speaker B:This is the Pigskin Daily History Dispatch, a podcast that covers the anniversaries of American football events throughout history.
Speaker B:Your host, Darren Hayes, is podcasting from America's North Shore to bring you the memories of the gridiron one day at a time.
Speaker A:Hello, my football friends.
Speaker A:This is Darren Hayes of pigskindispatch.com welcome once again to the Pig Pen, your portal to positive football history.
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Speaker A:So let's start off today with a story we're going to tell a tale of perseverance, a story of a quarterback who faced rejection, embraced opportunity, and ultimately etched his name into the game's annals.
Speaker A:Now, this was a hometown kid.
Speaker A:He was equal distant to two NFL cities growing up, and he ended up playing for both of them.
Speaker A:It was the sound of a dream slowly dying.
Speaker A:Though our story begins in the heartland, where a young man obsessed with football.
Speaker A:He was a star in high school and a standout in college, and he had the talent, drive, and arm.
Speaker A:But the NFL didn't see it twice.
Speaker A:He was cut, rejected, told he wasn't good enough.
Speaker A:Can you imagine the sting, the doubt?
Speaker A:Well, he could have given up.
Speaker A:He could have faded off into obscurity.
Speaker A:But something inside him burned.
Speaker A:A belief in his own abilities and a refusal to accept defeat.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So he looked elsewhere.
Speaker A:He looked to a league that was finding its footing, a league that was willing to take a chance on a player other teams had discarded.
Speaker A:This league, a brash upstart challenging the established order, saw something special in him.
Speaker A:They saw a leader, a winner.
Speaker A:They saw a quarterback who could ignite an offense and capture the hearts of fans and put a franchise on the map.
Speaker A:He became their star, their face.
Speaker A:He led them the championships, and he put them on the map.
Speaker A:But even success wasn't enough for some.
Speaker A:He still faced doubters.
Speaker A:Critics said his achievements were somehow less valid because they came in this other league.
Speaker A:But he didn't let that bother him.
Speaker A:He kept working, kept improving, and kept proving them wrong.
Speaker A:And then, a moment of truth.
Speaker A:The two leagues merged.
Speaker A:The ultimate test.
Speaker A:Could this quarterback, this cast off, this reject, compete with the rest of the best?
Speaker A:Well, the answer, as history shows, was a resounding yes.
Speaker A:He led his team to the pinnacle of the sport.
Speaker A:He silenced the critics, he cemented his legacy and he became a legend.
Speaker A:And you know his name.
Speaker A:d the Cleveland Browns in the:Speaker A:And then he ended up joining on with another person that was rejected by the National Football League.
Speaker A:Lamar Hunt, who tried to buy a franchise, was offered 20% of the Chicago Cardinals franchise, turned that down, decided to start his own league, the fourth rendition of the American Football League.
Speaker A:And all he wanted in the NFL was to start a team, a franchise in Dallas, Texas.
Speaker A:Well, he got that choice in the American Football League.
Speaker A:He started the Dallas Texans.
Speaker C:And when they were in the AFL, right about the same time that the NFL decided to compete with him and start the Dallas Cowboys franchise.
Speaker A:Well, that first year,:Speaker A:And they did it again in:Speaker A:But finally they won when they beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl 4 and became super bowl champions with Len Dawson as the mvp.
Speaker A:And eventually he would go in the hall of Fame.
Speaker A:Lamar Hunt, great owner, ended up having the championship game of the American Football Conference named after him because of his league he started and the chance he took in the afl.
Speaker A:And a young quarterback named Len Dawson and the rest is history.
Speaker A:And what a great name that is forever be synonymous with football greatness.
Speaker A:And that, my friends, is the rest of the gridiron story.
Speaker A:Yeah, Len Dawson, just a tremendous athlete.
Speaker C:And we were so glad that we.
Speaker A:Were able to talk about him because there's been a lot of news about the Kansas City Chiefs in the news lately.
Speaker A:Maybe you haven't heard.
Speaker A:You know, let's forget about the Travis and Taylor saga and Patrick Mahomes and let's go back to the roots.
Speaker A:The first quarterback of the Chiefs was with the Texans before they transferred.
Speaker A:So they were kicked out of Dallas, their owner rejected by the National Football League, and their quarterback kicked out of two NFL squads before he found home.
Speaker C:With the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Texans franchise.
Speaker A:So just a tremendous story and we're.
Speaker C:So glad that you're able to join us.
Speaker A:We know we have a lot of.
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Speaker C:Hope you join us for our some of our books.
Speaker A:Right now we have three of them out, fourth soon coming.
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Speaker C:All three books there right now and a fourth one on the way.
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Speaker C:Pigskind dispatch.com Also while you're there, check out some of our products that we have.
Speaker A:We have a lot of different great.
Speaker C:Football stuff that I think you're really going to enjoy is a big variety of football options affordable.
Speaker C:And for that gift, for your fan gift for yourself, just for some enjoyment, I think you're really going to get a kick out of that.
Speaker C:And you know, while we're talking about it, we have a few birthdays here on this December 10th.
Speaker C:Rod Woodson, a great defensive back to.
Speaker A:Play for so many teams.
Speaker C:But of course, you know, many of us are going to remember him as number 26 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker C:He was born on this day and you know, celebrating a birthday.
Speaker C:Happy birthday, Mr.
Speaker C:Woodson, if you are listening.
Speaker C:And we got so much enjoyment from you had the most touchdowns by interceptions in National Football League history with a dozen of them, which is a really a great fire.
Speaker C:So of course he played for some other teams as well, including the Raiders and the Ravens and you know, some of the other squads that he played for.
Speaker C:A couple of more in there too.
Speaker C:But we're going to remember him as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Speaker C:That's what he retired as.
Speaker C:Hall of Famer indeed.
Speaker C:And he definitely deserves that.
Speaker C:And you know, coming off the super bowl, we are recording this before The Super Bowl 59 is played.
Speaker C:So we don't know who won it, but we know there's some excitement in the air and fans are supporting that greatly.
Speaker C:So we hope it's a great game and I'm sure you will.
Speaker C:And the airwaves are probably blowing up about it right now.
Speaker C:But here we're just going to tell you a little bit about football history as we talk and commence here.
Speaker C:So we have some great episodes coming up this week.
Speaker C:I think you're really going to like it.
Speaker C:We're going to continue our championship series.
Speaker C:We're going to talk about the:Speaker C:We're also going to try to get an infographic up for you today or this, not today, but this week and talk about that a little bit later in the week.
Speaker C:And of course, tomorrow we have Timothy p.
Speaker C:Brown of footballarchaeology.com coming on.
Speaker C:We're going to be talking about one of the greatest offenses and most legendary offenses of all time with some great video and I'm sure you'll enjoy there, too.
Speaker C:So it's all coming up this week.
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Speaker C:Everybody have a great gridiron day.
Speaker A:That's all the football history we have today folks.
Speaker D:Join us back tomorrow for more of your football history.
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Speaker A:Special thanks to the talents of Mike.
Speaker D:And Gene Monroe as well as Jason Neff for letting us use their music during our podcast.
Speaker E:This podcast is part of the Sports History Network, your headquarters for the yesteryear of your favorite sport.
Speaker E:You can learn more@sportshistorynetwork.com.