Hank Stram

Hank Stram (January 3, 1923 ? July 4, 2005), was a former American Football coach. He is best known for his 14-year tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs (formerly the Dallas Texans) of the American Football League (later the American Football Conference of the National Football League). Stram won three AFL titles with the Chiefs, more than any other coach in the league's history. He also coached for the most victories (87), most post-season appearances (6) and the best post-season record in the AFL (5-1).

Professional coaching career (1960-1977)

Lamar Hunt recruited Stram to coach his Dallas Texans in 1959. Hunt had previously been a bench player at SMU when Stram had been coaching there and the position had been turned down by Bud Wilkinson and Tom Landry, then an assistant at the New York Giants. The Texans played their first game in the new AFL in November 1960 and proved to be successful from the beginning.

Related Topics:
Lamar Hunt - Bud Wilkinson - Tom Landry - New York Giants

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In 1962, the Texans won the AFL Western Division and the AFL championship. The Texans won the championship against the Houston Oilers 20-17 in what was then the longest American football game ever played. Tommy Brooker kicked a field goal after nearly 16 minutes of overtime to win the game for the Texans and stop the Oilers from winning their third straight title.

Related Topics:
Houston Oilers - Tommy Brooker

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The Dallas Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 and continued their success. In 1966, they won the AFL title again on the back of one of the best defensive teams in the history of professional football featuring three hall-of-famers and eight all star players. The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 31-7 in Buffalo. The Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I with the Packers winning 35-10. Packers coach Vince Lombardi used a short passing game to overcome the Chiefs defense which proved successful with quarterback Bart Starr becoming the first Super Bowl MVP.

Related Topics:
Buffalo Bills - Green Bay Packers - Super Bowl I - Vince Lombardi - Bart Starr

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The Kansas Chiefs won the AFL championship again in 1969. In Super Bowl IV, his ingenious innovations, the "moving pocket" and the "triple-stack defense", utterly dominated the Minnesota Vikings on both sides of the ball. In the Super Bowl, Stram became the first professional football coach to wear a microphone. Stram's recorded comments from that game have become classics: "Let's matriculate the ball down the field, boys.", and his assessment of the Vikings' ineffectual play: "You can't do that in OUR league!". The Super Bowl victory was the second straight by a team from the AFL

Related Topics:
Super Bowl IV - Minnesota Vikings - OUR league

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and added credibility to the newer league, which would complete a planned merger with the NFL the following season.

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In 1971, the Chiefs won the AFC Western Division championship. The Miami Dolphins defeated the Chiefs on Christmas Day 1971 with the teams playing the longest game in the history of the NFL. After that, the Chiefs did not enjoy the same success resulting in Stram leaving the franchise. He was head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 1976 and 1977 but was sacked after two losing seasons.

Related Topics:
AFC Western Division - Miami Dolphins - New Orleans Saints

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Stram was an innovator, a shrewd judge of talent, and an excellent teacher. He helped develop Hall of Famers Len Dawson, Johnny Robinson, Willie Lanier, Ed Budde and many others. Stram himself was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. At the Hall of Fame ceremonies, Stram was so weakened by the effects of diabetes that Len Dawson had to push Stram onto the stage in a wheelchair and his induction speech was videotaped.

Related Topics:
Hall of Fame - Len Dawson - Johnny Robinson - Willie Lanier - Ed Budde - Pro Football Hall of Fame - Diabetes

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Like those of other AFL pioneers, Stram's contributions to the game helped change the face of professional football. Hank Stram was a ten-year head coach in the American Football League.

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