Every few years, I like to go through my spreadsheet of my personal all-time Chiefs team. So, I thought I would share it and get some reactions. As always, let’s go through some of my ground rules/philosophy.
1] Only time spent in a Chiefs’ uniform counts. What a player did before he played for the Chiefs (see Roaf, Wille) or after (see Smith, Neil) is not a part of my evaluation.
2] Football styles change over the years. So, using stats to measure worth is not the best form evaluation. I use ‘dominance in your era’ as my criteria. It is, by definition, a soft form of analysis. Therefore, it is open to a lot of discussion.
3] Although players do get faster and stronger, I try to balance that by sticking to my dominance in your era formula.
4] Current players are eligible, however no projections of future performance are allowed. This is a ‘right now’ evaluation. So, sorry D-Bowe, you will not be making the list.
Ok, on to the fun. I love good Defense, so I am going to start with the Coach, then go onto the D.
Head Coach:
Hank Stram. Hard not to give it to the only coach to win a Super Bowl with the Chiefs. Hank was an innovator well ahead of his time. His downfall was hanging onto too many vets past their prime. This is a very common downfall and it got Hank.
Honorable mention: Marty Shottenhiemer
Defensive Ends:
Neil Smith. Derrick Thomas’ counterpart was considered a bust after his rookie season. He turned it on and became probably the third best DE (after Reggie White and Bruce Smith) of his era.
Art Still. A fine DE who toiled on some not so great Chief teams. He garnered 4 pro bowls and two Chief MVP awards during his career.
Honorable mention: Jerry Mays, Mike Bell
Defensive Tackles:
Buck Buchanan. Buck is one of my all-time favorite Chiefs. A hall of famer and a monster player for his era.
Dan Saleamua. Probably the best player signed as a Plan B free agent. Dan was a tough DT with a nose for the football. Check out his fumble recovery stats.
Honorable mention: Bill Maas, Curly Culp
Outside Linebackers:
Bobby Bell. Another Hall of Famer who was probably the best overall outside linebacker ever to play for the Chiefs. He was one of the mainstays of the great AFL Chief teams.
Derrick Thomas. Derrick not being in the HOF is a major oversight. I do expect him to go in next year. He was the best I ever saw with the outside speed rush. Not as complete as Bobby Bell, Derrick was a major game changer with an amazing sack and strip move.
Honorable mention: Jim Lynch, Donnie Edwards
Middle Linebacker:
Willie Lanier. Another Hall of Famer, he was a beast in the middle and made up the best Chief LB core ever with Bobby Bell and Jim Lynch. He was overshadowed by Dick Butkus, but wasn’t that far off of him as a player.
Honorable mention: Gary Spani, EJ Holub, and a personal favorite, Dino Hackett.
Cornerbacks:
Albert Lewis. Perhaps the best player on the best DB core I ever saw the Chief’s field (with Kevin Ross, Deron Cherry and Lloyd Burruss).
Emmit Thomas. I was a bit of a surprised to see him going into the HOF. However, he certainly was a high level player for the great Chief teams of the AFL.
Honorable mention: Kevin Ross, Jim Marsallis, Bobby Hunt
Safety:
Johnny Robinson. An all-time AFL player who I believe deserves to be in the HOF. Probably the best safety to ever play for the Chiefs.
Deron Cherry. Not a bad showing for a free agent punter out of Rutgers. Through a lot of hard work, he turned himself into a very good safety and earned his spot here.
Honorable mention: Gary Barbaro, Lloyd Burruss.
Punter:
Jerrel Wilson. Thunderfoot was an all time AFL player. He punted for the Chiefs for 15 seasons and still owns many Chief records.
Honorable mention: Louie Aguiar.
Summary:
The Chiefs have had two eras where we had dominant defenses: The Super Bowl era Chiefs of the 60’s and the DT and Neil Smith Chiefs of the 90’s. Many of the players cited played for one of those two teams.
Current players to watch:
Donnie Edwards is already on the list as an honorable mention, but I can not see his dislodging Bobby Bell or DT. Jared Allen had a chance, until he bolted for purple (and green) fields. Dustin Colquitt has a chance to break into the honorable mention category. He has a long ways to go to displace Jerrel Wilson. Check back with me in 10 years or so on that one.
OK Addicts! Have at it. Who did I omit (Dale Carter anyone?) Who doesn’t belong?
FanSided Sports Blog
Kings of Kauffman
NFL Mocks
Stock Car Spin
Bolt Beat
Just Blog Baby
Predominantly Orange
Ramblin' Fan
Loading ...
I’m sure kicker was an oversight. There can only be one who could be considered our all-time best…Justin Medlock.
Kicker is generally regarded as an offensive player.
Great list. No players I’d add to this list but I would add Gun as all-time greatest DC with Cowher getting honorable mention.
DD
I thought about doing the coordinators, but I don’t have enough knowledge about the coordinators from the AFL years to do a fair review. Having said that, Gun and Cowher would certainly be at or near the top of the list.
I gotta take colquitt over louie aggie for honorable mention…
Being 20 I can’t really remember alot of these guys. Niel Smith and DT are about it. Anything farther back is just too cloudy for me. I’d hafta say though, that Hasty and Carter I believe it was, were a pair of awesome corners for us. I’d at least give an honorable mention to one or the other, or both. Other than that, I don’t know too much, but can’t criticize the ones I do know of. Good stuff.
Great list. Carter was the only one I thought might be mentioned that wasn’t, but you stole my thunder by saying his name at the end.
Totally agree about Colquitt. He hasn’t played for us quite long enough to be put on the All-Time team yet, but I have no doubts that we’ll look back and cite him as one of the best punters in the league.
I never saw Bobby Bell play (I am 26), but I can’t imagine he dominated his era like DT did. Derrick Thomas is not only my #1 on this list, but I would have to put him on the all-time any-team outside LB list. Perhaps I am biased because I became a fan of football and a Chiefs fan because of DT. He domintated his era in his prime (right up until 1998 and the Broncos blowup game on Monday night – I remember it like it was yesterday). I am rambling now, but DT was iconic for his era.
Red Dragon…no, you never saw Bobby Bell play…if you had, there’d be no questions. From the mid-sixties to the early seventies, the Chiefs had the best three linebackers in the AFL or NFL, bar none. Hank Stram said of Bobby Bell that he was the “best athelete” he’d ever seen. Not “best linebacker” or “best defender”…best athelete, period! I love DT too, but Bobby Bell was a man among boys.
I guess, just as everyone has said, Dale Carter could have been one on the list that wasn’t. I’m really surprised no one has mentioned Fred Williamson at safety. For god’s sake he used to break helmets with his “hammer” tackle and he played back when there weren’t any rules protecting players like there are now. Not to mention he kicks butt in all of his movies.
CJ:
I didn’t put Williamson on the list because he only played 3 seasons with the Chiefs and was a legend in his own mind. Though I do grant you that kicking butt in the movies did tempt me………. not.
Great List!