The best Kansas City Chiefs to ever wear the uniform: No. 32

In this special offseason series, we analyze the best players in Kansas City Chiefs history to wear every single uniform number. Here’s No. 32.

As we look at the No. 32 in our series looking at the best Kansas City Chiefs players to ever wear the uniform, we’re at a point where all we’re looking at are rushers—specifically running backs. Today we have two of the best to ever wear the Chiefs uniform and plenty of others that you’ve likely forgotten.

Our only hope is that, by the end of this, you might at least see our point.

The Others

From Tony Reed in the late ’70s to Spencer Ware in the late ’10s, the Chiefs have handed this number out to many running backs over the years who have put up decent enough numbers in the moment but who will likely be relegated to “trivia answer” when all is said and done.

Don’t believe me? How about Bo Dickinson, Ethan Horton, Larry Moriarty, Shaun Draughn, Tommie Agee or Cyrus Gray. Yep.

The Runner-up: Marcus Allen

I can hear you now. “How is Marcus Allen not the best here?”

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Let me be clear: Marcus Allen was an incredible player, even for the Chiefs. Although he spent his best years as an Oakland Raider, the Chiefs also enjoyed five great seasons from Allen, a tough-nosed runner who was never, ever going to be denied the first down. He was a vision to behold, a man who ran with certainty and instilled the same level of belief in the fans who watched him.

Allen is a six-time Pro Bowler and his career numbers and production should put him over the top here, yet we’re just looking at what happened in a Chiefs uniform. That means it’s important to note that only one of those Pro Bowl appearances came in red and gold (in 1993).

Most importantly, Allen joined with Joe Montana in ’93 as the single most important imports in franchise history, and together they elevated the franchise to the national spotlight. Suddenly the Chiefs were a team that everyone wanted to watch—and for good reason. There were several future Hall of Fame players on that roster and a coach who deserves the same in Marty Schottenheimer.

Allen was an all-time great who enjoyed several successful seasons in K.C. Unfortunately his Chiefs numbers can’t quite match a man who history has overlooked.

The Winner: Curtis McClinton

I’m pretty sure that 90 percent of you will disagree with this pick, and I cannot blame you.

For all of the reasons already stated above, Allen is still very, very popular not only among Chiefs fans but general football fans as well for good reason. But it’s also been a very, very long time since Curtis McClinton was able to make his own case on the football and we can’t let recency bias (even ’90s being “recent sounds funny) cloud our vision.

Curtis McClinton was the team’s 14th round pick all the way in 1961, but the following year he’d climbed the depth chart to the point where he was teaming with Abner Haynes to punish opponents out of the backfield. He might just be the greatest fullback in Chiefs history with three Pro Bowl appearances in ’62, ’66 and ’67 on his resume, and the Chiefs inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1995.

McClinton played 8 seasons for the Chiefs with career totals of 762 carries for 3,124 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He added another 14 receiving touchdowns in that time as a nice two-way threat. Perhaps you could even think of him as Kimble Anders before there was, of course, Kimble Anders. Though it’s been some time, we should not forget McClinton’s great work on the field for the sake of other, more popular players who wore the same.

Next: The Best to Wear It: No. 31

Congratulations to Curtis McClinton for being the greatest Chiefs player to ever wear the No. 32 on his uniform!

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