Abner Haynes was Kansas City Chiefs' first truly great running back

The Kansas City Chiefs lost a true pioneer on Thursday.

The passing of longtime running back Abner Haynes was a significant loss for the sport and the Chiefs franchise. With the death of Haynes, Chiefs Kingdom was forced to say goodbye to the franchise's first offensive star and the first in a long time of great players to emerge from the backfield at Arrowhead Stadium.

That fact should not be lost on the current generation of Chiefs fans.

For generations, the best Chiefs' teams were loaded up front on offense—with massive front lines opening holes for dynamic running backs that led to some of the franchise's proudest moments. Haynes was the first of several such players after winning the AFL's first ever Player of the Year award after leading the league in rushing yards in his rookie season (also the inaugural campaign for the league).

A team known for its storied histories of great running backs lost its pioneer in Abner Haynes on Thursday.

From there, Haynes would remain an offensive pillar for the Chiefs and led the team in rushing in four of his first five seasons and led the league in rushing touchdowns in the first three years of AFL action, establishing Hank Stram's early offensive attack up front on the back of a fearsome ground game.

Haynes was much more than a running back capable of churning yards on the ground, however. Stram also put him in position to succeed in other facets of the game, including as a returner and receiver. He's ranked No. 16 on the team's all-time receiving yards list with 2.739, and he ran back two returns for touchdowns in his career as well.

At present, Haynes is No. 6 on the Chiefs all-time rushing list with 3.814 rushing yards even six decades after he hung up his cleats. On our own recent countdown of the top 10 running backs in Chiefs history, Haynes landed at No. 6 overall—a testament to his early impact that helped put the franchise on the map.

From his charitable work off of the field to his incredible production on it, Haynes was a man worthy of being called an early hero of the Chiefs/Texans franchise.