The 5 best returners in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs

Look, we don't want to give anyone the short shrift here—even in a category full of shorter players.

Kansas City Chiefs history is filled with memorable returns, both punt returns and kick returns. To honor the best in the category means leaving some names on the sideline, but that doesn't feel fair to not mention them, especially when some returns themselves were so meaningful.

That means that we need to tip our caps to Knile Davis's incredible 108-yard touchdown return in the Wild Card round. it also means honoring Kadarius Toney's record-setting punt return in a Super Bowl. There's also Dexter McCluster's 94-yard return against the Chargers on Monday Night Football to open the 2010 season. Thank you, gentlemen.

Criteria for Selection

Unfortunately for the likes of Davis and Toney and McCluster (and others), there are only five spots available for us here, which means some memorable plays (and the player who made them) are pushed aside for the sake of historic numbers. For our purposes, we largely allowed a full body of work to speak for itself, especially a returner's ability to take it all the way on any given play. That felt most important—the dynamism—more than stacking up years and years worth of productivity.

The 5 best returners in Chiefs history

5. J.T. Smith

J.T. Smith is a forgotten man in Chiefs history, mostly because he had his finest seasons as a member of the Cardinals organization after the Chiefs allowed him to leave in 1984. But while with the team, despite middling numbers as a wide receiver, Smith was a stellar returner whose penchant for taking kickoffs all the way back allowed him to squeeze into our number five spot.

Smith was originally a defensive back at North Texas before transitioning to the offensive side with the Chiefs in 1978. From there, he would climb the depth chart and even had 850 yards receiving in 1981. However, he did the bulk of his damage as the team's primary punt returner to the tune of 216 total returns.

Smith is still the Chiefs all-time leader in punt return yards with 2,289. He also has four returns for a touchdown, showing just how valuable he was on special teams. Smith was named to the Pro Bowl for his excellence on teams in 1980.

4. Noland Smith

No one can say for sure if Noland Smith is the smallest player to ever take the field in the NFL but no one can also deny it for sure. What we do know is that Smith, the man Lamar Hunt once referred to as "Super Gnat" as a nicknamed that combined his speed and size, had a playing weight of 154 pounds and stood 5'5".

The one thing Smith could do was run like the wind and for the better part of three years, that's what he did on kick and punt returns for the Chiefs from 1967-69. In his first preseason game, he ran back an 86 yard punt return. In that rookie season, Smith would run back a kick return for a 106-yard score—a franchise record for decades. He also led the entire league in total return yards and average return.

In his second season, Smith was just as good with an 80-yard return for a score and a league-leading punt return average of 15 yards/attempt. Unfortunately, he was clotheslined in his third season and broke bones in his face, which led to an inability to see clearly (quite the challenge when tasked with returns). He was traded to the 49ers at midseason in '69 and that was that.

3. Tamarick Vanover

There's a reason why Tamarick Vanover's Instagram account is Mr. Run It Back. The former third-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft was a dynamic returner for the Chiefs for five seasons and a threat to take it to the house on any given play.

The Chiefs drafted Vanover after he spent a single season with a CFL expansion franchise in Las Vegas (yep), but they also loved his game tape out of Florida State, where he was a two-time All-American returner and a former ACC Rookie of the Year.

Vanover would go on to lead the league in punt return yardage in two of his five seasons with the Chiefs and ran it back—as his moniker says—an incredible 8 times overall. That scoring total via returns is second in franchise history, with only the Human Joystick ahead of him. (Yeah, we'll get there.)

2. Tyreek Hill

Vanover's eight scores might warrant one spot higheir on this list, above Tyreek Hill, but we're giving the Cheetah the edge here because it wasn't his fault he wasn't given as many chances as Vanover.

Hill needs no introduction as the greatest wide receiver to ever play for the team, but we'd be remiss if we didn't single out his return skills on a list such as this, knowing how dangerous he was from the outset as a returner in his first few seasons with the Chiefs.

While Andy Reid and his staff knew what they were doing with Hill in terms of his strategic development by taking returns off his plate, the truth is that he would have set all manner of records if he'd been allowed to remain the Chiefs' principal returner on kickoffs and punts. As it is, he had 5 returns go for touchdowns in three seasons and his 11.7 yards/return average on punts is a full yard more than Vanover (who averaged more than Dante Hall).

Basically, Hill's speed, instincts, agility, and vision are second to none and he was going to turn in historic numbers no matter where you put him.

1. Dante Hall

Was there any doubt we'd arrive here? After all, how many returns are featured on posters with their own incredible nicknames like "The Human Joystick"?

After showing off at Texas A&M, the Chiefs came calling for Dante Hall in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. After learning the ropes on special teams in his first two seasons, Hall blossomed in his third year both as a returner and receiver and his sensational skill set made him a household name.

In 2002, Hall became the second player in NFL history to run back a punt return and a kick return for touchdowns. The following year, he set the league record for most consecutive games with a return for a secore. Hall was so dangerous that teams did their best to avoid giving him the chance to do something with the football.

Hall's career total of 12,397 return yards is sixth in NFL history, and his 11 non-offensive scores are just outside the NFL's top 10 ever. When it comes to the Chiefs, no returner can boast the resume of Dante Hall.