Len Dawson 1957 MVP Award
A Hall of Fame quarterback who found his greatest success after leaving the Browns for the AFL.
Leonard Ray Dawson (June 20, 1935 – August 24, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. After playing college football for the Purdue Boilermakers, Dawson began his NFL career in 1957, spending three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and two with the Cleveland Browns. He left the NFL in 1962 to sign with the AFL's Chiefs (then known as the Dallas Texans), where he spent the last 14 seasons of his career, and rejoined the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger.
Quick Facts
- Cleveland browns tenure
- 1960–1961
- Hall of fame induction
- 1987
Lore & Background
Dawson was traded to the Cleveland Browns on December 31, 1959. However, after encountering similar problems in battling Browns quarterback Milt Plum, Dawson was released after the 1961 season, having completed only 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his five seasons of NFL play.
Reader's Guide
Dawson's time with the Browns was brief and unproductive. He was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to Cleveland on December 31, 1959, but struggled to secure the starting role, competing with Milt Plum. He was released after the 1961 season, having completed only 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his entire NFL tenure before joining the AFL.
Did You Know?
- Dawson threw four touchdown passes in a 31–0 victory over Missouri as a sophomore at Purdue.
- Super Bowl IV was the last game ever played by an American Football League team.
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