Tag: clark hunt

Chiefs announce Tamba Hali will be inducted into Ring of Honor in 2024

Tamba Hali will be the 53rd member of the #Chiefs’ Hall of Fame.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced that former Linebacker/Defensive End Tamba Hali (2006-17) will be inducted into the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame this season. He’ll become the 53rd individual and 49th player to earn this coveted honor.

“My family and I are thrilled to announce Tamba Hali as this year’s inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said via Saturday’s press release. “From the day we drafted Tamba in 2006, he has inspired our fans with electrifying performances on the field and outstanding character off the field. Throughout his illustrious career, Tamba was respected and admired by his teammates, as he moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in his fourth season and quickly became a Pro Bowler. His stats speak for themselves, establishing him as one of the great defensive players in Chiefs history. And he is perhaps even more impressive off the field. Tamba’s remarkable personal journey has molded a man of integrity, resilience, and determination. He has given back to the community in Kansas City, in New Jersey, and in his childhood home of Liberia. Chiefs Kingdom, all around the world, is cheering for him today.”

Hali spent his 12-year career in Kansas City, appearing in 177 games (157 starts), the fourth most by any Chiefs defender in team history. He was named to the 2006 NFL All-Rookie Team, was selected to the Pro Bowl five consecutive seasons from 2011-15, and was named to the AP All-Pro second team twice (2011 and 2013). Hali earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors four times in his career, tied for the second most by any Chiefs defender.

Since retiring, Hali has been a fixture in helping to train young defensive players, most recently George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

Chiefs remember Hall of Fame offensive lineman Ed Budde

The Kansas City #Chiefs remember Hall of Fame offensive lineman Ed Budde after his passing on Tuesday at the age of 83.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League lost a legend as news broke on Tuesday that former long-time offensive lineman Ed Budde passed away at 83 years old.

Budde played all 14 professional seasons with the Chiefs, was named to the AFL’s All-Time Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played in the AFL All-Star Game nine times, and was a key member to the Chiefs first Super Bowl title. He was one of the pioneers at his position and a beloved member of the Kansas City community long after his playing career ended. Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt shared his thoughts on the passing of Budde on Tuesday.

“My family and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Chiefs Hall of Famer Ed Budde,” Hunt said in a statement on the team website. “Ed spent his entire 14-year career with the Chiefs, and he was a cornerstone of those early Chiefs teams that brought pro football to Kansas City. He never missed a game in the first nine seasons of his career, and he rightfully earned recognition as an All-Star, a Pro-Bowler, and a Super Bowl Champion.

“After his playing career, Ed remained connected to the Chiefs organization and was a founding member of the Kansas City Ambassadors. He was well-loved in the Kansas City community, and he was a great father to Brad, Tionne, and John. My family and the entire Chiefs organization extend our sincere condolences to Carolyn and the Budde family.”

The late Chiefs legend was the first to help welcome current wide receiver Rashee Rice to the team as he and his son Brad announced him in this year’s NFL Draft held in Kansas City. Budde and his son Brad are still the only father-son to be drafted to the same franchise at the same position in the first round. Ed was selected in the first round of the 1963 AFL Draft, while Brad was picked in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft as an offensive guard.

WATCH: Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt congratulates Andy Reid on impressive career milestone

Clark Hunt congratulated Andy Reid for an impressive career milestone after the #Chiefs’ win over the #Bears on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 3 win over the Chicago Bears was notable for many reasons, but perhaps the most impressive feat achieved in the game was Andy Reid’s ascension to fourth place on the NFL’s all-time leaderboard for wins as a head coach with 271 career victories.

After the veteran skipper wrapped up his comments to the Chiefs on Sunday evening, team chairman and CEO Clark Hunt stepped in to congratulate Reid on his impressive career milestone.

While a win in this game may have seemed like a foregone conclusion for the defending Super Bowl champions, the victory is sure to have meant a bit more for Reid, who is rapidly gaining ground on George Halas for third place on the win leaderboard.

With a bit of luck and another decade of success, Reid could have an outside shot to take over the first-place spot from legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, who ended his career with 347 wins.

Andy Reid, Clark Hunt discuss Chris Jones’ absence from Chiefs training camp

Both #Chiefs HC Andy Reid and CEO Clark Hunt were asked about Chris Jones’ holdout following Sunday’s training camp practice.

The Kansas City Chiefs nearly had a full house on Sunday, with only four players absent from their first training camp practice.

One of those players, veteran DT Chris Jones, has not yet reported for training camp as he seeks a long-term contract extension. The First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle is in the final year of his 2020 contract extension with Kansas City. After a lucrative offseason for the defensive tackle position group around the NFL, Jones is looking to cash in on a career year in 2022.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s practice, Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided an update on the situation with Jones moving forward.

“As far as Chris (Jones) goes, we’ll just see how things go here down the road,” Reid said. “There have been communications, we’ll see where it goes from here. We’ll take it. If you’re not here, we just keep moving and that’s how we roll. We don’t worry a lot about all that. We let it take care of itself.”

Reid has been quite consistent in worrying about coaching the players who are in attendance at training camp and not worrying about those who aren’t yet on the practice field. He’s taken the same approach throughout his tenure in Kansas City.

As per tradition at the first training camp practice, Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt took some time to address the media. After being questioned about Jones’ absence, Hunt emphasized that contract negotiations are strictly on Brett Veach and his staff. He signs the checks, but he’s not directly involved in those conversations.

“I leave that to Brett Veach & his staff,” Hunt said. “I’m not involved in that.”

Hunt also wouldn’t speculate on when or if Jones might report to training camp, but he did say the team would welcome him with open arms at any time.

“We love Chris (Jones) and when he decides to report, we’ll welcome him,” Hunt continued. “I don’t want to get into speculating on when that’ll happen or if that’ll happen.”

There seems to be optimism that Jones will have a new deal. He could report to training camp prior to that deal happening if only to stop the fines. For each practice session missed, Jones will receive a $50K fine as mandated by the NFL and NFLPA’s most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). He’ll be fined $950K total should he miss all of the team’s 2023 training camp practice sessions.

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Hunt family releases statement on death of Chiefs matriarch Norma Hunt

The #Chiefs and the Hunt family have released a statement on the passing of Norma Hunt. | from @EdEastonJr

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The Kansas City Chiefs have lost the first lady of the franchise. The family Matriarch Norma Hunt died on Sunday at 85 years old.

CEO Clark Hunt and the family released the following statement after news spread of Norma’s death:

Our family is deeply saddened by the passing of our mother, Norma. She was a wonderful mother and an extraordinary woman who will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Kind, generous and unfailingly positive, mom was one of a kind. Her joy and zeal for life were infectious. She loved caring for others, and she always had an encouraging word. She was a loyal friend, the consummate hostess and she had a rare ability to make everyone she encountered feel valued and at ease.

Mom was steadfastly devoted to her family and fiercely passionate about her family’s sports teams. She was by our father Lamar’s side every step of the way – from the merger of the AFL and the NFL to the formation of Major League Soccer, World Championship Tennis, the North American Soccer League, and their founding investment in the Chicago Bulls. She was the only person we knew who rivaled his love of sports. The two of them found such joy together, whether at home, or in stadium stands around the world.

Lamar and Norma were married in 1964 and were at the forefront of the development of today’s NFL. She was in attendance for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII victory; she had attended all 57 Super Bowls. Details regarding her passing haven’t been announced.

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WATCH: Clark Hunt reacts to Chiefs-Dolphins announcement on ‘Good Morning Football’

#Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt joined NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” to react to playing #Dolphins in Frankfurt during the 2023 NFL season.

Guten Morgen, Chiefs Kingdom.

In case you missed it, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to play the Miami Dolphins at Frankfurt Stadium in Frankfurt, Germany this November. It was one of five international series games announced on Wednesday morning.

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt joined NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” to discuss and react to the announcement of the team’s matchup with Miami in Germany. He first was asked about the stardom of Patrick Mahomes on the international stage.

“Yeah, I think it’s going to be incredible because he’s really become an international star,” Hunt said. “And that doesn’t frequently happen with NFL players. We’ve seen it with other sports. Our family being involved with the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, we saw it with Michael Jordan. And Patrick (Mahomes) has really become a global star, so it’ll be really interesting to see the reception he gets when we go to Germany.”

Hunt reflected on the team’s 2015 international series game in Wembley Stadium against the Detroit Lions. It was their first trip overseas for an NFL regular season game. What caught his attention most about that game was the turnout from Chiefs Kingdom.

“The thing that struck me in Wembley was the reception that we received,” Hunt said. “It was our home game and the stadium was really painted red. In a lot of ways, it felt like a home game. It sort of felt a little bit like we were at Arrowhead. So, I’ll be interested to see if we can recreate that in Frankfurt.”

Frankfurt Stadium holds just 51,500 fans, but the Chiefs will be looking to pack the place with red come game day. They’re one of just four NFL teams with international marketing rights in Germany, so they should theoretically be able to accomplish that feat.

Hunt clearly takes great pride in the opportunity, as he took great pride in being able to host the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City this past April.

“Well, that was a special moment for me and the organization,” Hunt said. “Obviously, getting to host the draft in Kansas City, something that we’ve looked forward to for four or five years. And of course, the way it played out as the defending Super Bowl champions, it was really a way for us to elongate the celebration. We were on the same stage to finish the parade three months before. So, being back there and being able to announce Felix’s name — I’m not going to try to do it again, I got it right once. From now on I’m going to refer to him as Felix.”

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WATCH: Rashee Rice receives draft call from Chiefs

The SMU connection with the Hunt family was on full display when new #Chiefs WR Rashee Rice got his draft call.

When the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select SMU WR Rashee Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, there were a few obvious connections. One of those connections was pairing Rice with his former SMU teammate Shane Buechele. Another was giving Patrick Mahomes a Texas native to throw to at the wide receiver position — one that already worked with Mahomes down in Dallas.

One of the connections that might get overlooked is that Clark Hunt and his family have strong ties to SMU. They’re the alma mater of practically every member of the Hunt family who is involved with the Chiefs organization.

That relationship was front and center when Rice got the call that he was coming to Kansas City.

“Mr. Hunt asked me today what the game plan was, and I said, ‘The game plan today is to get an SMU wideout,” Chiefs GM Brett Veach declared

“Well, I’m excited to have a fellow Mustang as a Chief as well,” Hunt told Rice. “I had the pleasure of getting to watch you play a bunch of games here over the last couple of years. You were fantastic and I looked forward to seeing that here in Kansas City when you get here.”

It’s hard to tell just how much Rice being a Mustang played a role here, but it certainly didn’t hurt his case with the club. His response and excitement over the entire situation were palpable.

“Let’s do this,” Rice said. “Let’s go win another one. I’m so excited, oh my god!”

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Statement from Clark Hunt on death of former Chiefs WR Otis Taylor

#Chiefs CEO & Chairman Clark Hunt released a statement on the passing of WR Otis Taylor.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost an all-time great on Friday and the entire Chiefs Kingdom is now mourning his loss.

Former Chiefs WR Otis Taylor died at 80 years old after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. A draft pick in 1965 out of Prairie View A&M, Taylor spent a decade terrorizing opposing defenses as one of the premier wide receivers of his era.

Chiefs CEO & Chairman Clark Hunt released a statement regarding Taylor’s passing on Friday, delivering his heartfelt thoughts and prayers.

“The Kansas City Chiefs organization is saddened by the passing of Otis Taylor. My family and I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Otis’ wife Regina, his sister Odell and the entire Taylor family as we mourn his passing. Otis was a Chief throughout his 11-year career, and he played an integral part in the early success of our franchise. He became a Kansas City icon with his signature touchdown in Super Bowl IV, as he helped the Chiefs bring home our first Lombardi Trophy. He was one of the most dynamic receivers of his era, and he helped revolutionize the position. Off-the-field, he was kind and dedicated to his community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Otis’ legacy will live forever as a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.”

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Chiefs owner: Lamar Hunt would ‘100 percent’ want Bud Adams in Hall of Fame

Clark Hunt says his father and co-founder of the AFL with Adams, Lamar Hunt, would “100 percent” want the former Titans owner in the Hall of Fame.

Houston Oilers founder and former Tennessee Titans owner, the late Bud Adams, was undoubtedly an integral piece of what the league has become over its history.

It was Kansas City’s Lamar Hunt and Adams that co-founded the AFL to rival the NFL before the two leagues eventually merged into one.

Knowing that, even the most casual fan can see why it’s a shocking reality that Adams has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Clark Hunt, son of Lamar Hunt and current owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, certainly agrees that it’s time to give Bud his long overdue flowers. Clark also added that he believes that his father would agree with this obvious stance.

“Dad 100 percent would want Bud in,” Hunt said while down at the Super Bowl this week, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “I think [Bud] is very deserving. I am probably a little biased because I come from an AFL perspective. But next to my dad, there was really no one else in the early days of the AFL who was more influential than Bud in getting that league off the ground and sustaining it through the tough years so that it was successful.”

Adams, who died in October of 2013, has consistently been up for Hall of Fame consideration in the past. Unfortunately, he did not make last year’s cut from semifinalist to finalist for the coach/contributor category.

Only time will tell how all this plays out over the coming years, but we can all probably agree that Adams deserves much stronger consideration going forward.

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Chiefs’ Clark Hunt to be drum honoree for AFC Championship Game

In what has become an annual tradition, #Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt will be the team’s drum honoree for the AFC Championship Game.

The Kansas City Chiefs have selected their drum leader for the AFC Championship Game rematch against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it should come as no surprise that they’re sticking with a recently-adopted tradition.

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt will serve as the drum leader when his team takes the field in pursuit of his father’s namesake trophy on Sunday. In each of the last four seasons, Hunt has now served as the drum leader for the conference championship game.

The Chiefs won the Lamar Hunt Trophy for the first time when they defeated the Tennessee Titans in 2019. They won it for the second time in 2020 against the Buffalo Bills. They’ll look to earn it for a third time with a win over the Bengals on Sunday.

Other game entertainment includes United States Navy Veteran Generald Wilson singing the national anthem. He last sang the national anthem for the Chiefs during Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Kansas City Fire Department will present the colors during the Anthem. Weather permitting, there will be a flyover conducted by four T-38s from Whiteman Air Force Base.

For the second consecutive week, Kansas City will have a halftime performance. This time they’ve tapped New York-based Rapper Fat Joe, whose known for several hits in the early 2000s including “What’s Luv” ft. Ashanti and Terror Squad’s “Lean Back.”

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