As part of this year's celebration of the American Football league, we are taking a look back at some of the best players from the AFL and who their counterpart is currently. This time it's the Kansas City Chiefs, who hope that Matt Cassel can duplicate the exploits of another somewhat inexperienced quarterback they picked up four decades ago -- Len Dawson.
NFLShop.com: Buy Cassel's AFL jersey
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NFL Photos Len Dawson was the reason why Joe Montana could not wear No. 16 when he joined the Chiefs. The Hall of Fame quarterback had his number retired long before Montana was traded to Kansas City. The former AFL superstar led the Chiefs to three championships. Dawson was the dominant passer of the 1960s and won four AFL individual passing crowns. An All-AFL selection in both 1962 and 1966, he was named the AFL Player of the Year in 1962. NFLShop: Buy a Len Dawson signed ball! Discuss: What are your memories of Dawson? Career Statistics:Seasons: 19 Games: 211 Passer rating: 82.6 Comp. pct.: 57.1 Passing TDs: 239 Interceptions: 183 Passing yards: 28,711 Rushing yards: 1,293 Rushing TDs: 9 Yards per pass: 7.7 |
Getty Images While it took Len Dawson five seasons before he saw regular action under center, Matt Cassel is on a slightly faster track -- having been thrust into the position in his fourth-year. He responded with some gaudy stats after replacing Tom Brady last year in Week 1 and finished with 3,693 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. The Chiefs dealt a second-round pick for Cassel and now he is the unquestioned starter in Kansas City. NFLShop: Buy a Matt Cassel jersey! Discuss: How will Cassel do in Kansas City? Career Statistics:Seasons: 4 Games: 30 Passer rating: 88.2 Comp. pct.: 62.9 Passing TDs: 23 Interceptions: 13 Passing yards: 3,946 Rushing yards: 298 Rushing TDs: 3 Yards per pass: 7.1 |
