Breaking down what a Mount Rushmore for the Kansas City Chiefs would look like
Derrik Larsh @dlarsh15 Chiefs Focus @
The biggest topic of discussion for any sports fan for their team and in general, who is on your Mount Rushmore? Most people put their favorite players but to do it right you wanna put a combination of past and present who have made the greatest impact on the franchise, there is no wrong answer to who you will have on Mount Rushmore and hopefully, this will encapsulate all of chiefs Kingdom.
- Hank Stram
Like George Washington was the first leader of our country Hank Stram, the team’s first head coach, led the Chiefs to three AFL championship victories and two appearances in the Super Bowl including the first super bowl victory. Stram was the team’s longest-tenured head coach, holding the position from 1960 to 1974.
2. Derrick Thomas
This is without a doubt the not only greatest defensive player in the history of the Chiefs but also top 5 of all time. Derrick Thomas came to Kansas City as the 4th overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.
Thomas quickly made his presence felt in the league winning the rookie of the year award and a pro Bowl to finish the 89 season and during the 90s he didn’t stop being on a first or 2nd all pro team 6 times made the pro bowl 8 times was the league’s leader in sacks in 1990 and lead the league in forced fumbles twice, was on the all-decade team and still holds the record for sacks in a game with 7.
The accolades go on and on but he didn’t just make an impact on the field but was also all pro in the community as well winning the Walter Payton Man of the year award in 1993. Derrick Thomas will always be a legend in Kansas City, and you cannot have a Mount Rushmore without him.
3. Patrick Mahomes
You can’t have a chiefs, Rushmore, without the greatest quarterback in the franchise’s history not only did they use a 1st round pick for Mahomes which was rare for the franchise they also traded up to the top 10 to get him.
He has broken multiple team records in just a short amount of time, is the first MVP in franchise history led the team to 4 straight AFC Championship Games back-to-back super bowl appearances, and the first Superbowl title in 50 years and he has only been a starter for 4 years.
Mahomes changed the franchise from an expectation standpoint as a once competitive team that made the playoffs to a Superbowl contender. Mahomet has a realistic chance to break multiple League and team records before his time is over and will not only be on our franchise Rushmore but the league’s Mount Rushmore as well. Mahomes not only does great things on the field he is a force in the community and is investing in Kansas City to make it a great place to be.
4. Travis Kelce
I went back and forth between Tony Gonzalez and Kelce as no matter the personal feelings any fan has about Tony you can’t deny he was a force and was one of the league’s best during his time in the NFL. I landed on Kelce because he changed the game for tight ends and is doing things no right end has done before him with 6 straight 1000-yard seasons is close to passing Tony for franchise records and will be number 1 by the end. He is a beloved player both on and off the field and loves this team and this city.
Mount Rushmore picks will always be forever changing and that’s what makes them fun, as long as you honor the history of the franchise you can never go wrong.
Honorable Mention
Tony Gonzalez-
Jammal Charles-
Len Dawson-
Derrick Johnson-
Bobby Bell-
Lamar Hunt-
Andy Reid-
Will Shields-
Willie Lanier-
Marty Schottenheimer-
