The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 12-person committee has trimmed their list of senior and coaching/contributor candidates down to 60 semifinalists for the 2024 class. A number of former members of the Kansas City Chiefs are up for enshrinement this year, including two players, one general manager, one coach and one scout.
The next step in the process is to reduce each group to 12 finalists, which will occur later this month on July 27. In late August the committee will convene to select one coach/contributor and up to three seniors for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024.
Below is a quick look at those who’ve made it through to the semifinalist round:
Albert Lewis
A third-round draft pick out of Grambling in the 1983 NFL draft, Lewis was one of the dominant cornerbacks of his era. He earned four Pro Bowl selections (1987-1990) and two First-Team All-Pro honors (1989-1990) during his time in Kansas City. He spent 11 seasons with the Chiefs, appearing in 150 regular season games. Lewis registered a whopping 555 total tackles and 38 interceptions during that span.
Lewis has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in each of the last four seasons, but last year he failed to make it past the finalist round in what was his last year of eligibility before going into the pool of senior candidates.
Otis Taylor
Taylor has officially made it through to the semifinalist round of voting once again, but will this finally be his year?
A member of the Chiefs/Dallas Texans from 1965-1975, Taylor was one of the most dominant receivers of his era. He recorded 410 receptions for 7,306 averaging 17.8 yards per reception over the course of his career. He had all of the accolades for his era too. He was a 1966 AFL All-Star, the 1967 AFL receiving touchdown leader (11), the 1971 NFL receiving yards leader (1,110), a 1971 Pro Bowler, a 1971 First-Team All-Pro, a 1972 Pro Bowler, a 1972 First-Team All-Pro and a Super Bowl IV champion.
Marty Schottenheimer (Head coach)
In 10 seasons under Schottenheimer, the Chiefs secured three division titles, seven playoff appearances, and a trip to the AFC title game. He was the winningest head coach at Arrowhead Stadium before Andy Reid came along. They didn’t have much in the way of postseason success beyond that, however.
Schottenheimer was known for his distinct run-heavy “Martyball” style of play. Several of his former players have regarded him as the best coach they’ve ever had, including J.J. Birden.
This would be a posthumous selection as Schottenheimer died at 77 years old in February of 2021 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Carl Peterson (General Manager)
A key executive with the Chiefs from 1989 through 2008, Peterson was behind drafting some of the greatest players in franchise history, including Derrick Thomas, Dale Carter, Will Shields, Jerome Woods, Donnie Edwards, Tony Gonzalez, Gary Stills and Dante Hall.
He made some of the key decisions that would shape the franchise for nearly two decades, including hiring Marty Schottenheimer, signing Marcus Allen and acquiring Joe Montana. He turned Kansas City into one of the winningest organizations in the league during his tenure, but as we all know, they consistently fell short of success in the postseason.
Lloyd Wells (Scout)
Wells was a trailblazer, becoming the first full-time Black scout in professional football history. He’s best known for scouting with the Chiefs from 1963 through 1974, finding and drafting numerous players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). That includes some Pro Football Hall of Fame players, such as Buck Buchanan and Willie Lanier. His scouting and the players that he brought in would contribute to two Super Bowl appearances and the team’s first win of the Lombardi Trophy back in Super Bowl IV.
