Former Kansas City Chiefs LT Willie Roaf was among the athletes and contributors enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday evening. Nearly 20 years from when he was acquired in trade by the Chiefs in March of 2002, Roaf has been recognized for a career of greatness. He played just four years in Kansas City, but they were as memorable and impactful as they come.
Roaf came to the Chiefs after nearly a decade of dominance with the New Orleans Saints. He was coming off of injury, which made the former All-Pro affordable in trade, coasting Kansas City just a third-round draft pick. Chiefs HC Dick Vermeil needed to solidify his offensive line, moving former LT John Tait to RT and plugging Roaf in on the left side.
In his first season in Kansas City, Roaf helped the Chiefs to roll out a high-powered offense that led the NFL in scoring. He’d go on to start in 58 games for the Chiefs during the course of four seasons. The team boasted a top 10 offense each of those years, with the offensive line paving the way for a dominant rushing attack featuring Priest Holmes, plus some elite chemistry between QB Trent Green and TE Tony Gonzalez in the passing game.
Can’t believe it’s been 20 yrs since I was traded to KC in 02. Went from being #16 on offense in ‘01 to #1 in ‘02. I was given a second chance after my injury & never took it for granted. I wanted to show there was more work I had left to do. Honored to be in the MO Sports HOF. pic.twitter.com/J8XrAUg6nt
— Willie Roaf (@Willie_Roaf) February 7, 2022
Over the course of his career, Roaf earned seven First-Team All-Pro selections. He also was voted to 11 Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s and the 2000s.
Roaf retired from the NFL in 2006. He’s now become one of over 50 Chiefs players, coaches and contributors to have been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He was elected to the Saints’ Ring of Honor in 2008, the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor in 2011, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
