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Infamous Cigarette Photo Taken by Len Dawson During the 1967 Super Bowl; His Net Worth at the Time of His Death

Author

Matthew Wilson

Updated on January 18, 2026

Following news of the football icon’s death, the now-famous picture of Len Dawson smoking a cigarette is fast becoming one of the most shared images on the internet.

The photo, taken in 1967, was hidden from the public for years until it was revealed in 2013.

Len Dawson was an American football player who retired after a career from 1957 to 1976.

For most of his career, spanning 19 seasons in the National Football League, he was primarily associated with the Kansas City Chiefs. After Len retired from professional football, he pursued a career in broadcasting and began working as a broadcaster for KMBC-TV in Kansas. There, he served as evening show host for several years before finally stepping down in 2009. In his later years, Lane only covered Kansas City Chiefs games or was asked to be another reporter.

The legendary footballer passed away not long ago at the age of 87. He is left behind by his devoted wife, Linda Lewis, and their two children. The exact reason for Dawson’s death is unclear; however, given his age, netizens believe he died of natural causes.

Explanation of Len Dawson’s famous cigarette photo taken during the 1967 Super Bowl

In a photo that recently went viral on social media, former quarterback Len Dawson can be seen smoking a cigarette during halftime of the first Super Bowl in 1967. The competition took place in 1967.

In the photo, Len sits in a folding chair, drinking Fresca and smoking a cigarette. Under his legs, there is a bottle of soda.

Photographer Bill Ray took this photo on January 15, 1967; however, the photo was kept secret for many years because Life magazine chose not to publish it.

The original agreement stipulated that the photo would be released to the public domain only if Ryan’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, won over the Green Bay Packers. However, after the Chiefs’ loss in the Super Bowl in 1967, Bill Ray’s personal gallery was the only place to find the photo.

The photo was finally released in 2013 and is currently available on Ray’s website. Because it illustrates how lax the rules have been in the past, it is considered one of the most iconic photos in NFL history. Furthermore, even though such a scenario will never play out in the 21st century due to strict industry regulation, it is still wildly popular on the internet.

What was Len Dawson’s net worth at the time of death? : How rich are NFL legends?

Len Dawson’s wealth is estimated to be around $10 million as of 2022, according to estimates by CelebrityNetWorth.

The former footballer has had a long and successful career in sports broadcasting, which has brought him a satisfying income.

While in the NFL, Ryan played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1957-1959), the Cleveland Browns (1960-1961) and the Kansas City Chiefs (1962-1963). (1962-1975). Dawson continued his career after retirement as a sports announcer for KMBC-TV in Kansas. KMBC-TV is located in Kansas.

Returning to the topic of Lane’s wealth, he provided a multi-million dollar inheritance to his wife and children. He is the devoted husband of Linda Louise and the loving father of his two children, Len Dawson Jr. and Lisa Anne Dawson. He was also a loyal friend of Linda Louise.

Ron Dawson’s Early Years

Dawson is the ninth of 11 children born to James Dawson from Ohio and Anne Dawson from England. He received his high school education at Union High School in Ohio Union. He was the football team’s most valuable player and was named Ohio State’s guard of the year by the International Press Service. Dawson is a multisport athlete who not only broke school records in football and basketball, but he’s also the only athlete in the past 13 years to be named to the state’s first team in both sports in the same year. Dawson competed in all three sports.

Len Dawson’s College Career

During Dawson’s recruiting process, he could choose to attend Ohio State University in Columbus or Purdue University in Indiana. Although he was hesitant to take on Woody Hayes in the Buckeyes’ T-shaped offense, the real reason he chose Purdue was because of the rapport he developed with assistant coach Hank Strumm , which was the beginning of a friendship that would last more than half a century.

In 1954, Dawson’s first year as a Boilermakers quarterback, he was the most efficient passer as a sophomore in the NCAA. In addition to playing defense for the team, he also leads the NCAA in shooting efficiency. He threw four touchdown passes from behind a solid offensive line after leading his team to a 31-0 win over Missouri, and he later beat Notre Dame, which had previously entered the game with a 13-game winning streak. to the game.

Dawson threw for over 3,000 yards in each of his three seasons with the Boilermakers (1954-1956), so he led the Big Ten in this statistic in each of those years . During the 1956 campaign, he earned a spot on the All-American Third Team. During the 1955 and 1956 seasons, he was named to the top ten first-team quarterbacks.

Dawson went through the membership process as a student at Purdue University, becoming a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

Personal life and death

Dawson was the seventh son of the seventh son and the ninth of 11 children. From 1954 until her death in 1978, he married his high school sweetheart. He has two children. He remarried Linda Dawson until his death.

Dawson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991.

On August 12, 2022, Dawson’s family announced that he had entered hospice care at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He died on August 24, 2022 at the age of 87.

Quick Factsintroduce

american football player
used to beamerican football player
fromUnited States of America
sitesporty
gendermale
bornJune 20, 1935, Stark County Union, Ohio, USA
die2022 (86 years old)
constellationGemini
Statistical data
high:72 inches
weight:190 lbs
educate
Purdue University
Union High School
Awards
Walter Payton Person of the Year Award1973
Pro Football Hall of Fame
sports team
Pittsburgh Steelers
cleveland browns
kansas city chiefs

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