Chiefs Ed Budde Dead at 89

The NFL world has been hit pretty hard this year with the deaths of some of the greatest legends to have ever played the game.

Ed Budde will now also be put on that list, having passed away this week.

Budde was 89 years old.

Another Legend Gone

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt confirmed the death of Budde with a statement from the team:

"My family and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Chiefs Hall of Famer Ed Budde.

"Ed spent his entire 14-year career with the Chiefs, and he was a cornerstone of those early Chiefs teams that brought pro football to Kansas City.

"He never missed a game in the first nine seasons of his career, and he rightfully earned recognition as an All-Star, a Pro-Bowler, and a Super Bowl Champion. After his playing career, Ed remained connected to the Chiefs organization and was a founding member of the Kansas City Ambassadors."

Budde played his college football at Michigan State, a 1963 first-round pick in both leagues (the NFL and AFL were rival leagues at the time), being picked fourth in the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and eighth in the AFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Budde clearly made the right decision as the Chiefs faced off against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I, losing 35-10, but returned to the big game in Super Bowl IV, beating the Minnesota Vikings 23-7.

The Eagles, on the other hand, would not win their first Super Bowl until 2018, beating New England 41-33 in Super Bowl LII. Prior to that, the team won three championships (1948, 1949, and 1960), all back when the playoff championship was decided among the two conference champs, meaning a single playoff game to determine the league champion.

Budde was a 5-time AFL All-Star, a 2-time First-Team AFL player, and a 2-time Pro Bowl player. He was also inducted into the Kansas City Chief’s Hall of Fame at the conclusion of the 1976 season.

One more note on his career that is pretty significant, he was the first offensive lineman (guard) to have ever been named as the AP Offensive Player of the Week, winning that honor in 1968.

Rest in peace, sir, for you were a true gridiron warrior.