[KChiefs1]

1969 Kansas City Chiefs defense influenced famed Steel Curtain
by
Kirk Larrabee

The vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s is routinely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the NFL, but the ideas it implemented started with another all-time great defense -- the one the Kansas City Chiefs fielded during their Super Bowl-winning season of 1969.

Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Joe Greene, who is the face of the Steel Curtain defense and one of just two Steelers to have his number retired, told the Talk of Fame Network recently that his defense was heavily influenced by the unit the Chiefs rode to their lone Super Bowl win years before.

“That was the first great defense,” Greene told Rick Gosselin of the Talk of Fame Network. “We tried to emulate the Chiefs. We ran the KC Stack my first three years. Several other teams tried to run it as well. That was the defense we were playing (in the 1972 AFC title game, a 21-17 loss) when the Dolphins went undefeated. I was playing over the tackle instead of over the guard. Obviously, we didn’t play it as well as Kansas City did. We got better when we played the stunt 4-3.”

The Talk of Fame Network is bringing the 1969 Chiefs back into the spotlight due to one of its players, defensive back Johnny Robinson, being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February. Robinson will officially become a member of the Hall of Fame during this year's enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio on August 3.

He'll become the sixth player from the 1969 Chiefs defense to enter the Hall of Fame, joining linebacker Bobby Bell, defensive lineman Buck Buchanan, defensive lineman Curley Culp, linebacker Willie Lanier, and defensive back Emmitt Thomas. Only the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s have as many Hall of Famers from a single defense as the 1969 Chiefs.

The numbers put up by the Chiefs defense in 1969 were eye-popping. According to Pro Football Reference, the Chiefs gave up just 1,091 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the season along with just 2,072 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns while forcing 32 interceptions. They ranked first in all those categories, as well as points allowed (177), total yards allowed (3,163), rushing yards per attempt (3.5), turnovers (47), and first downs allowed (181). They gave up just 20 points in three playoff games, capped off by a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl.

Robinson had to go through a long wait before getting the Pro Football Hall of Fame call, but on August 3 he'll be getting a rightful spot among his former teammates. Others to be inducted with Robinson in the 2019 class include Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Gil Brandt, and Pat Bowlen.

"I’ll be honest with you – I didn’t feel like I was going to get in," Robinson told the Kansas City Star in February. "I’m 80 years old, so I figure a guy that’s 80 years old, what chance does he got to go in the Hall of Fame?"