Jack Steadman obit

Chiefs' title architect Jack Steadman dies at 86

 

He was not on the list.

Longtime Kansas City Chiefs executive Jack Steadman, who spent more than four decades with the franchise and helped build its only Super Bowl team, died Sunday. He was 86.

Steadman died of natural causes, the Chiefs said in a statement. Steadman had been dealing with Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.

“Jack played a key role in the development of the American Football League and was also an influential figure in the success of the Chiefs,” Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said.

Steadman helped Lamar Hunt found the AFL and the Dallas Texans, the franchise that moved to Kansas City. Steadman became general manager in 1966, building the team that beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

In the early 1960s, Steadman worked with businessman Lamar Hunt to establish the American Football League and the Dallas Texans. In 1963 the team moved to Kansas City, Missouri when Steadman and Hunt negotiated with Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle to move the Texans to Kansas City as the Chiefs.

In 1967, Kansas City was considering replacing its aging Municipal Stadium with a new multi-use stadium for both its baseball and football teams. Denver self-educated architect Charles Deaton suggested to Steadman that the teams would be better served if each sport had its own stadium that was configured to its unique demands but that the complex reduce costs by sharing parking and highway expenses. The architect firm Kivett and Myers perfected the plan (adding a rolling roof) and voters approved it. (The rolling roof, however, was never added.) Arrowhead Stadium opened in 1972 alongside Royals Stadium (now known as Kauffman Stadium), which opened in 1973.

The rolling roof was not to be built but the concept established Kivett and its successors in Kansas City as the dominant architects for almost all single-purpose major league baseball and football stadiums that have been built since. In 2005, the rolling roof plan re-emerged as part of Kansas City's bid to host Super Bowl XLIX, but the measure failed in the polls.

Steadman was named General Manager to Executive Vice President and General Manager in 1966; in August 1976 he was named President of the Chiefs; and in 1989 was named Chairman of the Board. During Steadman's term as President (1976–1989), the Chiefs entered a period of decline in which they never entered the playoffs for 15 years and only had four winning seasons.

In 2005, Steadman was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame, the only executive other than Lamar Hunt to be honored with induction. Also in 2005, Steadman was appointed as the club's Vice Chairman of the Board where he served through the end of the 2006 season until his retirement.

Steadman has joined Hunt in other ventures including Hunt Midwest Enterprises, Hunt Martin Materials, Hunt Midwest Real Estate Development Company. Steadman and Hunt developed Worlds of Fun, a 165-acre (0.67 km2) family entertainment complex which opened in 1973 with Oceans of Fun following in 1982. They were sold in 1995 to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Notable players, coaches and managers who worked under Steadman include: Hank Stram, Len Dawson, Johnny Robinson, Abner Haynes, Sherrill Headrick, E. J. Holub, Mel Branch, Chris Burford, Cotton Davidson, Bill Krisher, Jon Gilliam, Paul Rochester, Dave Webster, Jim Tryer, Jerry Mays, Curtis McClinton, Marvin Terrell, Fred Arbanas, Sherrill Headrick, Jerry Cornelison, Ed Budde, Walt Corey, Duane Wood, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Mack Lee Hill, Bobby Hunt, Tommy Brooker, Frank Jackson, Mike Garrett, Otis Taylor, Jacky Lee, Jerrel Wilson, Jan Stenerud, Emmitt Thomas, Willie Lanier, Jim Lynch, Curley Culp, Jim Marsalis, Ed Podolak, Paul Lowe, Tom Flores, Mike Livingston, Frank Pitts, John Huarte, Jim Kearney, Dave Hill, Robert Holmes, Wendell Hayes, Jack Rudnay, Wilbur Young, Cleo Miller, John Matuszak, MacArthur Lane, Kenny Reardon, Jim Schaaf, Paul Wiggin, Tom Bettis, Gary Green, John Brockington, Gary Barbaro, Marv Levy, J.T. Smith, Henry Marshall, Carlos Carson, Zenon Andrusyshyn, Bob Grupp, Steve Fuller, Bill Kenney, Art Still, Matt Herkenhoff, Mike Bell, Gary Spani, Bobby Ross, Nick Lowery, Joe Delaney, Lloyd Burruss, Bob Gagliano, Ted Cottrell, Frank Gansz, Deron Cherry, Jeff Gossett, Brad Budde, Tom Condon, John Mackovic, Todd Blackledge, Theotis Brown, Stephone Paige, Albert Lewis, Jim Arnold, Herman Heard, John Alt, Bill Maas, Kevin Ross, Mike Pruitt, Irv Eatman, Christian Okoye, Carl Peterson, Dino Hackett, Steve DeBerg, Neil Smith, Larry Moriarty, Jonathan Hayes, Jack Del Rio, Derrick Thomas, Marty Schottenheimer, Pete Mandley, Mike Webster, Mike Junkin, Ron Jaworski, Tim Grunhard, Bryan Barker, Steve Pelluer, Dan Saleaumua, Barry Word, Harvey Williams, Kimble Anders, J. J. Birden, Frank Winters, Dale Carter, Mike Baab, Herman Edwards, Dave Szott, Marcus Allen, Joe Montana, Will Shields, Dave Adolph, Dave Krieg, John Stephens, Martin Bayless, Steve Bono, Louie Aguiar, Mike McCarthy, Art Shell, Gunther Cunningham, Tony Richardson, Webster Slaughter, Jerome Woods, Joe Horn, Donnie Edwards, Al Saunders, Greg Hill, Rich Gannon, Andre Rison, James Hasty, Tony Gonzalez, Elvis Grbac, Pete Stoyanovich, Dan Williams, Leslie O'Neal, Michael Dean Perry, Bam Morris, Tim Grunhard, Gary Stills, John Tait, Warren Moon, Todd Collins, Derrick Alexander, Dante Hall, Marcus Spears, Jeff Blackshear, Todd Sauerbrun, Todd Peterson, Brian Waters, Priest Holmes, Dick Vermeil, Charlie Joiner, Trent Green, Casey Wiegmann, Dan Stryzinski, Eddie Kennison, Eric Warfield, Willie Roaf, Johnnie Morton, Morten Anderson, Jerome Woods, Larry Johnson, Jason Baker, Kendall Gammon, Damon Huard, Jared Allen, Derrick Johnson, Patrick Surtain, Kendrell Bell, Sammy Knight, Tamba Hali, Ty Law, John Carney and Eddie Drummond.