

Hank Stram

Hank Stram, a Hall of Fame head coach in the 1960s and 70s, mostly for the Chiefs, was known for his strategic innovations, impeccable dress, quirky vocabulary, and unforgettable mic’d up performance in Super Bowl IV. Born in Chicago in 1923, Stram – who had a round fleshy face and was known as “Dapper Dan” for the beautiful suits he wore on the sidelines – looked like an actor portraying a football coach in Hollywood. Stram had a unique lingo: he affectionately called his players “rats,” and himself “The Mentor,” which he employed in the third person. On the field, his tactical innovations included the moving pocket, the two-tight end formation and the 3-4 defense. His most famous moment came when he wore a microphone throughout Super Bowl IV, in which the Chiefs beat heavily-favored Minnesota. “Just keep matriculating the ball down the field, boys,” he said at one point. His most famous play call, “65 Toss Power Trap,” resulted in a touchdown and to an entertaining celebration by Stram himself. “Was that there rats?” he jubilantly said, after the score. “Nice going baby. Yes sir, rats! Yes sir, boys."
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