Willie Lanier, a Hall of Famer who played for the Chiefs in the 1960s and 70s, was the first African-American to play middle linebacker in pro football. He made eight straight Pro Bowls, was a leader of the Kansas City defense that dominated the Vikings in Super Bowl IV, and in his final 10 years missed just one game. Lanier’s spectacular career helped shatter a stereotype of that time that black players weren’t smart enough to play middle linebacker. Nicknamed “Contact” because he was a hard hitter and vicious tackler, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound Lanier was a second round pick out of Morgan State in 1967. “We don’t particularly care what color he is,” Chiefs head coach Hank Stram said at the time. Lanier retired from football in 1977 with 27 career interceptions.