Lanier was born in Clover and attended Maggie L. Walker High School in Richmond, Virginia. According to a DNA analysis, he descended, mainly, from Jola people of Guinea Bissau.[1]
Lynch had been chosen to play in the annual College All-Star game, causing him to miss the first two weeks of Chiefs ' practice. By the time Lynch made it to camp, Lanier had already established himself as the team's middle linebacker, and the American Football League had another first: the first black middle linebacker in Professional Football history. In the midst of a solid first season, Lanier suffered an injury and missed the last four games of the year
The following year, Lanier collected four interceptions, then matched that total in 1969 as he helped the Chiefs capture Super Bowl IV with a 23-7 upset of the Minnesota Vikings. Lanier was stellar in the Super Bowl, recording 7 tackles and an interception. Lanier later commented on the increased motivation that Chiefs players felt because of wearing an AFL patch to honor the league's final year.
There were numerous great moments throughout his career, but none exemplifies his heart and desire as much as the Chiefs' goal line stand against the New York Jets in the 1969 divisional playoff game. Leading 6-3 in the fourth quarter, New York had a first-and-goal at the Chiefs' one-yard line after a pass interference call on Kansas City. It was then that Lanier made an emotional appeal to the rest of the Chiefs defense. "They're not going to score!" Lanier yelled at this teammates. "They're not going to score!" The Chiefs shut down the Jets on three straight plays and held them to a field goal. When Kansas City scored a touchdown on its next possession, the game was over. The first important step to the Super Bowl was complete.
The Chiefs would reach the NFL playoffs only one more time during Lanier's career, in 1971, winning the AFC Western Division title. On Christmas Day, in the final contest at Municipal Stadium, the Chiefs' season came to an end against the Miami Dolphins in a double overtime classic. The contest was the longest game in NFL history, clocking in at more than 82 minutes.
In 1972, the Chiefs moved to Arrowhead Stadium, but the change would not serve the team well, since by 1974, the team's talent had been depleted by age and injuries. After the conclusion of that season, Stram was fired after 15 years at the helm.
The linebacking trio of Lanier, Lynch and fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Bell is recognized as one of the most talented in professional football history, lasting until the arrival of new head coach Paul Wiggin in 1975.
Lanier was traded in April 1978 to the Baltimore Colts, but retired just three months later as training camp was set to get under way.
"Contact"[]
Lanier was known as Contact, a name coined by Chiefs' teammate Jerry Mays in 1967. As Lanier remembered: "Since I unfortunately followed the style of tackling that we were taught at that time - that was to use your head first of hitting players in the middle of their body. It was done in a rather aggressive manner".
But Lanier's uncontrolled tackling resulted in Chiefs' equipment manager Bobby Yarborough outfitting Lanier's helmet with extra padding. The padding was not on the inside of the helmet to protect Lanier but rather, as some photos of him in uniform show, on the outside of the helmet to protect the player he was tackling.
While renowned for his hitting ability, Lanier was also fast, agile and disciplined, finishing his career with 27 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries.
Interceptions
Fumbles
Season
Games
Int
Yds
Avg
TD
FumRec
Yds
TotScore
1967
10
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1968
14
4
120
30
1
0
0
6
1969
14
4
70
17.5
0
1
5
0
1970
14
2
2
1
0
2
0
0
1971
14
2
38
19
0
3
3
0
1972
13
2
2
1.0
0
2
0
0
1973
14
3
47
15.7
1
3
10
0
1974
14
2
28
14
0
2
3
6
1975
14
5
105
21
0
0
0
2
1976
14
3
28
9.3
0
2
0
0
1977
14
0
0
0.0
0
2
0
0
Total
149
27
440
16.3
2
18
21
14
Punt Return
Kick Returns
Season
PR
Yds
Avg
TD
KR
Yds
Avg
TD
1967
0
0
0
0
1
1
1.0
0
Honors[]
Willie Lanier received All-Pro (AFL ALL-Star or All-AFC) mention every year, appearing in all-star games from 1968 to 1975 (his first two in the AFL and his last six in the AFC). In 1986 he achieved Pro Football Hall of Fame status.
1971. Elected to NFL 's AFC-NFCPro Bowl Game. Defensive MVP of the league (co-winner).
1972. Elected to NFL 's AFC-NFCPro Bowl Game (MVP-defense of the match). NFL 's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (charitable work as player-citizen).
1973. Elected to NFL 's AFC-NFCPro Bowl Game.
1974. Elected to NFL 's AFC-NFCPro Bowl Game.
1975. Elected to NFL 's AFC-NFCPro Bowl Game.
1985. Chiefs ' Hall of Fame.
1986. Second Chiefs ' player inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame by the National Football League for the class of this year, at Canton, Ohio. Also in 1986, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1999, he was ranked number 42 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking Chief.
After the NFL[]
After Lanier's retirement, the Chiefs retired both Lanier's and Bell's numbers.
Lanier returned to school, taking graduate courses at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He then returned to Virginia as a stockbroker, at First Union Securities, where he served as vice-chairman. He is the former CEO of TDS/US, the minority venture partner of TDS Logistics (now Syncreon).
Willie Lanier served as a board member of TDS Automotive, the minority-owned branch of TDS Logistics.
1974. The Black Six. As Tommy Bunka. Directed by Matt Cimber (Matteo Ottaviano). Drama about racism in a southern town, with six black bikers (The Black Six) avenging the death of a friend. Lanier teamed with other greatest stars of the 1970s (Joe Greene, Carl Eller, Gene Washington, Mercury Morris).
