Willie Lanier Biography

Willie Edward Lanier, born on August 21, 1945, played professional football as a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967 to 1977. He earned postseason honors for eight straight years, making the AFL All-Star team in 1968 and 1969, and was selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975. Lanier was a Super Bowl champion and received the NFL Man of the Year award in 1972. He was named to both the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Lanier chose to attend Morgan State College instead of accepting a full scholarship to Virginia State University because he wanted to escape segregation and saw better employment opportunities in business administration in the north. He joined the team as a walk-on and made the roster in 1963. In 1966, Morgan State, led by Lanier as its most notable player, was invited to play in the Tangerine Bowl against the West Chester Rams of Pennsylvania.