Ed Podolak: “Hard-Working Dude Who Played the Game” – “One player I always remember growing up and listening on the radio was Ed Podolak. Just a hard-working dude who played the game. Maybe not an all-time great but he was to me.”

That was what ArrowheadOne reader Ron Widman posted after my last article.

I upvoted his comment, appreciative of the tip and made a note to research Podolak. I had heard of him before, but, in all honesty, I did not know if I would actually put in the time and effort to research.

Well, I did. Man, am I glad I did. Thank you, Ron!

Podolak played for the Chiefs for nine years, from 1969 until 1977. And as Ron stated, he just was a, “Hard-working dude who played the game.“

The Chiefs selected the small-town farm boy from Atlantic, Iowa in the 2nd round of the 1969 draft, Podolak was a Chief, but not a factor in the Chiefs defeat of the Minnesota Vikings in their sole Super Bowl win in 1970.

Podolak retired a Chief, leaving the NFL in 1977.

In those nine years, Podolak played in 104 games, rushed for 4451 yards, caught 288 passes for 2456 yards, and returned 120 kickoffs and punts for close to 1500 yards. His average on punts was 8.6, and kickoffs were 20.5.

Podolak banked a total of 40 touchdowns (34 rushing, 6 receiving) for the Chiefs in his nine years.

Those numbers may seem paltry to youngsters, but they are impressive for the era in which he played. Rules were few and rarely enforced. Running backs were fair game for a linebacker in want of laying a lick, legal or not.

Podolak led the Chiefs in rushing four times, in receiving three times, and in punt returns three times.

Upon his retirement, Podolak held the Chiefs career records for rushing yards, most pass receptions by a running back, and was our leading punt returner.

Podolak’s greatest game came in a divisional playoff game on Christmas Day in 1971. Podolak took the field in Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and performed a feat still unmatched almost 50 years later. The rugged all-purpose Chief set an all-time NFL record with 350 total yards (85 rushing yards, 110 running yards, and 155 return yards). He also scored two touchdowns in the game.

“… I’m still tired. I think Nick Buoniconti tackled me 20 times in that game or something. We ran into each other a number of times that afternoon. I know late in the game, he was laying on top of me in the second overtime, and I looked up at him and said, ‘Do you think this thing will ever be over?’,”- Podolak on his Christmas Day performance in 1971

Alas, it was all for a losing cause. The Miami Dolphins defeated the Chiefs in a 27-24 double-overtime loss on that fateful Christmas Day. The game remains the longest game ever in NFL history at 82 minutes and 40 seconds.

“The greatest one-man performance I’ve ever seen in football.” – Curt Gowdy on Podolak’s 1971 Christmas Day effort

https://youtu.be/MHjL8jy7-Kc

The Chiefs inducted their versatile, hard-to-tackle, but not so speedy RB to the Chiefs Ring of Honor in 1989. “I could run backwards faster than Ed Podolak.” – Chiefs Hall of Fame LB/DE Bobby Bell

Football is a much different game today, as are the players. However, what inspires me and fills me with hope is that today’s Chiefs are just “hard-working dudes.”

Nowadays, our Chiefs often gift us with tweets of them putting in the work on their off-hours during the offseason to show their commitment to not only the game, and not only the Chiefs but also to their ultimate goal coming soon to a big-screen TV to you on February 2, 2020. That is some Ed Podolak-level stuff there, and that’s what we need from our Chiefs this year and years to come.

We need hard-working dudes who play the game. That mentality and work ethic make Super Bowls happen, as did Podolak with the Chiefs almost 50 years ago.

I, for one, am excited about it.

Bonus Fun Fact: Podolak and singer Jimmy Buffett have been friends since the 1980’s. Buffet’s hit song, “We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About” was written for Podolak. When asked about it, the great Chiefs player shrugged and said, “Well, it was the eighties. There were no cell phones with cameras back then.“

Michael Travis Rose — ArrowheadOne

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