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Hank Stram, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2003, passed away today at the age of 82.

Stram grew up in Gary, Indiana and attended Purdue University. He was invited to play in the College All Star Game in 1943 but could not play because he enlisted in the Army Reserves and was called to active duty two months before the game. After three years in the service, Stram returned to Purdue where he graduated in 1948. He served for eight years as Purdue’s backfield coach. He then coached at Southern Methodist University, Notre Dame and Miami of Florida before being named head coach of the Dallas Texans in 1960. The team eventually moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. Stram left the Chiefs in 1975 for broadcasting but returned to the sideline a year later to coach the Saints for two years.

"Hank is really symbolic of the coaching style and the coaching personality of the American Football League," (Lamar) Hunt said. "Maybe he never would have gotten a chance anywhere else. Hank personified the American Football League. He was a salesman. He was an innovator. He wasn't afraid to try new things."

Just think, we hired Bill Meek instead of "Henry" Stram in 1957. Meek brought his whole staff from Houston and Stram was without a job after one season on Woody Woodard's ill-fated staff. Off he went to Notre Dame and beyond. Imagine Stram and Don Meredith in 1957-59!

As for the quote, couldn't we use some people more like Hunt describes? A salesman, an innovater, wasn't afraid to try new things.

Love live to 65 toss power trap!

SMU also had O.A. 'Bum' Phillips on its coaching staff a short time after Stram was there. Oh, the possibilities!

I always felt that though Stram was an innovator, he couldn't bear to turnover his players. He left KC in shambles with an old team that couldn't compete. He had maybe the second best QB who ever played at SMU but Lenny was the man for Stram. It was interesting that when Dawson went down during the Chiefs championship season that rookie Mike Livingsaton led them to either 5 or 6 staight wins without a loss. The only losses that year were under Dawson.
Stram did some radical things on D too and really challenged the offense, Great X and O coach. He is an icon still in KC.
I believe Stram reapplied to try to get the SMU job in the late 70's about the time he was either getting or getting fired from the NO job but I may be mistaken. Henry was a character and will be missed.
BTW- Meredith didn't exactly languish under Meek. He was a 2 time AA you know. You don't make AA 2 years in a row at QB unless you have a pretty good team. He played in an extremely innovative offense which looked a little like what they call the West Coast offense today. Before all the experts come out and bash me, I said a LITTLE.

After Fry was fired, the finalists for the vacancy were Bum Phillips and Dave Smith. If we had hired Phillips instead of Smith who knows what might have been. One of those wish you could turn back the clock moments. Probably the worst coaching hire in our history.

Without a doubt.

My dad met Hank when he was at SMU and stayed friendly with him after Stram moved up to KC and dad moved up to work at Kansas U. Stram was practically the Mustangs' co-head coach with Chalmer Woodard back in the 1950s. I have an old tape of the 1956 Tel-Ra telecast of the SMU-Notre Dame game and Stram is given equal billing with Woody.

Hank was a great guy. I was lucky enough to meet him a couple of times in the 1970s when he was still with the Chiefs. Dad thought Stram was one of the better offensive coaches around. I wish I could say I really appreciated those times and but I was a kid. I do recall that he spoke well of his days in Big D both on the Hilltop and with the Texans.

RIP, Hank.

newshound wrote:"

As for the quote, couldn't we use some people more like Hunt describes? A salesman, an innovater, wasn't afraid to try new things.

Love live to 65 toss power trap!

AMEN