1969 Football Season Notes

Before winning the Super Bowl title in 2019, the Kansas City Chiefs last won the crown after the 1969 season.

Some notes from the ’69 season, concerning two players that were traded either during or after that season, Bruce Gossett and Noland Smith follow.

Gossett was an all-star kicker for both the L.A. Rams and their rival San Francisco 49ers. After the ’69 season, Gossett a Rams player from (’64-’69), was traded to the 49ers.

Twice in that span, (’67 and ’69), the Rams won division titles (it was the Coastal Division, in existence from ’67-’69) with Gossett and then Bruce was the 49ers kicker in their first 3 playoff seasons (’70-’72). In Gossett’s last two seasons, his former team, the Rams won the division (NFC West) title.

Meanwhile, the diminutive, great return man, Noland Smith played with K.C. in full seasons, (’67 and ’68), before being traded by the eventual ’69 champion Chiefs, to the Niners during the ’69 season. (of course the Chiefs beat the Niners in the most recent Supe).

Noland went an incredible, exciting 106 yards for a kickoff return touchdown for K.C.,  vs the Denver Broncos, in December 1967.

In ’70 the year after he left football, Noland Smith was in a great movie. Its title, being MASH.

The “Big Cat,” Ernie Ladd (#99) and Noland Smith, pictured, as Chiefs’ players, above.