The Story of Len Dawson Smoking a Cigarette at Super Bowl I
Photo by Bill Ray/The LIFE Picture Collection
It's January 15, 1967, the date of the inaugural Super Bowl, where the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Green Bay Packers. Amidst the fervor of the game, a moment of repose is captured, one that would become emblematic of a bygone era in professional sports.
This moment involves Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, who, during halftime, is photographed in a scene that starkly contrasts with today's athlete culture. Seated on a folding chair, Dawson is the epitome of calm, with a lit cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Fresca at his feet, his gaze fixed, perhaps, on the distance or simply lost in thought. The Chiefs would end up losing to the Packers, but
The man behind the lens is Bill Ray, a photographer for LIFE magazine, known for capturing moments that cut through the public persona to reveal the human side of his subjects. On this day, his camera finds Dawson, not in the throes of competition, but in a moment of solitude. It's a candid scene, and yet, at the time, it was deemed too ordinary for publication. LIFE's editors passed over the photo, relegating it to the archives, where it would remain unseen by the public for decades.
Fast forward to the present, and the image sees the light of day for the first time, now viewed through a lens tinted with nostalgia and curiosity. It stands as a testament to the era's social norms, where smoking, even among athletes, was not only common but unremarkable. The photo's composition—Dawson's relaxed posture, the casual placement of the Fresca, the smoke curling from the cigarette—captures a moment of tranquility amidst the competitive storm of the Super Bowl.
The backstory of how this photo came to be is as compelling as the image itself. Dawson's halftime break, captured thanks to the unprecedented access granted to Ray, reflects a time when the boundaries between the public and private moments of athletes were more permeable. Hank Stram, the Chiefs' head coach, had struck a deal with LIFE magazine, allowing Ray to document the team's Super Bowl journey from an insider's perspective. This access enabled Ray to capture not just the spectacle of the game but the quieter, introspective moments that are often lost in the grand narrative of professional sports.
As the photo gains a second life, it invites reflection on how the culture surrounding sports and athletes has evolved. From the changing attitudes toward health and wellness to the shifting dynamics of media access and the portrayal of athletes, Dawson's halftime moment serves as a marker of change. For Kansas City residents and Chiefs fans, the image holds a special significance, connecting them to a pivotal chapter in their team's history and offering a glimpse into the life of one of its most revered figures.
To truly appreciate the depth of this moment, one might imagine a collection of photos: Bill Ray at work, capturing the unseen moments of Super Bowl I; the bustling, smoky locker room, a stark contrast to today's polished facilities; and the faces of the Chiefs, unaware of the historical significance of the game they're playing. Together, these images weave a richer tapestry of the day, highlighting the unique blend of personal and professional that defines sports at its best.