The Kansas City Chiefs have had plenty of Super Bowl heroes lately, with most of them being a byproduct of the pairing between quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. It hasn’t always been like this for the Chiefs, though, and one of the Chiefs original Super Bowl heroes, receiver Frank Pitts, passed away late last week at the age of 82.
Pitts had his Super Bowl moment in the sun in the fourth iteration of the game as the Chiefs bested the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, in 1970. It was one of the first Super Bowl victories for an AFL team, tracking on the New York Jets’ upset victory over the then-Baltimore Colts the year before.
Pitts role was pivotal. He was Kansas City’s speed receiver that year, and he finished second among Chiefs receivers with 31 receptions. He had a key 41-yard reception against the Oakland Raiders in the Chiefs' AFC Championship Game victory that year, and he went onto be one of the unexpected stars in Super Bowl IV with three catches and three carries on reverses in the Super Bowl.
His heroics started with a 20-yard reception that set up Kansas City’s first field goal by kicker Jan Stenerud, and a 19-yard run on an end-around set up the third field goal as the Chiefs went on to a 23-7 victory. Pitts finished with 70 total yards in that game.
The wide receiver joined the Chiefs in 1965 as a fourth-round pick out of Southern University, but he didn’t have much of an impact initially. The Chiefs’ main offensive weapon back then was star receiver Otis Taylor, but Pitts remained a starter when he got into the lineup.
Pitts was traded to the Cleveland Browns the next year, and he went on to play thee seasons for the Browns and another for the then-Oakland Raiders. He ended his ten-year career with 175 receptions for 2,897 yards and 16.6 yards per catch to go with 27 touchdowns.
Pitts also rushed for another 257 yards on just 28 carries along with a touchdown, and his role in coach Hank Stram’s motion offense was the predecessor to a lot of what the Chiefs are doing today under Andy Reid.
The Atlanta native eventually moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana which is where his funeral services will be held. He had three children with his wife, Diane Guidry Pitts, and his grandson, Brandon Bolden, played running back for the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders.