E.J. Holub
Linebacker/Center
Career: 1961-1970
Induction: 1975
Nine major knee operations have taken their toll on E.J. Holub. The Likeable cowboy from Texas Tech used his legs to good purpose while starting for the Kansas City Chiefs at both linebacker and center.
Now, he sits tall in the saddle and manages a spread in Copan, Okla. The three-time All-Star lets his horse do the walking today as the surgeon's knife has left him a stiff leg that make it almost impossible, at times to climb aboard his favorite horse.
But the surgeon's knife never kept him from playing with the type of intensity that made him a fan favorite and a player his teammates revered.
He once said of his battle-scarred knee, "I look like I lost a knife fight with a midget." But if would take more than a knife wielding midget to take the fight out of Holub.
He will always be remembered for his broad grin, big heart, and gimpy knees. He's also the answer to a trivia question. Who is the only player to start two Super Bowls at two different positions, one on offense and one of defense?
Holub started the first world championship game between the AFL and NFL (before it was called the Super Bowl) at linebacker. He started Super Bowl IV at center and was a driving force in helping the Chiefs run past Minnesota 23-7.
He was a leader. He was a holler guy. And he was a team player. The stories of his endurance for pain are legendary. He would literally spend hours in the training room, watching blood and a liquid drain form his knee, then go out to the field and perform like he was 100 percent from a physical standpoint.
He was an institution in Kansas City and although he's been gone for years, he still receives a warm welcome every time he steps onto the field, resplendent in cowboy boots, and 10-gallon hat, to say hello once again to the fans who chanted his name while he helped the Chiefs achieve the glory years of the 1960s.
