Jim Lynch
Linebacker
Career: 1967-1977
Induction: 1989
"I think that Jim Lynch is probably one of the most consistently outstanding football players. He plays the same way every week and you just can't realize how very important that is," said former head coach Hank Stram.
This quote is a small testament to a football player who played the game with relentless commitment, ignoring all physical limitations and performing at the peak of his skill on each and every defensive play. Jim Lynch dedicated himself to making every personal sacrifice necessary for the team's success.
Jim Lynch, Willie Lanier, and Bobby Bell were the heart of the Chief's linebacking corps often considered one of the greatest linebacking units in the game. The trio played together for eight memorable seasons, '67 - '74, highlighted by a '68 visit to the AFL All-Star game and a Super Bowl IV victory. Lynch recorded 4 tackles in that victory over Minnesota.
For most of his career, Lynch manned the right linebacker spot, where he intercepted 17 passes and recovered 14 fumbles, which ties him with Deron Cherry for the third-most in franchise history. He also scored one touchdown.
His steady play, coupled with durability, made him an asset. Lynch played in 151 games for the Chiefs. At one point during his career, he played in 142 straight games. Many of Lynch's teammates would gladly testify to the toughness of the man.
Once, after a defeat to the Oakland Raiders, Lynch collapsed on the plan from pure exhaustion. When you are playing with the immeasurable drive, desire, and commitment to win, the physical costs are immaterial. As the team doctors revived him with smelling salts, the hushed silence of the plane dissipated, Jim Lynch used every ounce of his energy out on that field that day.
"So often you hear things about people who should be viewed as role models. Jim Lynch is one of those people. Jim is a person who could be emulated by anyone, and you would be a better person," said former teammate Willie Lanier. Lynch graduated from Notre Dame in 1967 with a B.A. in sociology. He earned the 1966 Maxwell Trophy as the nation's top player. He is currently vice-president at D. Thomas and Associates, a food brokerage house where he has worked since his playing days.
