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What No. 30 is lacking in star power, it makes up for it in trivia questions.
Our path to sorting out the greatest players and most memorable stories behind each number in Kansas City Chiefs history has come to No. 30, and it's a doozy if you love anecdotes. From the man who would coach Jerry Rice at a small school to the team's first ever AFL Championship MVP to the courier who carried an all-time message of "65 Toss Power Trap," here's the rundown of the best things about No. 30.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 30
The Best: Jack Spikes
Three players in Dallas Texans/Chiefs history were named AFL Championship MVP in the franchise's earliest days, and two are obvious mentions. Quarterback Len Dawson won the award in '66 and wide receiver Otis Taylor in '69. The other, however, is a complete unknown to most fans of the franchise: Jack Spikes.
Spikes joined the Texans in 1960 after being drafted in the first round by both NFL and AFL teams. He was a two-way player in his first two years as both fullback and kicker before going full-time in the Chiefs' backfield in '62. That year is when he led both teams in rushing with 77 yards, including a 33-yard run to set up the game-winning field goal for Tommy Brooker in double overtime.
Spikes, who has an all-time name for the sport, played in the franchise's first five seasons before being phased out by Abner Haynes and Mack Lee Hill. He would play declining snaps over the years, but he still managed to cobble together 1,960 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns in his career in Dallas/K.C.
The Courier: Gloster Richardson
Calling a play used to look a lot different. Before radios were installed in helmets, head coaches either sent in subs to relay the preferred call or relied on quarterbacks to discern things in the huddle. Chiefs head coach Hank Stram wanted more control than that, which meant sending regular couriers in from the sideline to relay his preferences.
In Super Bowl IV, with the Chiefs up 9-0 near the Minnesota Vikings' goal line, Stram sent Gloster Richardson in with the play. Then, while mic'd up for NFL Films, he happened to say: "65 Toss Power Trap ... that might pop right open." Those famous words have echoed for decades in Chiefs Kingdom and beyond because he was right. The misdirection allowed Mike Garrett a free pass up the middle into the end zone for a 16-0 lead and the rout was on.
As for Richardson's actual on-field impact, it took some time for him to make his mark after sitting on the practice squad for two seasons and playing sparingly in another before breaking out in 1968 with 22 catches for 494 yards and 6 scores. He caught 12 touchdowns in four seasons on the active roster before moving on to Dallas, where he earned a second ring from Super Bowl VI. For a short time after retirement, he was wide receivers coach at Mississippi Valley State, where a certain pupil named Jerry Rice happened to play.
The Plan B Safety: Martin Bayless
Martin Bayless arrived in K.C. in 1992 as a Plan B free agent, a product of the NFL's short-lived attempt to allow at least some player movement before real free agency was forced upon league owners. Plan B allowed a team to protect its 37 most valuable players and expose the rest to sign anywhere for nothing. For Bayless, that meant being viewed as an aging castoff at safety by the Chargers, which allowed the Chiefs to acquire a starter. Bayless enjoyed a nice 13-year career, with four of his last five seasons spent in K.C. with a year in Washington in between.
The Muscle for Marty: Donnell Bennett
In 1994, the Chiefs liked the bruising backfield at work in the Miami Hurricanes' title-winning offense and drafted fullback Donnell Bennett in the second round. For six years, Bennett slowly grew into a pivotal piece of Marty Schottenheimer's offense, so that by the late-nineties, he was the team's leading rusher in both 1998-99. Bennett finished his Chiefs career with 1,902 rushing yards and 17 scores on the ground. He continues working with the team's Ambassadors program even today after seven years on the active roster.
The Unlucky Vet: Mike Brown
Mike Brown came to the Chiefs in 2009 as a two-time All-Pro safety (2001, 2005) cut loose by the Bears after nine seasons with the team. What's crazy is that he stayed healthy for K.C. in a miserable 4-12 season with solid production (103 total tackles, 3 INTs, 2 sacks) after missing time in the previous four seasons with several injuries, including Lisfranc surgery and a torn Achilles. Brown would call it quits after sticking it out in K.C. for that one year.
The Current Wearer: Christian Roland-Wallace
A nice undrafted find for the Chiefs in 2024 out of USC, Roland-Wallace has turned into a versatile role player in the secondary who can line up at slot corner and both safety spots while serving as a core-four player on special teams. Coming off of a season-ending back injury, it will be interesting to see where the Chiefs use him in a completely reconfigured secondary in 2026.
Et Cetera
- Mark Robinson, S - More famous for his two decades of work as a USF radio analyst than he is for his work as a rotational DB for the Chiefs from 1984-87.
- Jamell Fleming, CB - Signed off the Ravens practice squad and spent two years as a depth corner for the Chiefs in 2004-05.
- Cleo Miller, RB - Longtime Browns running back who was dealt there by the Chiefs in the middle of his second season in '75.
- Lyle West, S - Special teamer for two seasons in 2003-04 after being let go by the Giants.
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This article was originally published on arrowheadaddict.com as Chiefs history at No. 30 includes one unforgettable Super Bowl messenger.
