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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Bobby Hunt, a standout defensive back on two AFL championship teams with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and one of the league's premier ballhawks of the 1960s, died. He was 85.
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted Hunt in 2015, announced his death on social media July 29.
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"The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame mourns the passing of 2015 Inductee Bobby Hunt," read the Hall of Fame's post on Twitter/X. "Hunt played quarterback and defensive back at Auburn University. He was drafted by the Dallas Texans in the 11th round of the 1962 AFL Draft."
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Hunt's football career stretched from unbeaten high school teams in Alabama to the first Super Bowl, to the coaching sidelines of the NFL.
Born Aug. 15, 1940, in Lanett, Alabama, Hunt emerged as one of the state's top high school athletes. He starred at quarterback for Lanett High School, helping lead the program to two undefeated seasons while earning first-team All-State honors as a senior.
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Hunt also excelled in basketball before enrolling at Auburn, where he played both quarterback and defensive back. As a sophomore in 1959, he was named the SEC Sophomore of the Year, establishing himself as one of the conference's most versatile players.
The Dallas Texans selected Hunt in the 11th round of the 1962 AFL Draft. He made an immediate impact, intercepting eight passes as a rookie, earning first-team All-AFL honors, and helping the Texans win the AFL championship before the franchise relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs.
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Hunt remained a fixture in Kansas City's secondary throughout the decade. In 1964, he intercepted a record four passes in one game against the Houston Oilers. He was named second-team All-AFL in 1964 and 1966, and earned an AFL All-Star selection in 1964.
Hunt's 10 interceptions in 1966 ranked among the league leaders, and his instincts in coverage helped anchor one of the AFL's most consistent defenses. He finished his career with 42 interceptions in 112 games, a total that still ranks among the highest in Chiefs franchise history.
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Hunt played on Kansas City's 1966 AFL championship team, starting in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game against Green Bay — later rebranded the Super Bowl. He concluded his playing career with the expansion Cincinnati Bengals in 1968 and 1969 before retiring after the 1969 season.
Hunt spent two seasons as the Buffalo Bills' defensive backs coach before moving into the apparel industry. In 2015, Hunt was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, recognition of a career that bridged Auburn, the AFL's formative years and the early history of the Chiefs.
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