Raymond Berry Shares Memories of Lamar Hunt

This story is from a Texas Sports Hall of Fame Podcast episode featuring Raymond Berry.

Raymond Berry, Lamar Hunt, and SMU Football

Very few people know that Lamar Hunt played football at SMU on a team with future NFL legends Raymond Berry and Forrest Gregg. Hunt’s time at SMU and in the Southwest Conference also influenced his decisions as the founder of the American Football League and the Dallas Texans (now known as the Kansas City Chiefs).

Raymond Berry spoke about his memories of Lamar Hunt on the Mustangs roster during an episode of The Texas Sports Hall of Fame Podcast.

“He played the same position as I did and needless to say, he didn’t get to play much. And so he decided to found his own football league (Laughs).”

SMU Football in the 1950s

Berry noted that Hunt likely would have played more under different circumstances. He said that players flocked to play for the SMU Mustangs in the early 1950s.

“He was a real good athlete, a real good player. But at that particular time at SMU, there were really great players being recruited because the Doak Walker era had just finished. Everybody that was a football player in Texas wanted to go to SMU.“

Fond Memories of Lamar Hunt

Like many others associated with Lamar Hunt, Raymond Berry spoke highly of Hunt’s character.

“We got to know each other real well because he played the same positions I did. He was a very genuine person and real down to earth. And you would never know that he came from that much money.”

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PHOTO: Lamar Hunt founded the AFL and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Lamar Hunt and Hank Stram

Why did Lamar Hunt hire Hank Stram? Stram was an assistant coach at SMU while Hunt was on the school’s roster. Hank Stram was the head coach when the Dallas Texans won the 1962 American Football League Championship. Additionally, Hank Stram was head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs when they won Super Bowl 4 and when they played in Super Bowl 1.

Interested in sports history? Visit the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and listen to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Podcast!