Former NFL quarterback John Hadl died on Wednesday at the age of 82, the University of Kansas announced. Hadl played in the league for 16 seasons, the majority of which was with the San Diego Chargers where he was a five-time Pro Bowler.
Hadl was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, but chose to play with San Diego instead. After playing more than a decade with the Chargers, Hadl was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1973 after the team acquired Johnny Unitas from the Colts. He also had short stints with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Oilers. At the time of his retirement, Hadl ranked third all time in passing yards with 33,503.
The six-time Pro Bowler played in three AFL Championships -- winning the title in 1963 -- and earned All-Pro honors in his first season with the Rams.
After he retired, he returned to the University of Kansas where he went to college to become an assistant football coach. His college resume, much like his pro resume, is an impressive one. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994 for his extensive accomplishments while at Kansas, where his No. 21 Jayhawks jersey is retired. He was the first Kansas player to be selected twice for All-America honors and was named Most Valuable Player of the East-West Shrine game and the College All-Star game.
"John Hadl had a generational impact on Kansas Football, the University of Kansas and the Lawrence community," director of Athletics at the University of Kansas Travis Goff said in a statement. "He was a once-in-a-lifetime Jayhawk student-athlete, a coach and mentor, a prolific fundraiser who developed profound relationships with countless, and the ultimate ambassador for KU. In short, our University and athletic program has been transformed by John and his legacy will forever be cemented. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with Diana and the Hadl family. We will deeply miss John and his contagious smile but will proudly honor him and his unrivaled legacy as we move forward."
