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Building a legacy: Meet the founding family of the Kansas City Chiefs

The Hunt family has been around since the team's inception in 1960.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will make a back-to-back appearance in the Super Bowl after taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy last year. 

So, who owns the team? Well, it's been under the ownership of the Hunt family since its founding in 1960.

Founder Lamar Hunt oversaw the team until 2006 when he died at the age of 74 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998. Since then, his children have taken the reigns. 

"Recognized as one of the greatest sportsmen in American history, Hunt served as the guiding force behind the formation of both the American Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs franchise," the team wrote.

Under Lamar's ownership, the Chiefs managed to make it to the League's first-ever Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. It wasn't until Super Bowl IV that the team won.

"Before there was a player, coach or a general manager in the league there was Lamar Hunt," late Patriots owner William Sullivan said during the founder's Hall of Fame induction. "Hunt was the cornerstone, the integrity of the league. Without him, there would have been no AFL."

According to the Chiefs, Lamar played a key role in the design, development and direction of the modern-day NFL. The team also says he is credited with accidentally putting "Super Bowl" on the NFL's championship game after the name of his children's toy.

Lamar's son, Clark Hunt, has served as the team's current Chairman and CEO for the last 11 years. He took over the post in 2010, but the Chiefs say his involvement truly spans closer to two decades.

"Hunt has been the driving force behind the resurgence of the Chiefs, transforming the iconic franchise into one of the most successful teams in the National Football League over the last decade," the team wrote.

Under Clark, Kansas City has made eight playoff appearances including last year's Super Bowl victory and this year's second shot at the title. He is also credited with continuing the team's mission of: honor tradition, unite our community, win with character and inspire our fans. 

According to the team, Clark was instrumental in securing the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. He also holds several high positions in the sports world, including being a founding investor-operator in Major League Soccer and serving as Chairman and CEO of FC Dallas.

The Hunt family committed $125 million to the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium to bring renovations, upgrades and first-class amenities to fans.

As for their competitors? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been owned by the Glazer family for the past 26 years.

You can watch the two teams faceoff in Super Bowl LV at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 as CBS broadcasts the game, which you can watch locally on 10 Tampa Bay.

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