Ed Budde

Edward Leon Budde (November 2, 1940 – December 19, 2023) was an American football guard. He played his entire career for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).

Early life
Budde was born in Highland Park, Michigan, on November 2, 1940. After graduating from Denby High School, he played for Michigan State University in 1960 as an offensive tackle, receiving first-team All-American honors two years later during his tenure there.

Professional career
Budde was drafted as the first-round pick for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in the 1963 NFL and AFL drafts, respectively, before ultimately signing with the Chiefs. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs for 14 years as the left offensive guard, longer than any other Chief except for punter Jerrel Wilson. Through his first nine seasons, Budde did not miss a single start, playing in 177 games in his career. Budde was 6'5 and 265 pounds (196 cm; 120 kg) with an unusual stance, in that he put his left hand down instead of the usual right. Budde and the Chiefs won two American Football League Championships (1966 and 1969) and a world championship in Super Bowl IV after defeating the NFL's Minnesota Vikings 23–7.

Budde was selected to the American Football League All-Star team in 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969, and played in six AFL All-Star games. He was selected for the Sporting News AFL All-League team in 1969. In 1968, Budde became the first offensive lineman to be selected by the Associated Press as an Offensive Player of the Week.

Budde was named a member of the All-Time All-AFL Team First-team in 1970. He retired after the 1976 season and was inducted into the Chiefs' Hall of Honor in 1984.

Personal life and death
Budde was married to his wife for over 60 years; together they had three children. One of their children, Brad, was an All-American with USC and also played in the NFL for the Chiefs, the only father-son combination to be first-round draft picks for the same NFL team.

Budde died on December 19, 2023, at age 83.