Clark Hunt: Everything We Know About The Kansas City Chiefs' Owner

Though you may not be totally familiar with the name Clark Hunt, he's a big deal in the football world. Like, a very big deal. Not only is Hunt the Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, but he's also one of the founding investor owners in Major League Soccer, according to his Phi Delta Theta bio. That's not quite enough hard work for this football and business fanatic, though, as he also serves as the chairman of Hunt Sports Group where he takes care of several major sports teams. See, we told you he was a big deal!

When it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs in particular, Hunt has seen plenty of success. With this juggernaut boss at the helm behind the scenes, the Missouri team took home the big one: the Super Bowl trophy. Hunt led the team to victory against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LIV in 2019 with an impressive 31-20 win, and the team then appeared in Super Bowl LV the following year, but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Sporting News.

It turns out there's also a lot you probably don't know about this businessman, who was originally born in Dallas, Texas. And there are a few facts about the football mogul that may just surprise you.

It's been a very long run with the Kansas City Chiefs for Clark Hunt. In fact, according to Sports Illustrated, Clark actually inherited the NFL team back in 2006 when his father, Lamar Hunt, died. It wasn't until two years later that he really began flexing his muscles and making some big decisions. Carl Peterson stepped down from his position as president, CEO, and general manager in 2008. At the time, Clark told the Associated Press (via USA Today), "Ultimately, the decision on his future and the rest of the coaching staff is one the new GM will have significant input into. It will be my decision." In 2010, Clark became the new CEO, and he really switched things up three years later in 2013 when he decided the head coach, the general manager, and the team president would all report directly to him as Chairman and CEO, per the Chiefs website.

It sounds like Clark has plenty of knowledge to be making those big decisions, as he's been around football his whole life. So beloved and well-known in football circles was Clark's dad Lamar that he even has a trophy named after him, the Lamar Hunt trophy. The prestigious award is given to winners of the NFL's AFC Championship Game each year, as well as whoever wins what's referred to as the Border War between Kansas and Missouri's college football games.

So, we know the Hunt family is very prominent in the football world, but they're even more prominent when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs world! The Hunt family doesn't just have a small work affiliation with the Missouri team — oh, no! Lamar Hunt actually founded the team and, before that, "the American Football League in 1960," per ESPN. What happened was, after shaking things up with the AFL, he introduced a brand new team to the world, then known as the Dallas Texans — but they didn't stay in the Lone Star State for too long. In 1963, that team eventually made the move to Missouri to become — you guessed it — Paul Rudd's favorite team... the Kansas City Chiefs! 

Lamar's impact can be seen all the way across the football world. Plenty of big names spoke about Lamar following his death in 2006, with teams across the NFL paying tribute to him while acknowledging the way he pretty much changed the face of the game. "A pioneer, a founding father, and one of the most important architects in the history of our game" is what NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said following his death, per the New England Patriots website. "Lamar Hunt was one of the greatest leaders and innovators in the history of sports. His vision transformed pro football and helped turn a regional sport into a national passion," he added.

It's safe to say the Hunt family has pretty much become embedded in the culture of Kansas City since they made the move from Texas, but it's not just in the sports world where the Hunts throw themselves into the lifestyle of the area. In fact, not only are Lamar Hunt and Clark Hunt basically football royalty, they actually have some other stunning members of the family. It turns out that both Clark's wife and daughter have been crowned the prestigious Miss Kansas USA, showing this is clearly a family with both beauty and brains.

Tavia Shackles Hunt, Clark's wife, was crowned Miss Kansas USA 1993, per Pageant Update, and then went on to score a second runner-up spot at Miss USA 1993. That talent and passion for pageants trickled down to Clark and Tavia's daughter, Gracie Hunt, who followed in her mom's footsteps to be crowned Miss Kansas USA in 2021. Tavia opened up about her own experiences and shared how she really felt about seeing her daughter compete during an interview with "Life After The Crown" in 2019. She admitted, "It's much harder as a mother. It's much harder." 

Clearly, as much as sports are in the Hunt family's blood, pageantry is, too!

Clark Hunt turned some heads due to his statement regarding the Black Lives Matter movement around the time former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the national anthem. In 2017, Hunt released a statement that verbalized his wishes for his Kansas City Chiefs players to stand during the anthem. "I believe in honoring the American flag and supporting all of those whose sacrifices protect the many freedoms we have in this country, including the right to have differences of opinion," he said. He also acknowledged that people need to "engage one another with empathy and humility to gain a better understanding of ways we can work together to solve these difficult issues."

However, he seemed to change his attitude three years later when responding to questions from the Kansas City Star. He said while he encouraged players to stand during the anthem, the decision is theirs. "These issues are important to our players. They're important to our coaching staff, our entire organization. This is the time to be sensitive. It's a time to listen. It's a time to understand," he stated. 

Hunt also received criticism after a strongly worded Facebook post that was said to be from his personal account circulated around the internet. The post said if you don't stand during the national anthem, you're not a Chief. However, PolitiFact deemed the post to be fake.

Aside from the sheer skill of the players and coaches behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Clark Hunt believes God has helped propel the team to its successes. Upon accepting the Lamar Hunt Trophy ahead of Super Bowl LV, he thanked God for helping his team. "I'm so honored to accept this trophy on behalf of this incredible team, and the best fans in the National Football League," he said, per CBN News. "The Lord has blessed our family in so many ways. Coach (Andy) Reid, what a game today. Great job today. My dad would love the grit and determination of this team."

This wasn't the first time Hunt incorporated his strong religion into football. According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Hunt has brought his faith into the stadium by offering pregame church services at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs play. "We want our employees to develop spiritually. In the National Football League, Christ is really glorified. My identity is my faith in Christ," he said.