Stram Chosen Hall Finalist

Hank Stram, a former coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, has been selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s seniors committee as a finalist for election in the class of 2003.

As the seniors committee nominee, Stram will join 14 modern-era candidates who will be announced Jan. 25, 2003, the day before the Super Bowl.

To be elected, Stram must receive the same 80% voting support that is required of all finalists. The hall’s 39-member board of selectors will elect between four and seven new members during the meeting in San Diego.

Stram was an assistant at the University of Miami in 1959 when Lamar Hunt hired him as the first coach of the Dallas Texans of the American Football League. The Texans moved to Kansas City in 1963 and became the Chiefs.

Stram was an immediate winner in Dallas and won the 1962 AFL championship. He led Kansas City to two Super Bowl appearances, losing to Green Bay, 35-10, in the first Super Bowl in 1967.

He led the Chiefs over Minnesota, 23-7, in the 1970 Super Bowl. The victory gave credibility to the AFL.

During the 10-year history of the AFL, Stram’s Texans/Chiefs won more games than any other AFL team and he won more championships than any other coach (1962, 1966, 1969).

An innovative coach, Stram developed such formations as the “moving pocket,” which used the talents of quarterback Len Dawson. He devised a two-tight end offense that provided an extra blocker to help protect his passer.

On defense, he made famous his “stack defense,” with linebackers stacked behind down linemen.

During his 17 seasons as coach of the Texans/Chiefs (1960-1974) and the Saints (1976-1977), Stram compiled a 131-97-10 regular-season record and was 5-3 in the postseason.

He was selected AFL coach of the year in 1968.

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Quarterback Steve McNair, still bothered by tightness in his back, didn’t practice for the second consecutive day and Tennessee Titan officials put him through some tests as a precaution.

An MRI and X-rays showed no problems, Coach Jeff Fisher said as the team ended training camp with two workouts. He said McNair was given an injection in his lower back to ease some swelling.

McNair ruptured a disk in his lower back in 1999 and sat out five games.

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Houston claimed defensive end Erik Flowers, Buffalo’s No. 1 pick in 2000, off waivers. Flowers played in 15 games last season.... Detroit released former Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach.... Dallas long snapper and tight end Jeff Robinson is expected to sit out the season because of a torn knee ligament.... Defensive back Clevan Thomas, the Arena League defensive player of the year with ArenaBowl champion San Jose, signed with San Francisco.