As we move along in our all-time jersey number countdown to the start of the Chiefs’ 2020 campaign against the Houston Texans on September 10, we move down to number 97 and look back at a nose tackle that wreaked havoc in the middle of the defensive line on Marty Schottenheimer’s defensive units.
With 97 days until the start of the 2020 NFL season, we look back at the career of former Chiefs defensive tackle Dan Saleaumua, who played 12 seasons in the National Football League and 8 in Kansas City from 1989 to 1996.
Dan Saleaumua – 1989 – 1996
A seventh-round draft choice by Detroit, Dan Saleaumua played two mediocre seasons with the Lions before reaching his true potential under head coach Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City.
In 1989, he started eight games and made a name for himself within Kansas City’s defensive scheme, putting up a whopping 73 tackles and 2 sacks after mounting up just 11 tackles the previous season in Detroit.
By 1990, Saleaumua became a full-time starter and a household name amongst the fans, along with fellow teammates Neil Smith and Derrick Thomas. Following his ‘90 campaign, he capped off the best season of his career with 88 tackles, seven sacks, and six fumble recoveries, one of which scored a touchdown.
In 1993, Saleaumua helped contribute to Kansas City’s longest postseason run of the 1990s, making 61 tackles and 3.5 sacks to help the Chiefs go all the way to the ‘93 AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills.
Through the rest of the mid-90s, Saleaumua continued to plug up holes against opposing run games, harass quarterbacks and obliterate opposing offensive lines, becoming one of the best defensive tackles to ever play in Kansas City. Following the 1996 season, he would go on to play for Seattle for two seasons before retiring in 1999.
In eight seasons playing for the Chiefs, Saleaumua put together a solid career in Kansas City, totaling 495 tackles, 28 sacks, and 17 fumble recoveries in his Chiefs career. He was also a Pro Bowl selection in 1995 and helped lead the Chiefs, defensively, to six postseason appearances.
After his NFL career, Saleaumua most recently took up entrepreneurial endeavors and was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in January 2019.
