Little & Light Chiefs
LITTLE CHIEFS (This ranking is based on height listed by Chiefs in programs and media guides and in other AFL and NFL publications. We can’t speak to the complete accuracy of all the numbers. If there were significantly differing numbers those are mentioned.)
| Height |
Player |
Seasons |
Notes |
|
5-5 (listed by the CFL at 5-6) |
Michael Clemons |
1987 |
8th-round pick in ‘87 Draft out of William & Mary, he played in 8 games as a RB in that rookie season. He ran twice for 7 yards, returned 19 punts for an 8.5-yard average and 1 kickoff return for 3 yards. He went on to become one of the greatest players in Canadian Football League history, racking up 25,438 combined yards in 12 seasons; that’s a CFL record. Clemons played on 3 championship teams with Toronto and was the head coach for another Grey Cup title in 2004. |
|
5-6 (some list him as 5-8) |
Eddie Payton |
1978 |
179-pound RB, who played 14 games for KC, returning 32 punts for an 11.4-yard average and 30 kick returns for a 258-yard average. He played 65 career games in five seasons in the NFL. He was Hall of Fame RB Walter Payton’s older brother. |
|
5-6 ¼ (also listed as 5-5 and 5-8) |
Noland Smith |
1967-69 |
6th-round pick in ‘67 Draft out of Tennessee A&I, Smith played in 32 games for the Chiefs over three seasons. He returned 53 punts for an 11.1-yard average and a 80-yard TD return, plus he returned 68 kickoffs for a 26.8-yard average and a 106-yard TD return. On offense, he had 3 carries for 6 yards and 2 catches for 57 yards. During the 1969 season he ended up with San Francisco and finished his career there with the 49ers playing in 7 games. |
| 5-7 |
Mark McMillian |
1997-98 |
Signed as UFA after five seasons with Eagles and Saints, McMillian played in 32 games with 12 starts over two seasons, contributing 101 total tackles, 11 INTs, including 8 in ‘97 and 3 that he returned for TDs. He played 8 seasons and 127 games for 5 NFL teams. |
| 5-8 |
Dexter McCluster |
2010 |
2nd-round choice in the ‘10 Draft out of Mississippi, where he played both wide receiver and running back, along with working some in the Wildcat offense as the quarterback. |
| 5-8 |
Dante Hall |
2000-06 |
5th-round pick in ‘00 Draft, Hall played 7 seasons and 97 games with the Chiefs, scoring 11 TDs on punt-kickoff returns. He averaged 10 yards on 188 punt returns with 5 scores and averaged 24 yards on 360 kickoff returns with 6 TDs. The Texas A&M product also had 9 TD catches on 145 receptions for 1,615 yards. He was traded in ‘07 to the Rams where he finished his career with two seasons. |
|
5-8 (CFL listed him at 5-9) |
Horace Belton |
1978-80 |
A 200-pound bowling ball out of SE Louisiana, Belton played 46 games in 3 seasons with the Chiefs, rushing for 486 yards on 136 carries for 3 TDs. He added 20 receptions for 226 yards and 37 kickoff returns for a 21.6-yard average. Belton played for Marv Levy in 1977 for Montreal when the Alouttes won the Grey Cup title. |
| 5-8 |
Lew Barnes |
1989 |
In his 3rd NFL season, Barnes played 2 games for the Chiefs, returning 2 punts for 41 yards in that first season of the Peterson-Schottenheimer Era. |
| 5-8 |
Naz Worthen |
1989-90 |
3rd-round pick in ‘89 draft out of North Carolina State, Worthen played in 19 games over 2 seasons, catching 5 passes for 69 yards, returning 44 punts for a 7.1-yard average and 16 kickoffs for a 21.2-yard average. It was his only NFL playing experience. |
| 5-8 |
Dantrell Savage |
2008-09 |
Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in ‘08 from Oklahoma State, Savage played 13 games over 2 seasons. He ran for 98 yards on 25 carries and caught 9 passes for 51 yards. Savage also returned 14 punts for an average of 3.8 yards and 34 kickoffs for an average of 23.3 yards. |
LIGHT CHIEFS (This ranking is based on weight listed by Chiefs in programs and media guides and in other AFL and NFL publications. Again, we can’t speak to the complete accuracy of all the numbers. If there were significantly differing numbers those are mentioned. Weight with some players, both tall and short, could fluctuate quite a bit over a career.)
| Weight |
Player |
Seasons |
Notes |
|
148 (also listed as 154 lbs) |
Mark McMillian |
1997-98 |
See above. |
| 154 |
Noland Smith |
1967-69 |
See above. |
| 161 |
Billy Bell |
1991 |
The Texas native played eight games and started one for the Chiefs in ‘91 as a defensive back. He did not have a tackle, but did have one interception. They were his last NFL games. He was listed at 5-10. |
| 163 |
Charlie Wade |
1977 |
In his 3rd NFL season, Wade played in 5 games for the Chiefs and did not touch the ball on offense. They were his last NFL games; he also played for the Bears and Packers. His height was listed as 5-10. Wade entered the NFL as a 17th-round choice of the Dolphins in the 1973 Draft. |
| 163 |
Lew Barnes |
1989 |
See above. |
| 166 |
Michael Clemons |
1987 |
See above. |
|
166 (listed at 172 at end of career) |
Tim Collier |
1976-79 |
9th-round pick in ‘76 Draft out of East Texas State, Collier spent 4 seasons with the Chiefs, appearing in 52 games. He had 9 interceptions, returning an INT in ‘77 for 100 yards and a TD. Collier was traded to the St. Louis Rams in 1980. He played a total of 8 NFL seasons and had 15 career INTs. He was 6-0. |
| 170 |
Nate Allen |
1971-74 |
11th-round pick in ‘71 Draft out of Texas Southern, Allen played in 44 games for the Chiefs over 4 seasons. He had 3 INTs. Allen was the team’s primary starter at left cornerback in ‘73-’74. After the Chiefs, he played five more seasons with the 49ers, Vikings and Lions. He was 5-10. |
| 170 |
J.J. Birden |
1990-94 |
In 5 seasons with the Chiefs, Birden played in 71 games with 39 starts. He caught 183 passes for 2,819 yards and 14 TDs. He also returned 15 punts for a 7.7-yard average. Birden finished his career with two seasons in Atlanta. He was measured at 5-9. |
| 170 |
Dexter McCluster |
2010 |
See above. |
|
170 (listed as low as 161 pounds) |
Eric Everett |
1991 |
After 3 seasons in the league with the Eagles and Buccaneers, Everett joined the Chiefs for one year, playing in 11 games as a reserve DB during that ‘91 season. He added a sack that year as well. Everett was listed at 5-10. |
|
170 (also listed as 175) |
Sidney Johnson |
1988 |
Johnson played 13 games with the Chiefs, totaling 8 tackles in that season. After sitting out the next year, he went on and played 3 seasons with the Redskins. He stood 5-9. |
