The phone kept ringing. Marcus Allen didn’t want to answer it. The future Hall of Fame running back had just endured a bitter decade-long feud with Al Davis in Los Angeles, and the last thing he wanted was to stay in the AFC West. But Kansas City Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer wouldn’t take no for an answer. What happened next changed Allen’s career and helped revive football in Kansas City.
Why Did Marcus Allen Initially Resist the Chiefs?
Allen originally wanted to leave the AFC West, but Schottenheimer was persistent in pursuing the running back. Starcade Media caught up with Allen at the ACC Championship golf tournament, where he talked about how he unexpectedly ended up with the Chiefs.
“I didn’t want to go to the AFC West, right?” Allen said. “I wanted to play in another division, but Marty [Schottenheimer] kept calling me.”
The always classy Marcus Allen tells us why he joined the #Chiefs back in ’93 and calls it “One of the best decisions I’ve made.” #ChiefsKingdom #accgolf @ACChampionship pic.twitter.com/4p9PciaiTp
— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) July 13, 2025
The persistent coach tried everything to convince Allen to join Kansas City. Schottenheimer would call Allen and tell him about this defensive player he was signing, but Allen wasn’t impressed. When Schottenheimer mentioned that the Chiefs were tearing out their artificial turf at Arrowhead Stadium and installing grass, Allen thought that was pretty cool.
But what got Allen on board was the arrival of someone trying to do what Tom Brady ended up doing almost 30 years later.
“‘You know we’re signing Joe Montana,'” Allen said as he recalled Schottenheimer telling him. “I said, ‘Oh damn,’ I’m playing in Kansas City, man. That’s how it happened, man. Probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
That single phone call set in motion one of the most impactful quarterback-running back partnerships in Chiefs history.
How Did the Joe Montana-Allen Partnership Transform Kansas City?
The Chiefs acquired Montana in a blockbuster trade with the San Francisco 49ers after he had missed most of the previous two seasons with an elbow injury. Kansas City traded their first-round pick in 1993, and Montana got his chance to be a starter again and go after a Super Bowl with a second team, which wasn’t accomplished until Tom Brady did it in 2020.
The Chiefs and Allen pairing was a great one. Over five seasons in Kansas City, Allen ran for 3,698 yards and 44 touchdowns. In 1993, he led the AFC in rushing touchdowns with 12 and finished his career in 1997 with 11 rushing touchdowns.
Together, Montana and Allen led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game in 1993, but lost to the Buffalo Bills 30-13. The duo would make deep playoff runs over the next two seasons, but never reached a Super Bowl together. However, they did bring about a rebirth of football in Kansas City.
“I felt like it was a couple of times we could have been, you know, in the Super Bowl, but it didn’t happen,” Allen said. “I was just really glad to be part of the revival of football back in Kansas City. I’m pleased by that.”
The Super Bowl may have eluded them, but their impact on Kansas City was undeniable. That persistent phone call from Schottenheimer had delivered exactly what the Chiefs needed.
