Warren McVea, Trailblazing University of Houston Star and Chiefs Super Bowl Champion, Dies at 79

Warren McVea, the electrifying running back who became the first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship from the University of Houston and later won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, died Oct. 19 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 79. His daughter, Tracy Ellis, said he died after a long illness.

Nicknamed “Wondrous Warren,” McVea broke barriers at Houston and rewrote the school’s record book, piling up a then–program record 3,009 all-purpose yards in 1966. Before college, the San Antonio native was a two-sport standout at Brackenridge High School, helping the Eagles capture the 1962 state football title while also excelling as a sprinter.

McVea entered the 1968 AFL/NFL Draft and was selected in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals. After two seasons in Cincinnati, he was traded to Kansas City and joined a deep rushing corps that powered the Chiefs to a 23–7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV—the franchise’s first championship prior to the AFL-NFL merger.

McVea carried 12 times for 26 yards in the title game and finished that regular season with 500 rushing yards, complementing backfield mates Mike Garrett and Robert Holmes as the unit combined for 2,220 yards and 19 touchdowns.

He retired after five NFL seasons with 2,552 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns. Beyond his numbers, McVea’s legacy looms largest at the University of Houston, where his recruitment marked a watershed moment for the program and the city. The school paid tribute on social media Sunday, calling him “a trailblazer in collegiate athletics” and “a forever Cougar.”

McVea is survived by family members, including his daughter. Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.