Inductees

In 1988, a dozen years after joining the Kansas City Chiefs as an entry-level accountant in the ticketing office and then slowly climbing the ladder, Denny Thum found his career in the big-time of a National Football League front office.

That’s when the Chiefs hired Carl Peterson (MSHOF President’s Award 2022) as team president, general manager and chief operating officer. A St. Louis native who had attended Rockhurst University, Thum (pronounced Thooom) had been negotiating player contracts for a few years by then. So Peterson wanted to compare notes on which 37 players, of 53, should be protected under the modified free-agent system.

“Working together for the first time, I shared my list with Carl and recall that we only had one difference of opinion of who to protect,” Thum said. “Carl knew something of my reputation around the league, but not having worked with me before, he offered me a six-month contract and said, ‘Let’s see what happens from there.’ What happened, of course, was we went on to work together for 20 years.”

In other words, Thum played an incredibly important role in the Chiefs’ Golden Era of the 1990s and first decade of the 2000s, and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted him with the Class of 2025.

Thum’s 36 years in various roles with the Chiefs represents a veritable history of the franchise. He became Chiefs president in December of 2008 after having served as executive vice president and chief operating officer, after being executive vice president/assistant general manager in 1989.

It was during the Peterson and coach Marty Schottenheimer (MSHOF 2010) years that Thum’s reputation grew.

Thum oversaw budgets for the business side and worked with team ownership in formulating short-term and long-term strategic plans to ensure Kansas City’s success.

But perhaps it was his role in the ever-changing world of NFL free agency where Thum earned a legacy among the sport’s most successful administrators.

Thum formulated Kansas City’s strategy on player compensation and the salary cap. He was intimately involved in the negotiation of player contracts, and part of his mission was to lure legions of athletes onto a roster without exceeding the league’s yearly salary ceiling.

In essence, Thum performed financial gymnastics for the Chiefs. He negotiated roughly 100 contracts yearly. In 1994, the first year of the NFL salary cap era, the cap was $36.4 million. It has since grown to $255 million in 2024.

In the Peterson era, the Chiefs enjoyed 15 winning seasons over 20 years, including nine playoff berths, with a 176-141-1 record.

And there was Thum, who had played sports in St. Louis, in the thick of it all.

When he attended Rockhurst in order to stay close to home, it set him on his path to the Chiefs’ front office.

It was his accounting professor who told him of the accounting role with the Chiefs. Thum reconciled all aspects of ticket operations, as well as for special events and concerts.

Owner Lamar Hunt (MSHOF Legend 2004) asked him to help as well on a professional tennis enterprise, World Championship Tennis, boosting Thum’s reputation.

He eventually handled player payroll and began working with then-general manager Jim Schaaf. That allowed Thum an inside look at a pro business model, as he was given a budget and told to negotiate player contracts for draft rounds eight to 12. He soon was negotiating all contracts.

Then along came Peterson.

“Carl Peterson rejuvenated my career,” Thum said. “He was not only a great mentor; he taught me the overall inner workings of a professional football organization.”

Thum counts Lamar Hunt, Carl Peterson, Jim Schaaf and Clark Hunt as mentors. Even better, he always had the support of his wife, Carmen. They are parents to Megan and Lindsay.

Thum also served on Rockhurst’s board of trustees, including board chairman for three years, and was on the college’s alumni board of directors. In 2006, he received Alumni of the Year for Outstanding Achievement.

“My 36 years could not have been better,” Thum said. “I experienced things that most people could only dream about. The great career experiences were our 100-plus wins during the 90s, our international trips to Berlin, Tokyo and Monterrey, Mexico, and game days at Arrowhead. I am grateful for all the friends I have made in the Chiefs organization- both players and staff. I am so thankful to have made numerous friends from around the league, the NFL league office, media, and even sports agents.”