Kisses and Diana Ross: Chiefs matriarch Norma Hunt reflects on 54 years of Super Bowls

Norma Hunt is proud to be the only woman to attend every Super Bowl ever played.

Which means she’s seen the all-time greats, from Mean Joe Greene to Joe Montana to Tom Brady. And she was there for the game’s biggest pop culture moments — when Prince performed at halftime in a driving rain and Janet Jackson suffered that infamous wardrobe malfunction.

She was there in 1967 when the Kansas City Chiefs — the team founded by her husband, Lamar Hunt — lost the game that would come to be called Super Bowl I. She was there in 1970 when the Chiefs were the champions.

And she will keep the streak alive in Miami when she watches the team try to win another, this time without a pregame good-luck kiss from her husband.

Lamar Hunt died in December 2006, and in the years since, she has honored his wishes that she be present at every Super Bowl.

Yet considering her role in Super Bowl history — the Super Ball toy the Hunt children played with in their Dallas home inspired the name “Super Bowl” — Norma Hunt remains something of a mystery woman.

She jokes that when she participated in the coin toss at the Super Bowl in 2007, also in Miami, standing next to a certain legendary quarterback, she’s sure all the fans wondered: “Who is that lady with Dan Marino?”

A Chiefs spokesman told The Star that the Hunt family matriarch is “retired” from doing media interviews. But Hunt, 81, took the time to answer a few questions by email. She shared that Dan Marino anecdote and a handful of other memories. Diana Ross plays a role in one. And Hunt has a message for the fans.

After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship Game, she stood with her son, team chairman Clark Hunt, as he hoisted the trophy named after his father. She leaned over to kiss it.

Later that night, her son said, “It was around Super Bowl 50 when my mom had seen all 50 Super Bowls, and she said, ‘Clark, it sure would be nice if we can play in this game once while I’m still able to go.’”

Her wish is granted on Sunday.

Q: Could you imagine it would take 50 years to reach another Super Bowl, and what would this mean to Lamar?

A: No team in the NFL wants to wait one year to go to the Super Bowl, let alone 50. It just shows how hard it is to get there and how important it is to take advantage of the opportunities when they come along. Certainly, this would mean a great deal to Lamar because of how excited the fans are. That was always his focus.

What was it like to participate in the coin toss with Dan Marino at the Super Bowl in Miami in 2007 a couple of months after Lamar had passed? How important a moment was that for you?

It was a tremendous honor when Roger (Goodell) asked if I’d be a part of the coin toss. Roger and Lamar were very close, and it was such a nice gesture that meant a lot to our family. It was special to be a part of it, and certainly I was honored to be there with Dan, but I’m sure all of those fans in Miami were thinking, “Who is that lady with Dan Marino?!”

What would Lamar say about you continuing to attend every Super Bowl? Were there any close calls where you almost missed one?

To be honest, the streak was never all that important to me, but it was always important to Lamar. He loved statistics and streaks, and it was fun for him to tell people I had seen every Super Bowl. As the numbers started to get higher and higher, I told Lamar that if he insisted on telling people I had seen every Super Bowl, then he better tell them I started when I was 8 years old! Before he passed away, he made a point to ask (sons) Clark and Daniel to keep my streak going, and they’ve done a great job making sure I get to every game.

After seeing the Los Angeles Coliseum half-full (or half-empty) for Super Bowl I, how worried were you and Lamar that this venture would not succeed, much less become what it is today?

I absolutely believed it would succeed because I believed in Lamar. Now, there were some days where it was easier to believe the AFL would succeed than others, but Lamar was determined to make it work. Lamar was such a visionary that I’m sure he expected the championship game between the two leagues would be a big deal. It certainly was important for the American Football League to have that chance to prove we were equal to the NFL on the field. But for as much of a visionary as Lamar was, I believe even he couldn’t imagine how big the Super Bowl would become.

You’ve told the story about the elevator ride before Super Bowl IV in 1970. (To recap, before the Chiefs’ resounding 23-7 victory, the Hunts had a chance encounter with Minnesota Vikings owner Max Winter and his wife. Years earlier, Winter had pulled his team from Hunt’s AFL for the rival NFL, much to Hunt’s ire. “As we were leaving the hotel, on the elevator, lo and behold, Max Winter and his wife were the only other people on it,” Norma Hunt told The Star in a 2009 interview. “It was an extremely awkward moment, and I felt there was terror in our hearts. As we went our separate ways, Lamar said, ‘You know, they’re more scared than we are.’ He predicted right then and there that the Chiefs would win, which they certainly did in grand fashion.”)

Are there any favorite Super Bowl game-day memories?

Now that Clark and Dan are both married, going to the games with my wonderful grandchildren is something we all love doing as a family. Those are my favorite memories.

What are your thoughts on how women have become more visible and vocal fans of the game, especially with your daughter-in-law and granddaughter promoting NFL apparel for women?

The idea that a woman wouldn’t be into sports has always been just laughable to me, because since I was a young girl, I’ve been a sports fan. I do love to see so many women of all ages enjoying the NFL, covering the NFL, working in executive roles and now coaching in the NFL. I think it’s fantastic.

Did you and Lamar have any good-luck rituals before games?

Lamar would give me a kiss for good luck before games. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but it was fun.

What’s been your favorite Super Bowl halftime show?

It’s hard to pick a favorite because they’re all such wonderful spectacles. I will say that Diana Ross’ performance (Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Arizona) was fantastic.

Do you have a message to Chiefs fans in Kansas City as we head into the game?

My message to Chiefs fans is simple: Thank you. Thank you for supporting your team through the ups and downs. Thank you for making Arrowhead Stadium the loudest stadium in the world. And thank you for all the joy you brought Lamar over the years. I hope we have something to celebrate together on Sunday.

This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.