View source for Jim Lynch

{{Short description|American football player (1945–2022)}}
{{Other people|Jim Lynch}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Jim Lynch
| image       =
| image_size  = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| number      = 51
| position    = [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1945|08|28}}
| birth_place = [[Lima, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2022|07|21|1945|08|28}}
| death_place = [[Kansas City, Missouri]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 6
| height_in   = 1
| weight_lb   = 235
| high_school = [[Lima Central Catholic High School|Central Catholic]] <br> (Lima, Ohio)
| college     = [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] (1964–1966)
| draftyear   = 1967
| draftround  = 2
| draftpick   = 47
| pastteams   =
* [[Kansas City Chiefs]] ([[1967 American Football League season|1967]]–{{NFL Year|1977}})
| highlights  =
* [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl IV|IV]])
* [[American Football League playoffs|AFL champion]] ([[1969 American Football League Championship Game|1969]])
* 2× Second-team [[American Football League All-League Team|All-AFL]] ([[1968 All-AFL Team|1968]], [[1969 All-AFL Team|1969]])
* [[American Football League All-Star game|AFL All-Star]] ([[1968 AFL All-Star Game|1968]])
* [[Kansas City Chiefs#Chiefs Hall of Fame|Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame]]
* 2× [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National champion]] ([[1964 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|1964]], [[1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|1966]])
* [[Maxwell Award]] (1966)
* [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|Unanimous All-American]] ([[1966 College Football All-America Team|1966]])
* Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1965 College Football All-America Team|1965]])
| statleague  = AFL/NFL
| statlabel1  = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
| statvalue1  = 18
| statlabel2  = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue2  = 17
| statlabel3  = Interception yards
| statvalue3  = 191
| statlabel4  = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue4  = 14
| statlabel5  = Defensive [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue5  = 1
| pfr         = LyncJi00
| CollegeHOF  = 1859 
}}

'''James Robert Lynch''' (August 28, 1945 – July 21, 2022) was an American professional [[American football|football]] [[linebacker]] who played in both the [[American Football League]] (AFL) and the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for 11 seasons with the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]. He played [[college football]] for the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame Fighting Irish]], where he was named an [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] and won the [[Maxwell Award]] in 1966. He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1992.

==Early life==
Lynch was born in [[Lima, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Kyle |title=Former Notre Dame All-America linebacker Jim Lynch dies at 76 |url=https://notredame.rivals.com/news/former-notre-dame-all-america-linebacker-jim-lynch-dies-at-76 |website=notredame.rivals.com |access-date=July 24, 2022 |date=July 22, 2022}}</ref> He graduated from [[Lima Central Catholic High School]] in 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/690675895/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22lima%20central%20catholic%22&match=1 |title=24 Sep 1965, 22 – The Lima News |via=Newspapers.com |date=September 24, 1965 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref> Lynch played for the football and basketball teams.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/665962079/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22central%20catholic%22&match=1 |title=27 Sep 1961, 33 – The Lima Citizen |via=Newspapers.com |date=September 27, 1961 |accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/666022313/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22central%20catholic%22&match=1 |title=24 Jan 1962, 31 – The Lima Citizen |via=Newspapers.com |date=January 24, 1962 |accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>

==College career==
Lynch played [[college football]] at the [[University of Notre Dame]]. Leading the [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Fighting Irish]] in [[Tackle (football move)|tackles]] with 108 in 1965 and 106 in 1966, he was the defensive [[Captain (sports)|captain]] of the national champion [[1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|1966 Irish team]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uhnd.com/history/national-championships/notre-dame-1966-national-championship/ |title=Notre Dame's 1966 National Championship |date=August 21, 2013 |website=uhnd.com |access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref> He received the [[Maxwell Award]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://maxwellfootballclub.org/the-maxwell-award/ |title=The Maxwell Award |website=maxwellfootballclub.org |access-date=July 22, 2022 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> as the nation's best college football player in 1966. He was also a [[unanimous All-American]] selection that year.<ref name=draft/>

==Professional career==
The [[Kansas City Chiefs]] selected Lynch in the second round of the [[1967 NFL/AFL draft]].<ref name=draft>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/675024094/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22&match=1 |title=15 Mar 1967, 41 – The Kansas City Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=March 15, 1967 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref><ref name=espn/> From 1967 to 1977, Lynch played for the Chiefs as a right [[Linebacker#Outside linebacker|outside linebacker]], playing alongside [[Linebacker#Outside linebacker|middle linebacker]] [[Willie Lanier]] and left outside linebacker [[Bobby Bell]], both [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]rs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/676276909/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22right%20outside%20linebacker%22&match=1 |title=11 Oct 1973, 22 – The Kansas City Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=October 11, 1973 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref> These linebackers led the defense in the Chiefs' first [[Super Bowl IV|Super Bowl]] victory in [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|1969]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/662701386/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22willie%20lanier%22%20%22bobby%20bell%22%20%22super%20bowl%22&match=1 |title=12 Jan 2020, CC16 – The Kansas City Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=January 12, 2020 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>

Retiring at the end of the [[1977 Kansas City Chiefs season|1977 season]], Lynch finished his career with 18 [[quarterback sack|sack]]s,{{efn-ua|name=Sacks|Sacks were not an official stat until 1982. All sack stats from before that year are unofficial.}} 17 [[interception]]s and 14 [[fumble]] recoveries. He also scored one [[touchdown]].<ref name=espn/><ref name="SI-obit">{{cite web|last=Williams |first=Madison |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/07/22/jim-lynch-chiefs-notre-dame-great-super-bowl-iv-champion |title=Jim Lynch, Chiefs Great and Super Bowl Champion, Has Died – Sports Illustrated |publisher=Si.com |date= |accessdate=July 23, 2022}}</ref>

==Honors==
Lynch was selected to play in the 1968 [[American Football League All-Star game|AFL All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/675370127/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20chiefs%20all-star&match=1 |title=18 Dec 1968, 22 – The Kansas City Times |via=Newspapers.com |date=December 18, 1968 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>

In 1988, Lynch was inducted as an inaugural member into the Lima Central Catholic Hall of Fame for athletic achievement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/115797/2021_Sports_Program_-_Hall_of_Fame.pdf |title=Thunderbird Hall of Fame |access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref> In 1990, Lynch was inducted into the [[Kansas City Chiefs#Chiefs Hall of Fame|Chiefs' Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/681300802/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20chiefs&match=1 |title=18 Feb 1990, 213 – The Kansas City Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=February 18, 1990 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/519611398/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22notre%20dame%22&match=1 |title=1 Feb 1992, 52 – The South Bend Tribune |via=Newspapers.com |date=February 1, 1992 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref> In 2006, Lynch was interviewed for the [[NFL Network]] documentary ''[[America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions]]'' chronicling the [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|1969 Kansas City Chiefs AFL and World Championship season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/820733015/?terms=%22jim%20lynch%22%20%22america%27s%20game%22&match=1 |title=5 Dec 2006, 22 – The Kansas City Star |via=Newspapers.com |date=December 5, 2006 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Lynch and his wife had three children.<ref name=espn>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34282425/jim-lynch-stalwart-linebacker-kansas-city-chiefs-1970-champions-dies-76|title=Jim Lynch, LB for Chiefs' '70 champs, dies at 76|date=July 23, 2022|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> His older brother, [[Thomas Lynch (admiral)|Tom]], was a [[center (gridiron football)|center]] and captain for the [[1963 Navy Midshipmen football team|1963 Navy football]] team.<ref name=draft/>

Lynch died on July 21, 2022, at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Chiefs LB Jim Lynch dies at 76 |url=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2022/07/21/kansas-city-chiefs-jim-lynch-death-super-bowl-iv-ring-of-honor/ |website=USAToday.com|date=July 21, 2022 }}</ref>

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{College Football HoF|id=1859|name=Jim Lynch}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=L/LyncJi00 |rotoworld= |dbf=LYNCHJIM01 }}

{{1964 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navbox}}
{{1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navbox}}
{{Chiefs1967DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl IV}}
{{Maxwell Award}}
{{1966 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Jim}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Star players]]
[[Category:American Football League players]]
[[Category:American football linebackers]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Kansas City Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Maxwell Award winners]]
[[Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Lima, Ohio]]