Kansas City Chiefs Matriarch Norma Hunt Dies at 85, Patrick Mahomes Says She Was 'the Best'

Hunt was the only woman to attend every Super Bowl since it began in 1967

Players, teams, and league officials around the NFL are mourning Norma Hunt, the longtime matriarch of the Kansas City Chiefs who died on Sunday. She was 85 years old.

Hunt was the widow of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who died in 2006, and the mother of current Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.

The Hunt family announced her death in a statement released via the Chiefs. A cause of death was not provided.

“She was a wonderful mother and an extraordinary woman who will be dearly missed by all who knew her,” the family, who also owns the soccer team FC Dallas, said.

“Kind, generous and unfailingly positive, mom was one of a kind,” the statement continued. “Her joy and zeal for life were infectious. She loved caring for others, and she always had an encouraging word. She was a loyal friend, the consummate hostess and she had a rare ability to make everyone she encountered feel valued and at ease.”

Related: Patrick Mahomes Treats Wife Brittany to Sleep and Soccer on First Mother's Day as a Mom of Two

Hunt, sometimes regarded as the “First Lady of Football,” was the only woman to attend every Super Bowl since its inception in 1967, according to The Associated Press.

She even played a vital role in helping name sports’ biggest event, according to Fox News, which reported husband Lamar had suggested the “Super Bowl” name to the NFL because of a Super Ball toy she recently bought their two children, Clark and Daniel.

In February, Hunt’s 57th trip to the Super Bowl was a joyous one as the Chiefs brought home the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the third Super Bowl win for Hunt’s Chiefs.

“Mrs. Norma was the best,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweeted. “Glad to be a part of this special organization she help build. She will be missed! Prayers to the entire Hunt family.”

The NFL tweeted that Hunt’s “impact on the [Chiefs] and the league is immeasurable and her legacy will live on forever.” League commissioner Roger Goodell said “the entire NFL family is deeply saddened” by her loss, adding that she was “one of the most passionate fans of the Chiefs and the NFL.”

NFL Hall of Famer and current broadcaster Troy Aikman remembered her as “an incredible woman” who “leaves a lasting legacy.”

Related: The Most Adorable Photos of Patrick and Brittany Mahomes Through the Years

Local KMBC reported there were tributes to Hunt seen around Kansas City on Sunday night, including the lights at Union Station being turned red — the teams’ colors — in her honor. Flowers were seen laid outside Arrowhead Stadium, the Chief’s home field.

Several rival teams — including all of the Chief’s division opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos — shared tributes to Hunt on social media.

“Her quiet yet deep faith sustained her throughout her life, and we take great comfort knowing that she is home with the Lord,” the family concluded in its statement. “She will be greatly missed by our family, the extended Chiefs and FC Dallas families, and by everyone who knew her.”

The Chiefs are scheduled to visit the White House on Monday to celebrate the team's recent Super Bowl victory.

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