University of Missouri-Kansas City students and employees may know Jerry Blanton as the associate director of the Student Union. But before his career at UMKC, Blanton made his mark on another Kansas City institution: the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, that career has earned him a place among football greats.

Blanton was inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame on June 26 as a member of its Class of 2026. The organization is the nation’s only state-specific professional football hall of fame.

"Being elected to the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame is greatest recognition an athlete can receive in any sport," Blanton said. "So, I am blessed."

His UMKC colleagues feel awestruck.

“We were incredibly proud to learn that one of our very own had been inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame,” said Jody Jeffries, director of the Student Union. “The magnitude of Jerry’s achievement really hit home for me when I saw the incredible list of names he was joining: Johnny Unitas, Paul Hornung, Phil Simms, George Blanda and even his college and professional teammate, former Chief Art Still.”

Blanton, a native of Toledo, Ohio, attended the University of Kentucky, where in 1974 he became the first true freshman to start a varsity football game in program history. He helped the Wildcats win the SEC Championship and Peach Bowl in 1976 and finished his college career with 389 tackles.

Selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 1978 NFL Draft, Blanton joined the Chiefs the following year and spent his entire seven-year NFL career in Kansas City. The inside linebacker became a starter in 1980 and had his best season in 1983, leading the Chiefs with 136 tackles. He retired in 1985 after playing in 92 NFL games.

His impact didn't end when he left the field. Blanton worked as a criminal investigator with the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office before serving as deputy commissioner of Kentucky State Parks, where he became the highest-ranking African American in the department’s history. Today, he continues his career of service at UMKC, where he started working in 2010.

"What I like most about working at the university is the relationships that you build with your colleagues and meeting students who are trying to fulfill their dreams and become successful," he said.

Blanton's character is what colleagues say makes his recognition particularly meaningful.

“Jerry is a quiet, humble and reserved person who would probably never seek recognition for himself,” said Janet Dexter, a facility manager at UMKC, in an email to colleagues. “However, an accomplishment of this magnitude deserves to be celebrated and recognized by all of us.”

Blanton’s football story has also become a family legacy. His son, Kendall Blanton, is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

“Jerry’s induction is a tremendous testament to his remarkable career and the lasting impact he has made both on and off the field,” Jeffries said.

Dexter echoed that pride in her email.

“We are proud to have you as a member of the UMKC family," she wrote. "And we sincerely appreciate your continued service and dedication to our university.”