Carl Peterson Carl D . Peterson grew up in Long Beach , California , and is an alumnus of UCLA . He is best known as the former president , general manager , and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League . Peterson served in those roles from 1989 – 2008 and hired four head coaches for the Chiefs during his tenure : Marty Schottenheimer , Gunther Cunningham , Dick Vermeil , and Herman Edwards . Peterson is a principal with Miami Dolphins ’ owner Stephen Ross of FanVision , Inc . , a new in - stadium fan technology device serving 12 NFL teams and two Division IA universities . Three BCS Bowl Games also employed FanVision ' s in - stadium technology in January 2011 . Kansas City Chiefs . On December 19 , 1988 , Chiefs Owner Lamar Hunt hired Peterson to take over the club ' s team president duties from Jack Steadman and general manager duties from Jim Schaff . On December 15 , 2008 , Chiefs Chairman and Part - Owner Clark Hunt announced Peterson ' s resignation effective at the end of the 2008 NFL season . In Peterson ' s 20 years with the Chief ' s , they had only five losing seasons , a record of 176 - 141 - 1 , nine playoff seasons , 149 consecutive sell - outs ( 1990 - 2008 ) and led the AFC in paid attendance every year from 1990 . USA Football and Youth Football . After leaving Kansas City , Peterson became the Chairman of USA Football in June 2009 at the request of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell . Peterson ' s appointment by Commissioner Goodell was met with the approval of NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith . Peterson ' s USA Football leadership position was previously held by the late AFL quarterback and U . S . Congressman Jack Kemp . USA Football is the sport ’ s national governing body in the United States , endowed by the NFL and NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund . USA Football strengthens America ' s favorite sport on youth and amateur levels through innovative resources to improve player , coach and youth league development . USA Football members — youth football players , coaches , commissioners and game officials — reside in all 50 states and Washington , D . C . Peterson also serves on the NFL Youth Football Fund ( YFF ) Board of Directors , a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) non - profit foundation formed by the NFL and the NFLPA in 1998 . The NFL YFF supports the game at the youth level , promotes positive youth development and ensures the health of football for future generations . Through the YFF , hundreds of thousands of youngsters have been given the opportunity to learn the game of football , get physically fit , and stay involved in productive after - school activities with adult mentors . Reception . Peterson had been praised for hiring quality coaches , and re - establishing a winning tradition for a franchise that was moribund by the late 1980s . His most important hire was Marty Schottenheimer who led the team to their most successful period in the 1990s since the Hank Stram era . Prior to Peterson ' s arrival , Kansas City had only made one playoff appearance in the previous 18 years . The Kansas City Chiefs were the winningest team in the NFL for the decade of the 1990s by percentage , qualified the playoffs in six of seven seasons from 1990 to 1997 , and reached the AFC Championship game following the 1993 season . Peterson was also criticized by some fans , particularly in the second decade of his tenure , during which the team did not win a playoff game and posted greatly diminished results in the regular season . During Peterson ' s 20 - year tenure the Chiefs failed to reach the Super Bowl , and posted only three playoff wins in 8 appearances , the most recent being against the Houston Oilers on January 16 , 1994 . Peterson held his job for 20 years , which is considerably longer than most other NFL general managers , despite the team ' s lack of playoff success during that time . Due to his longevity as general manager , local columnist Jason Whitlock famously dubbed Peterson as " King Carl " in the Kansas City Star , and the nickname has become a well - known moniker around the league . Leading up to the 2007 Chiefs season , criticism was drawn to the Chiefs ' attempts to trade quarterback Trent Green especially towards general manager Carl Peterson ' s failure to execute the trade . The media were also critical of Peterson and his apparent neglect to return the phone calls of Trent Green ' s agent , Jim Steiner , and Peterson ' s assertion that the then - 36 year old Green was a starting quarterback in the NFL , and worth far more than the compensation the Miami Dolphins were offering . On June 5 , 2007 , the Chiefs traded Green to the Dolphins for a conditional fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft . Peterson was also criticized in the 2008 season for his unwillingness to trade perennial Pro - Bowler Tony Gonzalez . Gonzalez desired a playoff - level team , but Peterson demanded a trade value higher than what many teams were willing to trade . When asked for his feelings on Peterson , Gonzalez interjected prior Chiefs players who had battled with Peterson , saying , “ I ’ m not the first guy that ’ s felt like he ’ s been wronged around here . Ask Jared Allen . Ask a lot of guys . Ask John Tait . " Following Peterson ' s resignation , Gonzalez was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a second - round draft pick in 2010 . Peterson was also criticized over the manner of former head coach Gunther Cunningham ' s firing following the 2000 NFL season . Some reports said that Cunningham only learned of his firing through media reports stating that the Chiefs were close to a deal to bring former St . Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil out of retirement , and others stated that Cunningham was unaware that he had been removed from his position before finding an item posted to the team ' s official website announcing his ouster . Accomplishments . Kansas City Chiefs . Peterson led the Chiefs for 20 seasons , one of the longest and most successful tenures for a team president , general manager and CEO in modern NFL history . Upon his arrival to Kansas City , he made one of the most important hires in the team ' s history when naming Marty Schottenheimer head coach . Schottenheimer led the team to its most successful period since Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram paced Kansas City ' s sidelines . Prior to Peterson ' s arrival , the Chiefs had made only one playoff appearance in the previous 18 years . The Chiefs were the NFL ' s winningest team in the 1990s , won four AFC West championships , and played in the team ' s only AFC Championship Game in January 1994 . Over Peterson ' s 20 years , the Chiefs ' record was 176 - 141 - 1 and qualified for the NFL playoffs nine times . Under Peterson ' s leadership , three Kansas City assistant coaches ultimately went on to lead teams to Super Bowl championships as head coaches : Bill Cowher ( Pittsburgh Steelers ; Super Bowl XL ) , Tony Dungy ( Indianapolis Colts ; Super Bowl XLI ) and Mike McCarthy ( Green Bay Packers ; Super Bowl XLV ) . Peterson also hired Vermeil as Kansas City ' s head coach in 2001 , two years after he had led the St . Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV . Four current NFL team general managers also built their portfolios as members of the Chiefs ' front office under Peterson : Tom Dimitroff ( Atlanta Falcons ) , Mark Dominik ( Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) , Jeff Ireland ( Miami Dolphins ) and John Schneider ( Seattle Seahawks ) . In addition , National Football Scouting President Jeff Foster , a Chiefs scout under Peterson , now directs the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis for all 32 NFL clubs . Arrowhead Stadium . Arrowhead Stadium , the home of the Chiefs , is widely recognized as offering one of the most exciting atmospheres to enjoy NFL football and sporting events in general . However , prior to Peterson leading the Chiefs , the stadium ' s capacity of 79 , 451 often had as many empty seats as tickets sold . As Peterson changed the team ' s fortunes both on and off the field , attendance at Arrowhead improved dramatically . The Chiefs ultimately led the NFL in attendance for six consecutive seasons ( 1994 – 99 ) and the AFC every year from 1992 - 2008 . Under Peterson ' s watch , the Chiefs sold out 149 consecutive home games — including six playoff games — in one of the NFL ' s largest venues , despite Kansas City being the league ' s sixth - smallest television market . The Chiefs averaged more than 75 , 500 paid fans per home game during Peterson ' s 20 - season tenure . Beginnings and USFL . Peterson ’ s impressive track record as a talent evaluator began during his days with the Philadelphia Eagles ( 1976 – 82 ) assisting head coach Dick Vermeil lead the Eagles to four consecutive playoff seasons and Super Bowl XV . He was subsequently selected to build the United States Football League ’ s Philadelphia Stars in July 1982 . As the franchise ’ s president and general manager , he and head coach Jim Mora Sr . proceeded to assemble the most successful team in the league ’ s three - year existence , capturing USFL titles in 1984 and 1985 . The Stars ' 48 - 13 - 1 overall record during regular and postseason play , amassing a 7 - 1 postseason record , was the best of any USFL club . His efforts were rewarded in 1983 and 1984 , when he was named The Sporting News ' USFL Executive of the Year . Philanthropy , activities , and awards . Peterson serves on the National Board for the Maxwell Football Club and serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Pop Warner Little Scholars organization . He is a member of the International World Presidents Organization ( IWPO ) and serves on the board of the Third and Long Foundation , founded by the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas . Peterson was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 , into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Long Beach ( CA ) Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 . Other honors he has received include : the 2002 Pop Warner Award for Excellence in Athletics , the 2001 Pro Football Executive Award ( All - American Football Foundation ) , the ' 98 Maxwell Football Club Reds Bagnell Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Game of Football , and the ' 98 Special Achievement Award for Professional Athletics , presented by the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission . In 2012 , Peterson won the Pete Rozelle Award presented by the Touchdown Club of New Orleans for his time as President , General Manager and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs and Chairman for USA Football Personal . Peterson is married to the former Lori K . Larson of Kansas City , who is a senior associate with Populous Sports Architecture . The Petersons currently reside in New York City .