Carl D. Peterson (born May 26, 1943) For more than 50 years, Carl Peterson was a creative force in the world of American Football, starting at the high school level, through small college ball, to major college football, and on to professional football where he enjoyed great success with the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Stars (USFL) and the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL.) Peterson stepped on every rung of the football ladder, working as an assistant coach, head coach, administrative assistant, scout, personnel director, general manager, president, chiefs executive officer and owner in his time in the game. He is best known for his 20 years (1989-2008) as president, general manager, and chief executive officer of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Since leaving the Chiefs, Peterson has worked in number of related football-areas, serving as Chairman of USA Football, the national governing body for the sport on the amateur level. He's also served on a number of consulting committees for the NFL league office in New York and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He was also a consultant for FanVision, an in-stadium fan technology device that served numerous NFL teams and Division I universities. It was owned by Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross. Peterson is also a principle and partner with Dick Vermeil Wines, located in Calistoga, California, with his former head coach. Peterson was among the finalist for consideration in the contributor category for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023.
Education and early coaching career
Carl Daniel Peterson was born on May 26, 1943, in the Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the third of four sons born to Louise and Eric Peterson. His father worked heavy construction jobs throughout the Midwest, helping to build various military sites in the throes of World War II. When Carl was not yet four years old, the family moved to Long Beach, California, where Eric began a construction business with his brother-in-law. Carl attended Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, participating in football and baseball for the Wilson Bruins. It was there that the first steps on his future were written with the help of football coach Skip Rowland. Peterson played end, doing more blocking than catching, and also kicked extra points in a straight-on style. He was part of the graduating class of 1961 at Wilson and went on to earn three degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): a bachelor's degree in 1966, a master's degree in 1967, and a doctorate in 1970. His football playing career ended during a practice at UCLA (where he was a walk-on participant), when he suffered three torn knee ligaments. His coaching career began soon afterwards, at his alma mater, where he helped Rowland with the varsity and coached the junior-varsity team. He moved on to Loyola High School in Los Angeles, where he coached the offensive line for head coach Mario DiMuro, and also taught classes in math, geometry, trigonometry and health sciences. In 1969, he applied for and was hired at a new college - California State Sonoma—now known as Sonoma State University—in the Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park, California area. It was one of 18 California state universities. He was hired as the head baseball coach and an assistant under head football coach Lloyd Helgeson. Sonoma State competed the junior varsity level in 1969. Peterson succeeded Helgeson as head coach in 1970 when Sonoma State moved up to varsity status, competing at the NCAA College Division level. He led Sonoma State to a record of 6–12–1 in two seasons, 1970 and 1971, before the school disbanded its football program in 1972. Peterson left Sonoma State in February 1973 to become an assistant football coach at UCLA under head coach Pepper Rodgers. When Dick Vermeil took over as head coach of the UCLA Bruins in 1974, he retained Peterson on his coaching staff that eventually led UCLA to a Rose Bowl upset over head coach Woody Hayes' No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on January 1, 1976.