Tales from the American Football League

Talking Race and the AFL with Bobby Bell

2012-02-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Though the American Football League is typically regarded as a league that focused on offense, there were a number of fantastic defensive players that made their names in the AFL. Willie Brown, Buck Buchanan, Ernie Ladd and Johnny Robinson are just a handful of legendary defenders from "The Other League." Ranking somewhere near the top of the "Greatest of AFL Defenders" list is the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, Bobby Bell. Bell was such a phenomenal athlete, that his head coach with the Chiefs, Hank Stram, once said, "Bobby Bell is the greatest outside linebacker who ever played the game... He is the only player I have seen who could play any position on a team and that team could still win." High praise, without a doubt, but when you consider some of Bell's accomplishments, you begin to understand just how good he was.

He was an All-State prep quarterback in North Carolina
He earned All-America honors as a tackle at Minnesota. .
He was selected All-AFL/AFC nine times
He played in the last six AFL All-Star games, and the first three AFC-NFC Pro Bowls
He scored nine career touchdowns, six on interceptions, one onside kickoff return, two on fumble returns
He had 26 interceptions for 479 yards, six TDs
He was an All-AFL First Team selection
He was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1983

Pretty amazing statistics, and certainly the kinds of accolades that would make him a popular figure in the Chiefs hometown of Kansas City. But despite his status as a professional football player and the fact that he is a truly nice guy, Bobby Bell had a helluva time finding a place to live in Kansas City. "I couldn't get a home loan during my first years in Kansas City because I am black," Bell recalled when we spoke over the telephone this week. "When I got to Kansas City in 1963, I couldn't eat in the restaurants."

In this day and age when professional athletes are likened to minor deities, it is difficult to imagine a professional football player being denied any type of service because of the color of his skin, but racial discrimination is something that many AFL players deal with in the turbulent 1960s.

Racial injustice was not a new phenomenon to Bobby Bell. He had grown up in North Carolina, and was forced to use colored drinking fountains and restrooms in his hometown. But after leaving the South to play his collegiate football for Murray Warmath and the University of Minnesota, Bell had become accustomed to the more racially integrated North. He had great success at Minnesota, and was named as a member of the All-America team his junior year. He returned home with a celebrity status, but even then he could not enjoy the simple pleasures that were granted to his white neighbors.

"When I was selected as an All-American in my junior year, I was given the key to the city in my hometown, Shelby, North Carolina. It was at the courthouse. They had a parade, and the band from the white high school came out and played. They asked me to give a talk. But right before I began my speech, I let them know... I said, 'before I begin, do you know what I would really like? I would love to go across the street to the ice cream parlor. I would like to walk through that front door and get myself an ice cream cone.' The people got quiet. They looked around, and said, 'well, he can do that, can't he?' They didn't see color at that moment. They thought that I could do that. They wanted me to be a part of them then. They wanted me to be a part of Shelby, but I am black, and I couldn't do that. I couldn't get that ice cream cone."

The fight for racial equality was one of the key themes of the 1960s. Civil rights rallies were held around the country, and in their own way, many of the AFL players fought discrimination as well. Bell and his AFL All-Star teammates actually mounted one of the most unheralded, yet powerful boycotts of the time when they refused to accept the discrimination they faced while in New Orleans to play in the 1965 AFL All-Star Game.

In these days before Drew Brees and the Saints, New Orleans had been courting the AFL in the hopes of getting a professional football franchise for their city, and in doing so had agreed to host the all-star game in January, 1965. The players were encouraged to bring their families, and told that the week in The Big Easy would have a vacation-like atmosphere, with golf tournaments, great restaurants and jazz clubs. Tension soon built, however, when the black players were unable to get taxi cabs to take them from the airport to the hotels. After more than an hour spent fruitlessly trying to get taxi service, they eventually got rides into town from "colored cabs." Things got worse from there.

"We checked into the hotel, and I'll tell you, it was like walking on eggshells around there," Bell recalled. "I went downstairs to eat. I got in line and the maitre de kept picking up all of the people around me... He just let me stay there. Finally a black lady came out of the kitchen and said, 'Sir, you can order your food, but you will have to take it upstairs.' I told her that I just wanted to eat here. I was a guest of the hotel, and I wanted to eat in the restaurant, but again she said, "Sir, you are going to have to take it upstairs.' I went back upstairs and said, 'I'm not playing.'"

Bobby Bell was not the only player that had felt shut out of New Orleans. Many of the black players had attempted to enjoy nice dinners and Bourbon Street's famed jazz clubs, only to be told that they were not welcome. One group of players even had a gun pulled on them by the bouncer in a night club when they tried to walk inside. Disgusted by the treatment that they had received, the black players gathered together at the hotel and voted to boycott the game. Team owners and AFL Commissioner, Joe Foss, backed them up, and the game was moved to Houston and played the following week.

Events like these are nonexistent in today's professional sports circles, but were part of everyday life for athletes in the 1960s. While playing exhibition games in the South, teams often had to be split up, the white players staying in one hotel, while the black players stayed in another. It is difficult to imagine, but it is a part of our history. And in that regard, it is one that should not be forgotten. I think that current NFL players would be well-served to spend some time with Bobby Bell, Earl Faison, Ernie Warlick, or any of the hundreds of players that came before them, and learn about what these former players had to endure and how their struggles are benefiting the athletes of today. Only by understanding our past can we truly recognize how far we have come.

Comments on Race in the AFL - Ernie Wright

2012-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

In recognition of February being Black History Month, stories this month will pertain to racial issues in the American Football League. The post for this week contains part of an interview that I conducted in 1998, with Chargers and Bengals offensive tackle, Ernie Wright. Wright was an original Charger, joining the club in Los Angeles in 1960. He moved with the team to San Diego, where he was a fixture on the offensive line for the next several years. Wright was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1968 AFL Expansion Draft, and played four seasons in his native Ohio, before coming back to the Chargers for his final season in 1972. Wright was a three-time AFL All-Star, and one of only 20 men to play in all 10 seasons of the AFL. He was successful in his post-football life, first as a sports agent, and then in operating a series of detention centers for people convicted of misdemeanors. Ernie Wright passed away on March 21, 2007, after a battle with cancer.

The Chargers never had any racial conflicts within the team itself. We ran into racism in other places. I was at a roast for Sid Gillman and one of the things I said after I had roasted him for awhile, is that I really don’t believe Sid Gillman has ever had a prejudiced bone in his body. When I started in 1960, we all knew the NFL had a quota for blacks. There always was an even number of them, so when you were on the road you’d always have two blacks together. There were no blacks that were on the bench. Everybody that was black on the team was playing. They weren’t developmental players, they weren’t reserves, they weren’t back ups. If you were black, you were playing. Sid Gillman, from the day we started, you could room with anybody you wanted to. Sid’s only prejudice was against people that wouldn’t play and wouldn’t work at the game. He loved to be around talented people. He loved to be around people who wanted to win.

Even going back to the first time we went back to Houston, 1960, we played the Oilers and then went to Dallas to play the Dallas Texans. We’re owned by Barron Hilton, Hilton Hotels. They’ve got big Hilton Hotels in both those places. We stayed at the dormitories at Rice because we couldn’t get in the hotel. In Dallas we stayed outside at a godforsaken, little country-ass prarie town full of crickets, called Grand Prarie, Texas, because that was the only hotel that would let blacks into it. We were on the third floor and had crickets in the room. I’ll never forget that. So we organized a protest, and the next year, 1961, when we went to Houston, we then stayed in the Hilton. The members of the San Diego Chargers were the first blacks to stay in the Shamrock Hilton as guests.

We had some other situations. We were playing in Atlanta and next to the hotel we were staying at they had a mall that had a billiard parlor in it. Billiard things were real big and it had 20 or 30 tables. Of course, being competitive, we wanted to see who was the best pool shooter. So 12 of us or so went over there, half black, half white. The guy working there, we asked for the cues and the balls and the stuff and we saw him on the phone. About 15 minutes later he came back and he said, “some of you guys can’t stay here.” We’re all shooting pool and, “What?” So he said that the owner said that some of you guys...”What do you mean, ‘some of you guys?’” “Well, you colored,” in those days we were colored, “you colored boys, you colored guys can’t stay here.” So we went back to Sid and said, “we’re not playing in the exhibition game tomorrow. If we can’t be treated like human beings, we not going to play a game.” This was a Friday night, the game was supposed to be Saturday night. By Saturday morning the Governor of Georgia, the Mayor of Atlanta, everybody was out there making all kinds of problems and so on and so forth. We did end up playing, but it became national news and in it’s way contributed to the progress we see now.

I remember one other incidence that we had; we had an AFL All-Star Game. The first couple were out here, and then we were going to have one in New Orleans. Sid was going to coach the West team. We land in New Orleans and the cabs were picking up the white players and taking them to the hotels and telling us we’d have to find black cabs. So, boom, again, we’re not going to play in this place. So they moved the game to Houston. The next year were flying to the All-Star Game in Houston and Houston’s locked in so we go on to New Orleans and come back to Houston the next day. So we got to New Orleans and now we stayed in the Hilton right across the street from the airport. We got in the cab to go down to the French Quarter, of course. The cab driver happened to be black. And so we’re talking, Dave Grayson, I don’t know if he was with the Raiders or Kansas City then, Earl Faison, myself, might be Ernie Ladd. The driver heard us talking and said, “oh, you’re football players. What you did last year has had a tremendous effect on New Orleans. They want a pro football team here. And after you guys refused to play here and it was on national press and TV again, they integrated the transportation. Blacks didn’t have to sit in the back anymore. You can get any cab and so on and so forth.” In this era of the ‘60s where they had all this civil rights stuff and the marches and sitting at the counters, we had an effect too. We had an effect in a different way because everybody wanted sports franchises and athletes around. So in many ways we had as equally powerful an effect as students did, but it took all of us to change. But I will say one more time that I have never, in the years that I have been around Sid Gillman and his teams, never any inter-team racial - it just was not tolerated. It’s us against them. It’s like being in a foxhole when you’re being attacked. You don’t care what color the other guys is or what gender she might be, if she can help you fight and save your life.

An American Football League Standard Players Contract

2012-01-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

I have a love-hate relationship with Ebay, but one of the things for which it is absolutely fantastic, is being able to pick up oddball items pertaining to whatever you may collect. I have been able to purchase numerous interesting AFL-related items on Ebay over the years, the most recent of which arrived on my doorstep just last week. For a whopping $3.24 + shipping, I am now the owner of an unused copy of the American Football League Standard Players Contract. This contract, which came to me in triplicate (white copy to be held by the league office, yellow for the member club, blue to be returned to the player), is a simple four-page document that outlines the payment schedule, amount, and various rules that AFL players had to abide by during their time in the league.

Of the 17 points detailed int he contract, the one pertaining to payment schedule reads that the player will receive"75% of said salary in weekly installments commencing with the first and ending with the last regularly scheduled League game played by the Club during such season and the balance of 25% of said sum at the end of said last regularly scheduled League game."

Though room and board, food and traveling expenses are also mentioned, the contract does not specify payment for preseason games. But to give you an idea in that regard, former Dallas Texan and Kansas City Chiefs end, Chris Burford, recently posted an image of one of his preseason checks online. The single game check was for $48.

The remaining 16 points cover the player agreeing to abide by league rules, to be governed by the league commissioner, to not engage in dangerous activity that could put his ability to play football at risk, the details of what should happen in the event that the player is injured while under contract, and/or drafted into the Armed Forces.

The back page lists the "Club Rules and Regulations." Most are understandable and reasonably clear. However I found item #2 rather funny.

2. Drinking of intoxicants is forbidden.

I am guessing that roughly 98% of this league, which was made up of young men, many of them single and enjoying some money and a bit of popularity, was in direct violation of their contract on an almost daily basis. Perhaps those rule was generally ignored by both players and officials?

Remembering Hank Schmidt

2012-01-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

Down the road from our home is one of my favorite places to go for breakfast, the La Mesa Bistro & Bakery. If you happen to roll into the Bistro on a Wednesday morning, you are likely to see a group of older gentlemen occupying a large table in the back room. They are all retired, and meet each week to have breakfast and enjoy each other's company. One neat thing that they do is for each meeting, a member of their group will bring an item from home to share and discuss. It may be a tool used during their career, a photo from a past occasion, or a souvenir purchased on a special vacation. But the item is passed around, discussed and enjoyed by all.

One of the men that is part of this group is former AFL'er, Hank Schmidt. Hank was a tough defensive lineman who joined the Chargers in 1961, after spending time playing in the Marine Corps and then for the San Francisco 49ers. Schmidt played for the Chargers through the 1964 season, then spent the 1965 season with the Buffalo Bills, and 1966 with the New York Jets. Though he was not as well-known as his Chargers linemates, Earl Faison and Ernie Ladd, Schmidt was a solid player that excelled in the physical aspects of the game, and was a great contributor to the Chargers special teams. In fact, when Sports Illustrated's famed football writer, Dr. Z, selected his All-Century Team in the August 30, 1999, issue of SI, he added only five specialists to this "Greatest of all Teams." One of the five specialists was Hank "Henry" Schmidt, whom he chose as the greatest wedge buster in professional football history. After football, Hank entered the insurance business, where he was a longtime agent in San Diego.

Knowing where I could find Hank and his buddies on Wednesday morning this week, I scanned through my collection of AFL Chargers photos, and printed about a dozen different 8x10s of Hank Schmidt. When I arrived at The Bistro at around 8:30, the group was laughing and enjoying their breakfast. I walked over to their table, introduced myself, and gave Hank the sack of photos. "I just thought you might like these," I told him, and then left them to enjoy their meal.

Hank's group broke up a little while later, and on their way out the door, several stopped by my table to thank me for bringing the photos. "Hank really enjoyed them," they said. "In fact, most of them he had never seen before."

It was a fun connection, and a real reminder to me of how these AFL players were really just everyday guys, who enjoyed their sports careers, and then assimilated into the regular world. Today, most are very happy to be remembered as former athletes, and enjoy the opportunity to stroll down memory lane.

Tea Parties and the Simplicity of the AFL

2012-01-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons that I really enjoy the AFL is that it reminds me of a time when professional football wasn't such a huge business. Sure, the players received a paycheck and owners tried their best to turn a profit, but things were much simpler in comparison to modern pro football.

Take, for example, this wire service photo that I recently picked up on ebay. The photo shows five New York Titans players in the end zone at the Polo Grounds. Two are holding a giant cup and saucer, while a third is dipping in an oversized tea bag. The caption on back reads, "October 10, 1960 - The Boston Patriots will have no tea party these New York Titans players say as they gather in the "tea formation" to brew special plays for their Saturday night game, Sept. 17th, with the Patriots at the Polo Grounds. Gathered around the titanic tea cup are (seated, left to right) offensive captain Gene Cockrell, tackle; defensive captain Tom Saidock, tackle; Dick Jamieson, quarterback. Standing, left to right, are Fred Julian, defensive halfback, and Pete Hart, fullback."

This makes me chuckle. Yes, the theme of the photo is silly, but you have to appreciate the attempted reference, however goofy, to the Boston Tea Party. The promotion was clever, and not over-the-top, and loud and abrasive. In a time when professional football players are international multi-media darlings, their likenesses gracing the internet, televisions, billboards, video games, magazines, and nearly every other kind of consumer product, I prefer the simplicity of the AFL. Though the owners wanted to make money, the emphasis was on the team and game and at least, not openly, on the Corporate America and profit statements.

48 Years Ago Today - 1963 AFL Championship Game

2012-01-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

This large, framed team photo given to team members and office staff

On January 5, 1964, the San Diego Chargers defeated the Boston Patriots by a score of 51-10 in the 1963 American Football League championship game. Chargers running back Keith Lincoln cemented his name in the annals of football history by amassing 349 yards of total offense, and scoring on a 67-yard run and a 25-yard pass reception. In these days pre-merger, Chargers head coach, Sid Gillman, offered to play the NFL champion Chicago Bears in a game to determine the true champions of professional football. When Bears' owner, George Halas, refused Gillman's offer, the Chargers coach had "World Champions" engraved on his team's championship rings.

The 1963 Chargers were the first AFL team to be

featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Much has been said and written about that 1963 Chargers team in the years that have passed. Sid Gillman protege, Ron Jaworski, did a masterful job of breaking down the Chargers success and Gillman's game plan for that legendary victory in his book, The Games that Changed the Game (Random House, 2010). A mythical championship game between the offensively-gifted Chargers and defensively-dominant Bears has been hotly debated by historians. Lance Alworth, Sid Gillman, Ron Mix, and then-defensive backfield coach Chuck Noll, have since been inducted into Pro Football's Hall of Fame. ESPN's Chris Berman has even jumped into the fray by declaring the AFL Chargers to have the best uniforms in all of pro football history.

Perhaps the fact that this remains San Diego's only major sports championship contributes to the recollections of the 1963 team. But I think that the team itself is the cause for its own popularity. Coming off an injury-riddled 4-10 season in 1962, Sid Gillman sequestered his team in the hills of Boulevard, California. Gillman's idea was to get his team away from the temptations of city life, and force them to focus on football and bond together as a team. And so the Chargers spent their 1963 training camp at a dilapidated facility called the Rough Acres Ranch. What the "Ranch" lacked in air-conditioning and comfort, it made up for with rattlesnakes and grassless practice fields. But when the Chargers finally came down off the hill, they were primed and ready to play.

They ripped through the regular season with an 11-3 record, and secured the AFL Western Division title with a 58-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in a December 22nd game at Balboa Stadium. Two weeks later, behind a game plan that Gillman himself named "Feast or Famine," the Chargers decimated the Patriots. Gillman's plan, which was heavy on motion, deception, and the use of his tight end, consistently trapped the blitzing Patriots linebacker out of position, and resulted in many plays that went for long yardage and six points. Tom Addison, the Patriots all-star linebacker, was quoted in Jeff Miller's AFL classic, Going Long, as saying, "I've never been on my knees so much in my life. I got knocked down on every Goddamn play."

That kind of domination is rare, especially in a championship game, and in fact it led many people to begin questioning the supposed dominance of the NFL. Noted football personalities came out on both sides of the issue, some supporting the Chargers while others backed the Bears. Sadly, that game never came to be, and now, 48 years later, we have nothing but game films and statistics to back up our own beliefs of what might have been in the lightning bolt-clad Chargers had played the Monsters of the Midway... Oh, and those Chargers rings that already say, "World Champions."

Lance Alworth

Keith Lincoln

Tobin Rote

Sid Gillman's Team-Signed 1963 AFL Championship Game Ball

Sid Gillman

Post-Game Locker Room Celebration

Sid Gillman's 1963 AFL Championship Tie Clip

Sid Gillman's 1963 AFL Championship Bracelet

The Bobs of Boston

2012-01-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

Bob Dee, Bob Lee and Bob Fee of the Boston Patriots.

There were lots of interesting characters at the early AFL training camps in 1960. Many teams held open tryouts that they advertised in local newspapers. The result was having every bartender, truck driver, dock worker and other tough guy come out and make an attempt to play professional football. The Boston Patriots held their initial training camp at the University of Massachusetts, and had their own collection of football-playing hopefuls, including three guys named Bob - Dee, Fee and Lee.

Bob Dee had the greatest career of the three Bobs. After playing two initial season with the Washington Redskins, Dee re-started his football career in Boston in 1960. He played on Boston's defensive line through the 1967 season when he retired to embark upon a business opportunity that was “too good to resist.” Bob Dee left the Patriots as a four-time AFL All-Star who started 112 consecutive games. Years later his number 89 was retired by the Patriots, he was selected as a member of the Boston Patriots All-1960s Team, and he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Bob Lee was an offensive guard out of the University of Missouri. Lee managed to get into eight games with the Patriots in 1960, after which his professional football career ended.

Bob Fee got cut in training camp, and thus never played in a regular season game. I managed to track him down in an effort to get his football card signed. After receiving my letter, he called me on the phone from Massachusetts. He said that he had gotten my phone number off of the stationary from my autograph request, and thought he would give me a call. He is now 76 years old, and participates in the Senior Olympics. He has run 31 marathons in his life, but at his age he hates having to do long training runs in the Massachusetts cold, so he now does the 100 and 200 meters. He will be competing in Texas in March. He said that he gets 3-4 requests to sign his card each year and always enjoys doing it.

AFL In Memoriam - 2011

2011-12-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

As we say goodbye to 2011 and prepare to welcome in 2012, I want to take a moment to recall those American Football League players and representatives who passed away this year. Sadly, the fraternity of AFL players that are still with us is dwindling. These men are all legends of the sport for doing their part, no matter how small, in the battle for legitimacy with the National Football League. I would like to thank Mike Thomas (www.nearmintcards.com) and Ange Coniglio (www.remembertheafl.com) for informing football fans of these passings as they occur during the year.

Cookie Gilchrist - Died on January 10 - A legendary running back with the Bills, Broncos and Dolphins, Gilchrist was one of the most colorful of all AFL players.

Ralph Felton – Died on January 22 - Ralph Felton played two seasons at linebacker for the Buffalo Bills after spending seven seasons with the Washington Redskins of the NFL.

Danny Brabham - Died on January 23 - A linebacker out of the University of Arkansas, Danny Brabham played five seasons with the Houston Oilers and was an original member of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968.

Ken Carpenter – Died on January 28 - Ken Carpenter had originally retired from professional football in 1953, after playing four sseasons for the Cleveland Browns. He came out of retirement to play in six games for the uppstart Denver Broncos in 1960.

Tom Addison - Died on June 14 - An original member of the Boston Partiots, Tom Addison was the first president of the AFL Player's Association. He played for the Patriots from 1960-1967.

Lee Riley – Died on June 9 - The older brother of famed basketball coach, Pat Riley, Lee played professionally from 1955-1962, spending his last two seasons with the New York Titans.

Preston Carpenter – Died on June 30 - An offensive end/halfback in the NFL from 1956-1966, Carpenter played for the Miami Dolphins in 1967.

Pete Duranko - Died on July 8 - Duranko, a defensive lineman out of Notre Dame, was a second round draft choice of the Denver Broncos in 1966. He played in Every Broncos game from 1967-1974.

George Wilson - Died on August 6 - George Wilson was the Miami Dolphins first quarterback in 1966. Wilson's time in Miami was unique in that his father, George Wilson Sr., was the team's head coach.

Jimmy Harris - Died on August 8 - Harris sent two years in the NFL before joining the dallas Texans for the 1960 & 1961 seasons. The defensive back had four interceptions in 25 AFL games.

Ray Abruzzese - Died on August 22 - Abruzzese totalled 10 interceptions in five seasons as a defensive back in the AFL. An alumni of Alabama, Abruzzese was Joe Namath's roommate in college and again when the cocky quarterback first joined the New York Jets.

Sam DeLuca – Died on September 15 - DeLuca played six seasons in the AFL with the Chargers and Jets. After retiring as a player, DeLuca spent several season as a radio broadcaster for Jets games.

Al Davis - Died on October 8 - Davis began his time in the AFL as an assistant coach with the Chargers. He was later head coach of the Oakland Raiders, AFL Commissioner, and ultimately Managing General Partner of the Raiders. Few people, if any, had a greater influence on professional football.

Houston Antwine - Died on December 26 - "Twine" teamed with Jim "Earthquake" Hunt on the Boston Patriots to form one of the greatest tackle tandems in AFL history. Antwine was selected to the AFL All-Time Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T09:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa and best wishes for whatever you are doing this holiday season. I appreciate you all reading Tales from the American Football League. Here is to us all having a happy and prosperous 2012!

1960 Houston Oilers Matchbooks

2011-12-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

I know a group of collectors who are enamored with the Diamond Matchbooks of the 1930s that feature football players on them. Many of these matchbooks are considered the earliest issues of certain hall of fame players, and are therefor hotly pursued when they come up for auction.

There were no league-wide matchbook sets designed when the AFL came into existence, but there is a rare and rather obscure set of matchbooks featuring members of the 1960 Houston Oilers. This 10-book set was produced by Universal Match Corp., and I was fortunate to pick up a complete set last week when it was auctioned on ebay.

This Oilers set featured the team mascot and logo on what would have been the outside of the matchbook, while one of 10 different players was revealed when opening the flap. The most desirable "card' in the set is of Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker, George Blanda. The other nine players are Johnny Carson, Doug Cline, Don Hitt, Mark Johnston, Dan Lanphear, Jacky Lee, Bill Mathis, Hogan Wharton and Bob White. It is an interesting group of players. A few tidbits on this group:

Blanda, Lee and Mathis represent three of the 20 men that played all 10 seasons of the AFL.
Don Hitt never actually played for the Oilers. During the 1960 training camp, Hitt learned that he had a severe for of diabetes, and thus was forced to end his career before it began.
All of the players are also featured in the 1960 Fleer football card set, with the exception of Mark Johnston. Identical photos were used in both the cards and matchbooks.

I have seen other matchbooks that feature AFL teams or subjects, but to my knowledge this is the only issue to feature individual players. It is an added bonus that this Oilers team won the AFL championship in 1960.

Talking AFL at the Grocery Store

2011-12-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

I hadn't planned on posting today, though I am long overdue. But when a bit of AFL runs into me while I am grocery shopping, then maybe that is a sign that I need to sit down and do some writing. I was at my local Sprouts store this morning, when I ran into former San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins defensive back, Dick Westmoreland. I've known Dick for many years now, and it was a nice surprise to see him. It just so happened that I had a photo that I've been meaning to get to him, so I invited him to stop by my house after he was finished shopping.

Once we sat down and I handed him the photo, a great shot of the 1963 Chargers team in their team sportcoats and ties, memories began bubbling and the stories flowed.

Dick Westmoreland was involved in several important AFL situations. As a rookie with the Chargers in 1963, he earned a starting position at cornerback, and was an integral part of the Chargers lone AFL championship team. Westmoreland finished second to Denver's Billy Joe for AFL Rookie of the Year honors that year.

After having another successful season in 1964, Westmoreland was selected to play in the AFL All-Star Game to be held in New Orleans. However, once the African-American players began arriving in the Crescent City, they began facing the racism that was so prevalent in the South during that time. They were denied taxi cabs, entry to night clubs, and forced to endure ugly comments nearly everywhere they turned. The African-American players ultimately decided to boycott the game in New Orleans. The AFL leadership supported their decision, and the game was moved to Houston and played a week later.

After three seasons in the Chargers defensive backfield, Westmoreland became an inaugural member of the Miami Dolphins when they selected him in the 1966 AFL Expansion Draft. He and his teammates brought professional football to Florida, and were the precursors to the great Dolphins teams of the 1970s.

Dick Westmoreland played four seasons in Miami, and led the AFL in interceptions with 10 in 1967. He was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings in 1970, but was later released, not having actually played for them.

Westmoreland returned to San Diego after his football career ended, and began a long career with the probation department. In fact, he made a point of telling me that today he was celebrating the two-week anniversary of his retirement.

Tales from the American Football League on the Radio!

2011-12-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

After a great interview with Jim Laslavic on Sunday Sportswrap last week, I was contacted by Doug Young, host of Sportsquawk Sunday on XTRA Sports 1360, in San Diego. He invited me to join the show tomorrow morning at 7:45 Pacific, to talk a little AFL history. If you are awake and wanting a little football history fix, tune in and enjoy!

XTRA Sports 1360

Tales from the American Football League on Television

2011-11-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

Jim Laslavic invited me to join him this evening on Sunday Sportswrap - Channel 7/39 at 11:00 PM here in San Diego. I will be talking about my blog, Tales from the American Football League, and bringing along some memorabila to share. If you are still awake, check it out! I will also try to find a link to post tomorrow.

Now I'm off to dig through the closets to see what I will be bringing with me... Anyone have any suggestion for me?

Happy Thanksgiving - Bills vs. Chargers, 1964

2011-11-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving coming upon us tomorrow, this is a good opportunity to bring out one of my all-time favorite AFL game programs. This program was issued for the Thanksgiving Day game between the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers on November 26, 1964, at San Diego's Balboa Stadium.

By this time Lance Alworth was a bonafide star, coming off an AFL MVP season the year before. This was Alworth's first appearance on a program cover, an honor that he would have eight times during his years in the AFL. The cover is an artistic rendering of Bills linebacker, Harry Jacobs, attempting to tackle Alworth. The artist was Dick Thompson, the man who is credited for creating the cartoon image of the San Diego mascot, Charlie Charger.

The game itself was a nail-biter, and the outcome was not determined until the very end. With the game tied at 24 and three second left on the clock, Bills' kicker, Pete Gogolak, launched a 33-yard field goal that pushed Buffalo ahead. The Chargers were not able to make anything happen on the ensuing kickoff, and the Bills went home winners by a score of 27-24.

The two teams were to meet again in the AFL Championship Game at the end of the season. San Diego appeared to be cruising to an easy victory before Bills' linebacker, Mike Stratton, unloaded an earth-shattering tackle on San Diego's Keith Lincoln. The Tackle Heard 'Round the World changed the course of the game, and when the final gun sounded, the Buffalo Bills were crowned AFL Champs!

Who's Your Favorite?

2011-11-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

As a league, the AFL was known for explosive offenses; quarterbacks who threw long and often, receivers who could fly, and backs who could run and catch passes out of the backfield. In the AFL's 10-year history, there were several potent offensive units. Many of those coaches and players are now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and several more deserve to be.

My question to readers is two-fold, and will hopefully spark a bit of conversation. Who was your favorite AFL offense, and why? Who was the best AFL offense, and why?

To kick-start some memories and get the conversation started, I will help out by providing some names and statistics.

The 1961 Houston Oilers

The AFL's first great offense was led by a veteran of the NFL wars in quarterback George Blanda. Coming off their victory in the inaugural AFL championship game, the Oilers featured former Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Cannon, at halfback along with fireplug Charley Tolar at fullback. Charlie Hennigan, the AFL's first 1,000-yard receiver was at flanker, while the Oilers carried three ends on their roster in Bob McLeod, Willard Dewveall and Bill Groman. The Oilers scored 100 more points than any other AFL team in 1961, and gained roughly 1,400 more offensive yards than anyone in the league.

The 1963 San Diego Chargers

The '63 Chargers were the early darlings of the AFL. Clad in powder blue uniforms and lightning bolts on their helmets, the Chargers threw the ball all over the field. Tobin Rote was the starting quarterback and served as a mentor to the young John Hadl. Lance Alworth (who shared league MVP honors that year with Rote and the Raiders' Clem Daniels) was at flanker, with Don Norton split out wide, and Dave Kocourek on the end. Keith Lincoln and Paul Lowe made up what was perhaps the most dynamic backfield in AFL history, and of course this legendary group was led by the Father of the Modern Passing Game, Sid Gillman. The Chargers led the AFL in rushing yards, total offensive yards, and scoring in 1963, on the way to trouncing the Boston Patriots 51-10 in the AFL championship game.

The 1964 Buffalo Bills

Perhaps not as highly-touted as some of the other offenses in this article, the '64 Bills used their combination of speed and power to lead the AFL in scoring and total offensive yards. Led by their cerebral QB, Jack Kemp (with Daryle Lamonica waiting in the wings), the Bills upset the Chargers in the championship game. Wray Carlton played halfback, but the dominant player in the Buffalo backfield was the enigmatic Cookie Gilchrist. Glenn Bass, Bill Groman and Ernie Warlick were listed as ends, and Ed Rutkowski and Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion played flanker.

The 1966 Kansas City Chiefs

The '66 Chiefs represented the AFL in Super Bowl I. Hall of Fame head coach, Hank Stram, led this expolsive team that featured another HoF member, Len Dawson, at quarterback. Curtis McClinton played fullback, and led the blocking for Heisman Trophy winner, Mike Garrett, at halfback. Fred Arbanas, Chris Burford and Reg Carolan were listed at end, but could also be split out wide. Perhaps the most dynamic player on the offense was wide receiver, Otis Taylor. The '66 Chiefs led the AFL in rushing, total offensive yards and scoring.

The 1967 Oakland Raiders

With John Rauch implementing Al Davis's vertical passing game, the 1967 Raiders went 13-1 on the season. They featured Daryle "The Mad Bomber" Lamonica at quarterback, and had Clem Daniels and Pete Banaszak in the backfield, along with Estes Banks, Larry Todd and Roger Hagberg waiting in the wings. Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff was at flanker, and Warren Wells, Bill Miller and Ken Herock were out wide. Dave Kocourek rounded out the group at tight end. These Raiders led the AFL in scoring and total offensive yardage.

The 1968 New York Jets

Is there any team that screams "AFL" more than a Joe Namath-led Jets team? The '68 team upset the famed Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, with a star-studded offense that made New Yorkers (and the entire AFL) proud. Of course the gimpy-kneed and powerfully-armed Namath was under center. Emerson Boozer and Matt Snell were in the backfield. Hall of Famer Don Maynard was split out wide with Bake Turner and George Sauer. Pete Lammons, Mark Smolinski and Curley Johnson played tight end. The '68 Jets did not lead the league in any major offensive categories, but who can argue with the league's first Super Bowl victory?

There you have it, the AFL's top-ranked offenses, or at least my version of them. My favorite... The '63 Chargers. Maybe I am biased, but on top of dominating the Patriots in the championship game, they looked really cool in those classic uniforms! My thoughts on the best offensive unit? I am torn between the '63 Chargers and the '67 Raiders, though there really are no slouches on this list. What are your thoughts?

My Memories of Sid Gillman

2011-11-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

My interest in the American Football League began when I started writing my master’s thesis on Sid Gillman, the Chargers first head coach. I was fortunate because at the time, the Gillman’s lived at La Costa, in San Diego’s north county. During my research, and then for a few years after, I was able to spend time with Sid and his wife, Esther. It was a very neat time for me. My girlfriend at the time (and now wife), Kym, often came with me. She and Esther would walk through their beautiful gardens, enjoying the flowers and talking about things ranging from family to football, being married for 60+ years, politics, and having to pick up and move your family with each new coaching position.

Meanwhile Sid and I watched television, talked about the current NFL, or reminisced about his time with the Chargers. I remember watching the 1999 NFL Draft with Sid. He didn’t know much about the draftees, but he still liked to keep track of what was going on in The League.

One of the pieces that I love most in my collection was given to me one day by Esther. Knowing that I liked to collect memorabilia, she presented me with one of Sid’s pipes. Aside from the passing game, Sid was well-known for wearing bow ties and smoking pipes. That simple gift meant more to me than she ever knew.

Sid Gillman was 88 years old when we first met. His memory was still sharp, but began fading shortly thereafter. I was able to record four interviews with him. The one presented below is the first of those interviews, and I believe the best. It was done on December 16, 1998, and covers many areas within coach Gillman’s career. I have presented the entire interview for you to enjoy.

TT - How did you get started in football? When did you begin playing?

SG - Well, of course I played as a youngster. I played in high school and was always, as far back as I can remember, oriented as far as athletics are concerned. I was very much interested in them. I played in high school and I played in college, played in professional football and it just carried on through life.

TT - How did you get started in coaching?

SG - Well, that is kind of an interesting story in that my coach, a fellow that I worked with, briefly, to start with. His name was Francis Schmidt, and he was probably one of the greatest minds of anybody that I’ve ever known. I was playing in the all-star game in Chicago. We don’t have an all-star game anymore because insurance rates are so high that if any of those kids got killed, especially if somebody hurt his arm and he’s got an insurance policy of $15 million, you couldn’t afford to stay up with the insurance deal. So they cut it out. But I was playing in this all-star game when my coach wired me and wanted me to come back and help out in spring football practice, which I did do, although I was destined for law school. I thought that maybe I might become a lawyer. But I thought, “Well, we’ll give football a try.” And I went back, this was at Ohio State. I went back and I haven’t seen a law school yet, because I was taken back by football and teaching football and coaching football. I wasn’t interested in anything else after that experience.

TT - Were the offenses that you played in at Ohio State similar to the ones you ended up coaching later?

SG - Not even a reasonable facsimile. It wasn’t close. I played old-fashioned football where it was called single-wing. You had a wing-back and a half back and a running back and a blocking back but there was no I-formation at that time. Actually “I” came in later on. Clark Shaughnessy had a lot to do with establishing the I-formation. We had some great teames at Ohio State at that time. And that’s how it got started. Francis Schmidt, the guy loved to work and I fit right in with him because I was a workaholic. That’s the way she went.

TT - Can you explain how you started off with your offensive philosophy in football, the thoughts that you went into your first coaching jobs with?

SG - It goes way back to when I decided that running the ball isn’t going to win for you. You had to have a good passing attack and some good ends that can catch the ball and quarterbacks that can throw the ball. And the key to the whole thing was scoring points. You can score faster, quicker by throwing the ball than you could any other way. This fascinated me.

TT - Is that something that you learned right away?

SG - It is something that I learned right away. It started right on out. And of course Schmidt, my coach, was pass-oriented. He liked to throw the ball, too. It started kind of with him and the fascination myself. Scoring fast. So that’s just about the way it went.

TT - Who were your greatest influences in football? You mentioned Francis Schmidt.

SG - Well, Francis Schmidt was probably the key. He was the worker and he enjoyed having me around because I worked right with him. So it was Schmidt that really was the key guy in my thinking. Because of the fact that you could score faster, quicker and that was what was happening.

TT - Can you discuss some of the difficulties you encountered between coaching college and pro ball?

SG - Well, the main thing in pro ball was throwing the ball and scoring quick. This was the idea. Against college football it was more run-oriented. People didn’t think too much about throwing the ball in the old days when I was breaking in. They were thinking about running the football until some of us got to thinking that it was kind of a waste of time. We began to throw it.

TT - What do you think were your greatest strengths over the years as a coach?

SG - Well, number one is work. I worked probably harder than most coaches. As a matter of fact, I think that and the fact that I enjoyed throwing the ball rather than running it. I guess throwing the ball was the key and working day and night.

TT - I’ve heard that from many of your players that you were the hardest-working person on the team.

SG - Well, I hope that they appreciated it.

TT - They did. I’ve talked to probably 20 of your players with the Chargers and they were all extremely complimentary, not only of you, but of Mrs. Gillman as well.

SG - Well, that’s nice.

TT - So many of your coaches went on to have extremely successful coaching careers of their own. What were some of the qualities that you looked for in your coaches when you chose them?

SG - Well, the key to the whole thing is to get somebody that will be willing to work. That’s the key to the whole thing. And then to have a guy that was bright enough to learn as much as possible of the system we had so that he could go out and coach it for us, and if necessary go out and get a job on his own. That’s all it is. No magic at all, just work. Work your rear end off.

TT - This next set of questions is about things that you introduced to the game. First of all, you brought in Alvin Roy in 1963 as the first weight training coach.

SG - Yeah, we had the first weight training coach.

TT - What was the desired result that you were looking for when you brought him on?

SG - We tried to make people stronger and larger. That was the key to the whole thing, get them larger, get them stronger. Then we thought that we could block a little better. That was the key thing. As a matter of fact I saw a high school team work out once with weights and that intrigued me. I went back home and went to work right away trying to get a system going of lifting and that helped us a great deal.

TT - That was my next question. Was it a success?

SG - Oh, definitely a success. It was a success in high school football and college football and pro football. Everybody began to copy it.

TT - When did you first begin to learn about weight lifting? Roughly how many years before the Chargers?

SG - Maybe a year or two. I mentioned I saw this high school team in the weight room, lifting weights and I thought what a great thing that would be for us. That’s the way it was. We became stronger and stronger by the day.

TT - Do you think that maybe it hurt because weight lifting was not as well understood at that point? Did you have any drawbacks to it?

SG - No, no drawbacks, none at all. We just carried on as much as we could and everybody fit right in the program. The first time I was connected with any weight program was with a high school team years ago. I watched them work and thought it was going to be a great thing for us. And it was.

TT - When did you first begin to use film as a coaching tool?

SG - Oh, that dates back to my cradle. It was college as a matter of fact, we filmed our practice sessions and carried it over into pros. When I went with the Rams we began to take film of our practices. So it dates way back, almost to day one. Of course it was very simple for me, because my parents were in the movie business. And in those days, this was long before you were born, they used to have Fox Movie Tone News and Paramount and they all had newsreels and I used to clip the football out of those reels. It was against the law, but I did it anyhow. So that’s what started me out. Invariably it was our newsreels which were a big thing in the movie business. People now get television, but years ago you had the Movie Tone. Fox, Paramount, they all had shots of major games and I used to cut those major games out and study them. So that’s what started me out in the movies. And then the fact that I just took the movie camera out on the practice field.

TT - So were you even clipping these highlight reels before you started coaching?

SG - No. I was coaching at the time. Gee, I’ll never forget. I was coaching in college at the time and we were in a training camp and I had a cameraman work with us. He was shooting one day and we noticed that there was going to be a storm. The clouds were so goddamn black, you could hardly see. The guy reminded me of Gene Leff, same mode. I said, “Jimmy, come on down. It looks like were going to have a storm.” Well, before he was able to get down, that storm came up and it was about a 25-foot scaffold and the son of a bitch just flopped on over and the camera and everything just smashed to smithereens. It was just a hell of a thing. Nothing happened to him, thank goodness. He survived, but all our film equipment broke up. I see that in my mind every once in a while. He had just enough room to move in a direction. He was like a rat trying to find the hole and he couldn’t find the hole and he decided to ride down with it. He rode down with the storm. Oh jeez, I’ll never forget that.

TT - You were also the first coach to allow black and white players to room together on the road. Can you explain your philosophies behind that?

SG - Well, it was a simple thing. They all decided to room together. We just got together and had a meeting and discussed the situation with them and told them we just had to live together. That’s all. We played together, we had to live together. And they accepted it, without question. We left the movie one night because the owner of the movie came up and told me, “Coach, you’re gonna have to get your boys up in the balcony because we got a big crowd coming in and you gotta move up.” I said, “We’re not moving any place.” I told him, “We’re not moving anywhere because of black and white, see.” I told him, “We’re not moving any place. If we have to move, we’re moving out.” And he says, “Well, I can’t help it.” So we just took our squad and got the hell out of there.

AT THIS POINT BOB HOOD, A CHARGERS STAFF MEMBER FROM 1962-77, JOINED IN THE CONVERSATION.

BH - Sometimes we went and all sat in the balcony just so there wasn’t any problem. The whites would sit where the blacks had to sit, rather than embarrassing the blacks.

SG - But we just collected our whole team and told them, “We’re leaving, getting the hell out of here, because it’s not a place we want to be.”

TT - And that was in Atlanta?

SG - It was in Houston, wasn’t it?

BH - That one was in Houston. We had another incident, remember in Atlanta. It was in 1964 and we played... Do you remember when we played in Memphis and we flew on that crappy plane that Johnny Gough got, that constellation? We stayed in Jonesboro and we played in Little Rock. And then we stayed in Jonesboro, we went to Kansas City and we finished in Atlanta. And Atlanta didn’t have a team yet. We played in a little stadium called Wickham Stadium, stayed in a Hilton out by the airport and Ernie and those guys , we all went next door. I went with them to the bowling alley to play pool. Keith Lincoln, Lance, all of us were playing pool and they came up in the pool hall and asked the blacks to leave because they weren’t allowed in there to play pool. You had to have the mayor come to breakfast the next morning because the guys said they weren’t going to play. You had it in the all-star game, I think it was the same year. But 1964, it was the preseason Sid. My eyes were big. I came from California and didn’t know what segregation was. But that happened in 1964. We stayed in a Hilton and right next door was the bowling alley. Ernie and those guys, Ladd and Luther we all were there, playing. The whole group left just like the movie theater, and the players came to you and said they were not going to play the game. That’s when they were trying to get either and AFL or an NFL team in Atlanta. I remember that. I remember that, at the time I was 19, 20 years old.

SG - Well, we were at training camp when we decided that we weren’t going to have any segregation and I discussed with members of the squad and they all agreed. I tell you. They all took a black roommate and every one of them was tickled to death to do it. We had some great kids, no problem at all. And the next time that we had a problem was the all-star game. Cab driver would only take our all-stars a certain distance. And he stopped the cab and said, “It’s time to get out now.” Our kids decided, “The hell it is. This isn’t time to get out. We haven’t reached our destination yet.” So they went back to the hotel and packed. And I caught a bunch of them walking out of the hotel and I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Then I nailed a few of them and we discussed the thing with them and got it settled and went and played it in Houston. We played it in Houston.

BH - That was before New Orleans had a team, too.

SG - Yeah.

TT - You had problems with some of your hotels as well, didn’t you?

SG - We didn’t have too many problems with the hotels. Do you recall any problems with the hotels?

BH - I think Barron kind of eased the way on that.

SG – Listen, when I was coaching the Rams, the black football players could not travel with us. We had to put them up with families. They couldn’t go to a hotel in the South, below the Mason-Dixon Line. We had to take all our black kids, and we had a few of them, and get a place for them to stay in a private home. I’ll never forget that. That’s when it all started.

TT - Did you ever face any pressure for having so many black players on your teams? You had a lot more than most teams.

SG - No. I didn’t have any problems. None what-so-ever. We had some high-class guys. Tank Younger and guys like that. We had a bunch of them and they were first-rate guys. So we didn’t have any problems. We didn’t have any problems when they weren’t allowed to live in a hotel.

TT - What kinds of things did you have to do differently coaching the Chargers than you did with the Rams? What kind of things did building a new league at the same time cause?

SG - Pretty much the same. There wasn’t any difference in the football. The football was the same. We probably threw the ball more than most people. I’m sure that’s true because we wanted to give the fans a thrill, so we threw the ball a little more than anybody else. Basically there wasn’t any problems.

TT - That was actually my next question. Why was there more passing in the AFL than the NFL?

SG - Well, that was one of the reasons. Instead of running the ball, we knew we could start the cash register going a hell of a lot faster when we’re throwing than when we’re running. So we just decided that we’re going to throw the ball and not run much.

TT - Most of the teams were that way in the AFL. Most of the teams threw a lot more.

SG - Well, I think they probably did. Of course we were so successful at the time, throwing and everybody was willing to grab onto our theory at the time and so we would grab onto theirs if they had something good that we could use.

TT - What were some other differences between the AFL and the NFL at that time?

SG - Well actually, there wasn’t a hell of a lot of difference, except the passing game. We didn’t have the size and experience player-wise, but there wasn’t a hell of a lot of difference.

TT - Did you play a role in the merger of the AFL and the NFL?

SG - I think I did. I think I did. As a matter of fact, I have talked to Esther about this so often. It was going to be a nip-and-tuck battle, and the National Football League we had a meeting. American League and the National League met and we couldn’t get together for some unknown reason. It was just impossible, like the Israelis, we couldn’t get together. The National Football League people Chuck Noll and five or six of them got up and walked out of our meeting because they weren’t happy with the way things were going. I went to Chuck Noll and half a dozen of the people that were on the National Football League and tried to get them back in the meeting. Pete Rozelle came to the meeting and we discussed merger at the time and I played a major role in keeping them together, getting them together. But hell, it was so long ago.

TT - So many of the players have told me that Rough Acres was their most successful training camp.

SG - They hated it. I guess they did. It was great. It was a great experience for us. Hood can tell you more about that. It was a real fine experience. Lousy food, snakes all over the place, God Almighty. It served its purpose.

BH - You used to have me make champagne. Do you remember that? That was salt water with lemons. We called it the champagne break. That was pre-Gatorade.

SG - That was even before Gatorade.

TT - Why didn’t you do more of those retreat-style camps more often. Where you got away from everything?

SG - Well, we couldn’t find the spots, as a matter of fact. There were very few areas that were conducive to pro practice and players. We had ...

BH - We were at USD and went from there to Rough Acres and then we went from Rough Acres after that one year we went to Escondido.

SG - Escondido, oh yeah. But then we went to the University of California.

BH - Then we went to University of California San Diego after that.

SG - That was our best training camp.

BH - They still are there... Oh, I missed one. We went from Escondido to Irvine, University of California Irvine. That was a wonderful training camp. That was a good training camp.

SG - We bounced around, couldn’t settle down to a real good training camp. But we had enough good areas that weren’t too bad for us.

TT - During that 1963 year Tobin was quarterbacking most of the time.

SG - Yeah, he started us off.

TT - Did you have to rearrange your plays at all because of the weakness of his arm?

SG - No, we threw short with him. But he was good for us. He didn’t throw too long, but he was accurate as hell, just accurate as hell. Hell of a player.

BH - Quite a leader too.

SG - Oh yes he was. He was fine. Well-experienced.

TT - The Chargers went to the division championship five times in the first six years of the AFL. What made that ‘63 team better than the other teams?

SG - Well, personnel-wise. You’re talking about Keith Lincoln, you’re talking about Lance Alworth, you’re talking about...we had some top, Ernie Wright. We had some top players. There were no bad players among them. They were all pretty good. Ernie Wright was terrific. Ernie, I got him out of Ohio State. But I think...John Hadl and Ron Mix, my God, we just had outstanding players. They could play today. The only problem we would have probably would be defensively because we’d be too small. You gotta be 300 pounds to play defense this day and age. But we could play pretty well today.

TT - When you went into the ‘63 championship game against the Patriots, Keith Lincoln had one of the best playoff games in history. Did you plan on using him that much in that game?

SG - Oh yes. He’s the best we had. We couldn’t play without him. He’s just a great player.

TT - But did you center the offense that day just around him?

SG - Oh, pretty much so.

TT - What was your game plan going into it?

SG - Well, it was play action passes as a matter of fact and motion. We probably started out with more motion than any other club in the league, because they usually “dogged” (blitzed) a hell of a lot. And when you dog , you change your coverage. So we forced them to change coverage and that’s truly what happened in that ball game. The fact that they were forced to use motion and when they did, that’s when we really got to them.

TT - A few more questions on your offense. How did you attempt to use the tight end in your offense? You used it a lot differently than most coaches did at that time.

SG - Well, we used it as a key receiver and blocker. It was a combination of blocker and key receiver. (Dave) Kocourek was made to order for that because he could block and catch the ball. He was of reasonably good size, not very big, but reasonably good size. He was a heck of a player.

TT - How much of your offense do you think you personally designed and how much do you think you got from another coach?

SG - Oh God, I don’t know what we got from another coach. But I think most of our stuff was home made. I didn’t mind stealing anything from anybody if it would help us. That’s just about what it amounts to in this business. Watch these successful clubs. Anything that they have that’s good, that you think you can use, just grab it. Forget it.

TT - Many of your players have told me that you stretched the defenses with your passing game. Can you explain that to me?

SG - Well, what we did was widen our outside ends. So often you see these outside ends, wide receivers are awful tight. Now that confines the area behind them. What we did is move them out. That gave us a lot of passing room, a lot of receiving room in there. That gave us the width of the field and we threw long because we had Lance Alworth and stretched the field straight away. So we just stretched the field horizontally and vertically. There are some clubs that do that now. No major deal there.

TT - How were you able to take advantage of when they widened the hash marks on the field?

SG - Well, it was great because when they split the field up it gave us seven areas. We call that the Field Balance Theory, where were going to have a guy between the sidelines and the numbers, were gonna have a guy on the numbers, were gonna have a guy inside the numbers, then were gonna have another guy in the middle of the field. Well, you don’t have enough people to handle all of those areas, but at least we’ve got good balance if we’ve got half the areas. Control half the areas, we’ve got a hell of a passing game going. But we call that Field Balance Theory and it’s very important to our passing game because if we widen them out, we had areas behind them, we had areas to the inside. If we went deep we had the field to throw into.

TT - How has the game opened up offensively since your time with the Chargers?

SG - Well, anymore the game is a game of looks. In fact, I talked to Dick Vermeil this morning. They won last week. We decided a long time ago that pro football is a game of looks. You take one play and you run that one play ten different ways as against ten plays. What we’ve done is simplify the whole process by spreading the field and creating these areas that we can throw into. But it helps us in throwing into those different areas. Field Balance Theory. If we can get a guy in every one of those areas, then we can control the field.

TT - How do you think you influenced today’s West Coast Offense?

SG - Well, I think that we’ve influenced it because number one, we have created a good short passing game, which is important. We got backs and ends that can run and catch, that’s the key thing. You gotta have a guy that can catch a football and run with it after they catch it. That’s the 49er theory. So that’s basically what it’s all about.

TT - So it’s really as much pulling certain types of personnel.

SG - That’s right, and then having guards who can run and block, trap and block. That’s essential. So that’s about what it’s all about. We’ve been successful throwing the ball because we used a mirrored system. We put two guys the same distance and the guy that’s open will get the ball. If we widen two guys out there and if one is open we’ll get it to him. If there isn’t anybody open, that’s where our tight end comes into effect. He’s in the middle getting free somewhere.

They Called Him Psycho

2011-10-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

The 1962 Dallas Texans All-Stars. Top - David Webster, Cotton Davidson, Abner Haynes. Bottom - E.J. Holub, Mel Branch, Bill Krisher, Jon Gilliam, Sherrill Headrick, Paul Rochester, Chris Burford.

Sherrill Headrick was a Texan. Born in Waco in 1937, Headrick attended North Side High School before taking his gridiron talents to Texas Christian University. After leaving TCU, Headrick had a short stint in the Canadian Football League before he returned to Texas and began working in an oil field.

When the Dallas Texans were first signing players for their initial training camp in 1960, Sherrill Headrick was one of the men that they targeted. After surviving training camp in Roswell, New Mexico, Headrick and settled into a linebacker position with the Texans, from which he earned All-AFL honors in his first three seasons.

Stories abound of his high threshold for pain, which combined with his intensity on the field earned Headrick the respect of his teammates, and also a nickname. They called him Psycho. Among the injuries sustained by Psycho that somehow did not manage to put him on the sidelines – a broken neck, infected gums and a fractured thumb. Once when he broke a bone in his finger so badly that it was protruding from the skin, he insisted that the trainer pop it back in and tape it up so that he could continue playing.

Sherrill Headrick played eight seasons with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs before ending his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, who drafted Headrick in the 1968 AFL expansion draft. In 116 professional games, #69 recorded 15 interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns.

Sherrill Headrick was still a friend to fans and collectors long after his retirement. So much so, that despite suffering the ravages of cancer that would eventually take his life on September 10, 2008, he continued to sign autographs long after most people would have given up.

In March of 2008, I sent a 1969 Topps card to Mr. Headrick with a letter asking if he would please sign it for me. I had not known that he was ill; if I had, I would not have bothered him with the request. After learning of his passing later that year, I figured that he had probably been too ill to sign. As a cancer survivor myself, I knew full-well how terribly you can feel while being treated for the wretched disease. I had forgotten about the request until March 16, 2009, when I received the card back, autographed in Sherrill Headrick’s shaky hand. It speaks volumes of Mr. Headrick that he would want to honor a fan’s request, even feeling as poorly as he did. It also says something about the quality of his family that they would make sure that I received the card, after apparently finding it several months after his passing.

Houston Oilers: The Early Years - A Book Review

2011-10-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

In the last 10 years, there have been a number of excellent books written about various subjects related to the American Football League. From team histories to player biographies, game reviews to works focusing strictly on the AFL-NFL merger, authors have been working diligently on bringing forth the rich history of the old AFL. Though it is not new to my personal library, I have recently pulled out one such book that I particularly enjoy; Houston Oilers: The Early Years by Kevin Carroll.

Houston Oilers: The Early Years, is a 277-page paperback issue that cover the Oilers franchise from inception in 1959 through their second AFL championship in 1961. Interspersed throughout the story of the team’s formative years, author Kevin Carroll mixed in chapters dedicated solely to individual players, as well as to Coach Lou Rymkus and trainer Bobby Brown.

In my mind, this book’s strength is the colorful stories of players and situations that do a fantastic job of giving the “flavor” of the AFL.

In describing bowling ball-shaped running back, Charlie Tolar, Carroll quotes an unidentified Oilers opponent as saying, “Tolar was so tough that when he ran you could hear clanking metal. It was the sound of his testicles knocking together.”

Carrol uses an equally-humorous story to illustrate the long-standing feud between Coach Lou Rymkus and the Chargers Sid Gillman. One Sunday morning, Rymkus and two of his players were coming out of a church service.

“Isn’t it a beautiful morning!” exclaimed Rymkus

“It sure is, Lou,” a player responded.

“And what a great day to play football!” Rymkus added.

“Couldn’t be better,” replied another.

“I only wish that Gillman was here right now – I’d kill him!” chirped Rymkus.

But Houston Oilers is not simply a collection of comical quotes and stories. Carroll did his due diligence as an historian, detailing the formation of the team, hiring of coaches, selection of players and ups-and-downs of the football seasons.

If I were to pick a single portion of the book that does not meet up to the high standards set in other areas, it would be the 16 pages of photographs that appear midway through the book. While the image selection does a good job of illustrating popular players and topics covered in the text, the photos themselves are rather dark and not of outstanding quality. This is understandable since acquiring images from professional teams can be difficult beyond belief, but nicer photographic representation would have made this fantastic book that much better.

So if you are looking for some interesting sports history, you can’t do much better that Houston Oilers: The Early Years. It is not a stat-junkie’s dream book, but for someone that wants to learn about a team that was built from the ground up, this is a fantastic place to begin.

The Sad Tale of Charlie Janerette

2011-10-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons that I enjoy collecting cards autographed AFL trading cards is that in doing so, I am forced to do research on players whose careers and lives I may have otherwise overlooked. Such is the case of the transient lineman, Charlie Janerette, whose autographed 1966 Topps card I recently added to my collections.

Charlie Janerette was drafted out of Penn State University in the fifth round of the 1960 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Janerette made an immediate impact, and saw playing time in 12 games during his rookie season.

Janerette was lost to the Rams when he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFl expansion draft, but his time in Minnesota was short. The Vikings traded Janerette to the New York Giants for tackle Ed Mazurek in February, 1961.

The big tackle enjoyed success with the Giants. He played in 26 games for the Giants. He also saw time in the 1961 & 1962 NFL championship games, though the Giants lost both games to Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers.

Janerette joined “The Other League” in 1963, when he was signed as a free agent by the New York Jets.

After one season with the Jets, Janerette was part of a large trade that took place on New Year’s Day 1964. The Jets sent Dick Guesman, Ed Cooke, Sid Fournet, Jim Price and Janerette to Denver for Gene Prebola, Wahoo McDaniel, Gordy Holtz and Bob Zeman.

Charlie Janerette played two seasons for the Broncos, before being released after the 1965 season. He found his way back to his native Philadelphia, but he did not gradually ease into post-football life. On October 26, 1984, Janerette was involved in a struggle with police that ended in him losing his life. The following Associated Press article was printed on October 27, 1984.

Charles Janerette, a former National Football League player, was fatally shot today by the police, who accused him of trying to steal a squad car.

The police said Janerette, 45, had suffered from a mental illness for 12 years.

Janerette was an offensive lineman who played for four professional teams, including the Giants and the Jets, in a six-year career that ended in 1965.

The police said Janerette was shot at 2:30 A.M. in Center City. He died 15 hours later at Hahnemann University Hospital.

Officer Kurt VonColln was questioning two moped drivers when Janerette walked up and got into the squad car, according to Al Lewis of the police public affairs office.

Officer VonColln removed Janerette from the car and held him against a wall to begin frisking him when "a scuffle developed and a shot was fired."

A lawsuit was filed by Janerette’s family, who were eventually awarded $188,000, when Officer VonColln was found to be “justified, but negligent” in the shooting.

My Memories of Al Davis

2011-10-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

As a young Charger fan growing up in the heyday of Kellen Winslow, Dan Fouts and “Air” Coryell, I learned to hate the Raiders and Al Davis. To everyone that bled blue and gold, Davis, clad in silver and black, embodied all that was evil in professional football. His teams were built of tough guys, rejects some called them, who played hard, sometimes dirty, and seemingly always won.

Later in my life, once I was able to look at professional football from a less passionate and more all-encompassing viewpoint, I came to appreciate Al Davis more for his many contributions to the game that I loved. His intensity and willingness to do what it took to win was admirable. His influence as commissioner of the American Football League was brief, but intense. It was during his tenure that the merger with the NFL was accomplished.

I had dreamed of speaking with Al Davis for my book, Charging Through the AFL. Davis had been a Chargers assistant from 1960-1962, and was responsible for signing many of the early Chargers greats, including Lance Alworth. But now Davis was an icon, and someone who interacted with the most powerful media outlets in the world, strictly on his own terms. What were the chances that a young, unpublished, unknown hoping-to-be-author would ever get time with Davis? Slim-to-none, were my bet.

The one thing that I had going for me was a good relationship with Lance Alworth. I had first met Lance when I was writing my master’s thesis on Sid Gillman, and we were reacquainted when I was doing the research for Charging. One day Lance and I were talking about the progress that I was making with my research. I told him of the roughly 50 former Chargers that I had interviewed, and how much I enjoyed speaking with them. I also mentioned how much I wished that I could speak with Davis. “Have you tried calling his office,” Lance asked. “Sure,” I replied, “several times. But I’ve never gotten a return call.” Lance then told me that he would see what he could do. It had been a while since he had spoken with Al, and he would give him a call to catch up. He would also ask Al if he could spare me a bit of his time.

Later that week I was sitting at home when I received a phone call from the Oakland Raiders front office. The woman on the phone introduced herself as Al Davis’s secretary, and said that she was inquiring about the interview that I would like to have with Mr. Davis. I told her about the book that I was writing, and how I wanted to speak with Mr. Davis about his time with the Chargers. She could not guarantee that Mr. Davis would speak with me she said, but would pass along the information. I thanked her, and hoped for the best.

A few days passed, and my attention shifted from the 1960s Chargers to the impending birth of my son, Will. My wife had been scheduled for a 9:00 AM cesarean delivery, and so off we went, bright and early one morning, to bring our little boy into the world. The procedure went flawlessly, and by 11:00, we had a brand new member of our family. Later that afternoon, sitting in the recovery room with Kym, our baby, and a gaggle of friends and family, my cell phone began to ring. The readout showed a long-distance number that I did not immediately recognize. Thinking it was an out-of-state family member calling to congratulate us on the birth, I answered the phone and stepped out of the room. My heart skipped a beat when Al Davis’s secretary responded, and said that Mr. Davis had some time right then to do our interview.

“Oh, Hell,” I thought, “I am about to tell Al Davis that I am busy and can’t come to the phone.”

“I am so sorry,” I began, “but my wife just gave birth. I am standing outside the recovery room, and there is just no way that I can do this right now. Is it at all possible to reschedule?” She got a good laugh out of that one, but lucky for me, she was laughing at the situation, and not at my hopes for postponing the interview. She said that we could do the interview in a couple of days. Mr. Davis would understand. I thanked her profusely, and went back to my family.

Two days later, she called me back to reschedule. She said that Mr. Davis would have time that afternoon. Not wanting to tempt fate more than I had to, I graciously accepted. I told her that we were leaving the hospital that morning, and we should be back home by early afternoon.

Check-out went smoothly. Kym, not one to sit still for long periods of time, was up and on her feet, walking gingerly, but well. Will was doing just fine, and after signing the appropriate paperwork and ensuring the nurse that we knew how to use the car seat, we took our little bundle home. We had just walked in the door, and gotten Kym and Will settled on the couch when the phone began to ring. I walked over and looked at the caller I.D., which read “OAKLAND RAIDERS FOOTBALL CLUB.” I answered the phone and Mr. Davis’s secretary asked me how Kym and the baby were doing. I thanked her and assured her that they were well. “Mr. Davis will be ready to speak with you soon,” she said, and gave me a number to call back in 15 minutes.

I spent the next 15 minutes scrambling from Kym to Will to my notes, making sure that everything was in order before I left my wife and newborn son for a 30 minute telephone conversation with one of the most influential football men in history.

I am happy to say that my interview with Al Davis went flawlessly. I was amazed by his memory. His recollection of the players that he had scouted more than 40 years prior was incredible. His stories were insightful, interesting, and had a cool hint of arrogance. It was all that I had hoped it would be and more.

I give to you now, my full and uncut interview with Al Davis. That you all for reading, and thank you Al for everything.

TT - Lance Alworth came to the Chargers in a deal with the Raiders. Can you describe the process of recruiting and then trading for his rights, drafting and signing Alworth?

AD – Yes. We had drafted Lance in a prior draft that was ruled not legal. So that draft was thrown out. In the second draft that year, the Oakland Raiders had drafted him, number two, I think, in their draft. Because they were much lower than us in the draft, they had the rights to him. But we traded Bo Roberson and several players for Lance because I thought Lance would be a brilliant athlete and a brilliant performer. It was unique that it was in November. I think it was November; we had a bye week. The Chargers did. We were in San Diego. We had moved from Los Angeles, and I was gonna go down to see Lance on that bye week. I was going down to Arkansas to see him. I got a call in the middle of the night, and I thought it was the planes calling to say that the weather had changed and they couldn’t go out. But it was a call that was probably the worst call I have ever had in my life; that my father had died. So I went to the funeral back East, and then late in the week I went down to see Lance and met him for the first time. I started to sell him on the Chargers, a young team, a young city, a young league, grow with it, and then of course the point that I would be coaching him. I had the ability to sell the great Sid Gillman, and of course the owner of the team, Barron Hilton.

TT - I know that in speaking with Lance that he had been drafted by the 49ers in the NFL.

AD – That’s right.

TT – He told me that he was interested in playing ball on the West Coast. Now what were some of the specific selling points that you used selling the Chargers to Lance? It was a new league at the time. The team could have been perceived as unstable since they had just moved from Los Angeles, whereas the 49ers had been around for quite some time and at least had some stability.

AD – Well, no, we were not an unstable team. On the contrary, we were very stable. We had signed some brilliant young players like Charlie Flowers from Mississippi, Earl Faison from Indiana, Keith Lincoln, a lot of great young players. And the class that we were bringing in when Lance’s class came in… I like to call it a class… Had John Hadl and had some great young players in addition. So we had Ernie Ladd. I don’t know if you know who Ernie Ladd was.

TT – Absolutely. I have spoken with Ernie.

AD – Ron Mix, we had Ron Mix, we had Ernie Wright. We had all the earmarks of a truly great football team. As I said, it would be a young team, we would be going to a new city with a new league, and the idea was to grow with it. Of course we had great coaches and we had me.

TT - Alworth had been a running back at Arkansas. What did you see in him that made you move him to flanker? Had that been the plan in drafting him or did that become apparent once he began working out for the Chargers?

AD – No, no, no. I had seen him play as a junior. I had seen him play as a sophomore. And obviously had him positioned for a wide receiver early on in his college career. He had great speed, he had great leaping ability, and while some people questioned his hands, they became great as well. But also I think one thing that he had was tremendous confidence. A very interesting story that might interest you. I think it was in 1962; Lance had just come in from the all-star game. We were going to play a preseason game at night. I think it was a Saturday night and they played the all-star game on Friday night. Sid said we were going to start Alworth. I said that we would just give him some basic stuff, but I really didn’t want to do it because the guy that had been playing the position had really worked hard the whole training camp. But Sid started him anyhow because we wanted to attract attendance. The guy that had worked real hard the whole training camp was a guy named Jerry Richardson. He now owns the Carolina Panthers.

TT - Once you got to the Raiders, how did you instruct your team to defend against Alworth?

AD – Well, we could double him up from time to time. We could jam him at the line of scrimmage, which was brand new in those days, which we called a pressure defense. They now call it the bump-and-run. We had gotten the idea from John Wooden at UCLA, when they played pressure defense with Hazard and Goodrich. In other words they got up and destroyed the routes, the timing routes. And in those days you could jam a player all over the field. So that was one thing, but I was also committed in 1963, that what I would have to do was get great corners. Otherwise you couldn’t play the Chargers. We did get great cornerbacks. The great Willie Brown, who is in the Hall of Fame. But Lance was just a great player, a brilliant player. And he was tough to stop. Look at his records. And people were trying to stop him, but he had great records.

TT – And when you take into account the amount of talent the Chargers had with guys like Kocourek and Norton and Lincoln and Lowe…

AD – Well, just wait one minute now, Todd. There is a difference with some of the names you just put out. Some of them are fine football players, but Lance was greatness that would become a standard of excellence that a lot of players would be measured by.

TT – Oh, I agree with you completely. My point was just that they had so many options.

AD – OK. I’ll let it go at that. But he made a lot of those options become real.

TT – OK.

AD – Do you understand what I mean?

TT – I believe so.

AD – What?

TT – I believe so.

AD – What? What do I mean?

TT – I believe that you mean that because Lance was so great, other teams had to focus on defending him and that opened up other possibilities for the Chargers with other players.

AD – OK, you win. That’s it.

TT – OK. You have said in the past that Lance Alworth was one of two or three players in your entire career that have had what you call “it.” Can you better define “it?” Who are the other players?

AD – No, I’d rather not tell you who the other players are, but to give you an idea, I had Bo Jackson. I’ve had so many great players that when I made these statements, that must have been 20 years ago. Is that possible?

TT – Yes, it is.

AD – But Lance seemed like he was a guy that was born with great ability, and all he needed to do was put it to use. And he had it. He just had it from the word go. All you had to do was refine and define it. With his hard work, with his willingness to work and our willingness to see that it worked, because obviously it would help our careers.

TT - Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about the Chargers in general?

AD – Well, I don’t… Well go ahead and let me see where you are headed.

TT - You, Chuck Noll and Sid Gillman are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jack Faulkner has spent more than 40 years in pro football; Joe Madro spent more than 20 years. After working on that staff for a period, could you tell that this group was special?

AD – Oh yeah they were special. There is no question about it. I was only with them in 1960, 1961 and 1962. But I had to compete against them the rest of my life. And they were special, there’s no question about that. It was probably one of the greatest staffs of all time. For a small staff of only five people, for three of them to be in the Hall of Fame, and I think between Chuck and myself we have nine super bowls. That’s a lot of super bowls. But Sid was really the catalyst.

TT - Tell me about when Sid Gillman first approached you about coaching the Chargers and how you came to the team.

AD – I was coaching at the University of Southern California. One night I came home. It was about 11:30 at night. My wife, Carol, said, “Sid called.” And Sid and I used to talk all the time. And he liked you to call him no matter what time you got in. So I called him about one in the morning. I told him that I hoped I wasn’t disturbing him. He said, “No, no, no, I was waiting for the call.” He says, “I’m going to go over and take over this Charger team in this new league, the American Football League, and I’d like you to come along.” And I said, “Well, what are you thinking? What would I coach?” He said, “I’m not sure exactly who I’m gonna hire yet, but I’ll let you say where you want to coach.” And I said, “Well I coached the defense, I was the defensive coordinator at Southern Cal, but I really want to go back on offense, the passing game.” He said, “OK you’ve got it if you’ll come.” I said, “Gimme a week.” And I took a week and I said I would come.

TT - Was learning Gillman’s offensive theories a major factor in you deciding to accept the Chargers’ job offer? How do you think you benefited by working for Gillman?

AD – No, I knew Sid’s offensive theory a long while. That was not the factor. The factor was working with him. We were gonna build a young team in a new league. I had opportunities in the National Football League and opportunities in college. But I liked the idea of it. I liked the idea because I also could recruit a lot of the players.

TT – I have spoken with a number of them that you recruited and signed.

AD – What?

TT – I have spoken with a number of them that you recruited and signed.

AD – Of those great teams in the early years, I’d say we got most of them. From Paul Lowe to Keith Lincoln to Ron Mix. Did you ever talk to Sam DeLuca?

TT – I did. I spoke with Sam DeLuca.

AD – Don Rogers?

TT – I spoke with Don Rogers as well.

AD – All those kids. Ernie Ladd.

TT - Yes, I spoke with Ernie Ladd, Earl Faison.

AD – Signed’em all.

TT – Ron Nery.

AD – Ron Nery died, didn’t he?

TT – He did. He died about two years ago.

AD – Was he still married?

TT – Not to his original wife.

AD – No, you didn’t think so.

TT – Apparently he went through an ugly divorce he told me. I spoke with him about nine months before he passed away.

AD – Terrible. I signed Paul Lowe in the middle of the night.

TT – Tell me about signing Paul Lowe. He had been a castoff of the 49ers.

AD – Yeah, but he was a great talent. In those day there were many castoffs, which was proven by having the new league. He just had great ability. And what really got him going was the weight programs that we had. That really developed his body. He was a very explosive player. God, he and Lincoln were explosive players.

TT – You got two years to coach the two of them. Didn’t Lincoln come in ’61?

AD – Yes. Lincoln came in ’61. He was a number two choice. Earl Faison was number one. The thing is that I missed Lincoln. I missed Keith when I came to the University of Southern California. Keith had already signed at Washington State. I couldn’t get him. But he was really good. I think he was from Monrovia.

TT – I think you are right. Earl told me a story about his signing with the team, that you guys brought him into a hotel room. I believe it was the penthouse suite at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel.

AD – That’s what it was.

TT – You threw about, I think he said fifteen hundred-dollar bills on the bed and said, “Earl, this could all be yours if you sign with the team.” And then Esther Gillman led him out to the balcony and showed him all of downtown L.A. at that point and told him that he could be the king of L.A. if he signed with the Chargers.

AD – Earl, he did well.

TT – He did. Absolutely. After finishing 1-13 in 1962, the Raiders went 10-4 under your guidance in 1963, including two wins over the Chargers. What were the key changes that you made to produce such a turnaround?

AD – Oh, I don’t want to go into Al Davis and the Raiders.

TT – OK.

AD - No. We’re talking about the Chargers and Lance. One thing I want to point out to you. The first time the Cowboys won the Super Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys, Lance was one of the receivers. You’re aware of that.

TT – I am.

AD – But do you know that Lance caught the first touchdown in the game?

TT – Yes, I do. Lance said that it was kind of ironic because when he first met with Tom Landry, Landry told him that he had brought Lance to Dallas to block.

AD – To block, yes.

TT – I don’t think Lance was terribly thrilled with that.

AD – Well, Lance was a great blocker.

TT – Yes, and obviously did his job and did it well. Then they went on to win the super bowl that year.

AD – You got what you need, Todd?

TT – I did, and I appreciate your time very much. Do you think there are any points that I missed, or anything that you would specifically like to mention about your time with the team?

AD – No, there’s a lot. I just am not in a position to do that right at the moment so much. But I have so many great memories with those players and all, and from time to time I have responded to them when they have needed things. The door was always open because that’s how we built the league. The Chargers were the flagship of the American Football League.

TT – I have talked to several of the players and they all think very highly of you. Walt Sweeney and Lance, in particular, went on and on about how much you have meant to them and what a great friend you have been.

AD - Walt Sweeney is another who truly… Walt Sweeney, if he didn’t go through the unfortunate problems personally, would be in the Hall of Fame.

TT – I think you’re right.

AD – You know, Lance was the first player to go into the Hall of Fame from the American Football League.

TT – Yes, and I know that he asked you to give his introduction speech.

AD – Yep.

TT – That must have been a neat honor for you.

AD – It certainly was. It was an honor because he was a guy that was a high school all-American, a college all-American. He was an all-pro player. I can remember making the speech at the end. It was really great.

TT – And then Ron Mix followed him the very next year.

AD – Yes, Ron… I was in on the switch when I coached at Southern Cal. Ron was a tight end and I was the one forerunner to move him to tackle.

TT – How did he take that? He went from tight end, which can be somewhat of a glory position to…

AD – Oh, he liked it.

TT – Did he?

AD – Oh yeah, he liked it. He was just excellent. What a player. What players those guys were.

TT – I asked Walt Sweeney the same question because he went from a tight end to a guard.

AD – Yep.

TT – He told me that obviously he would have done anything to make the Chargers, but initially he was kind of upset because he really liked catching footballs and he knew he wasn’t going to do a whole lot of that playing guard.

AD – I’ll never forget Walter, when we were getting ready to draft him, Sid asked me, “Who’s he like?” And I said, “Sid, he’s like Ditka.” He was a tough son of a bitch.

TT – Yeah. Lance told me that if he had been a linebacker that he would have erased the name of Dick Butkus from the record books.

AD – In all probability he would have done that. There’s no question. He was just a great player.

TT – Tell me about that first fearsome foursome. The Chargers had one of the biggest lines in football.

AD – Not one of.

TT – I’m sure you’re right. With Bill Hudson…

AD – The idea was that they would be the biggest. Nery played right end. Big Bill Hudson, who I got out of Canada, played tackle. Ernie Ladd played tackle, and of course Earl played end.

TT – That was a tremendous line. I have spoken with a number of the defensive backs that played during that period. And obviously they set the record for number of interceptions in a season.

AD – Is he still alive, Richard Harris?

TT – Yes, he is. Dick Harris, yes he is. He’s down I believe in Long Beach. I have spoken with Dick several times. But they all credit that line as the reason that they set the record that year.

AD – Did you ever talk to Paul Maguire?

TT – I did, briefly. He said that you had recruited him to the Citadel, and as soon as he signed on, you were somewhere else. But obviously he wasn’t too upset about it. He signed with you to play with the Chargers.

AD – Memories. Thanks a lot, Todd. I hope that you got what you wanted. If you talk to Lance, send my love. And to the rest of the guys, tell them I said, “hello.” Really. Just for a moment you go back in time and it seems like it was only yesterday when I start talking about all these guys. Really, it’s a unique experience. But thanks a lot, and good luck to you.

TT – Thank you very much for your time. I truly appreciate it.

AD – OK, good.

Frank Buncom

2011-10-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Frank Buncom was a 6’1”,230-pound linebacker out of the University of Southern California when the San Diego Chargers secured his rights with their sixth-round selection (48^thoverall) in the 1962 American Football League draft. He joined the Chargers after playing in the 1962 College All-Star Game, in which Buncom and his future Chargers teammates, Lance Alworth, John Hadl, Reg Carolan, Wayne Frazier and Richard Hudson lost to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 42-20.

Frank Buncom became an immediate contributor to the Chargers, joining a linebacking corps that included Paul Maguire, Emil Karas, Chuck Allen and Maury Schleicher. He snared four interceptions in his rookie season. By 1963, he was a defensive leader, and after helping the Chargers win the 1963 AFL championship, Buncom enjoyed his first of three trips to play in the AFL all-star game.

Buncom was a model of consistency for the Chargers, playing in all 14 games each season from 1962 through 1967. In 1968, the Cincinnati Bengals pulled him from the Chargers in the AFL expansion draft, where he joined former Chargers teammates Ernie Wright and Jim Griffin in lending veteran leadership to the new team.

Frank Buncom had played one full season in Cincinnati, and had just helped the Bengals open the 1969 AFL season when he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on September 14, 1969, the victim of a pulmonary embolism.

The news of Buncom’s passing shook his former Chargers teammates. Bob Petrich recalled Buncom, more than 40 years after his passing. “Frank Buncom was the gentlest person you would ever hope to meet. I was with him in Cincinnati when he died. Frank was just like, the little kids loved him. He was just the happiest, nicest man, and he hit like a mule, on the field. That was a guy that I’d lay down my life for, in a heartbeat. I really would. Frank was an angel. He’s up in heaven somewhere.”

The San Diego Chargers recognized Frank Buncom by making him a posthumous member of the Chargers Hall of Fame, with their inaugural class in 1976.

Frank Buncom’s grandson, Frank Buncom IV, is now a 6’1”, 180-pound freshman QB/DB on the St. Augustine football team in San Diego. The following collection of photographs is for his enjoyment, and that of all AFL fans.

The Hit Heard ‘Round The World

2011-10-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

On December 26, 1964, Buffalo’s War Memorial played host to the American Football League Championship Game between the Bills and the San Diego Chargers. The Bills had finished the season with a 12-2 record, but the 8-5 Chargers featured an exceptionally potent offense. Although flanker Lance Alworth was sidelined with injuries, San Diego still had weapons in Keith Lincoln and Paul Lowe out of the backfield, Don Norton out wide and Dave Kocourek at end. Veteran quarterback Tobin Rote and a young John Hadl ran the offense like precision clockwork.

The Chargers jumped out to an early lead, scoring on the opening drive with a 26-yard pass from Rote to Kocourek. The Bills did nothing with their first offensive opportunity, and ended the series by punting the ball back to San Diego.

The Chargers began their second drive from their own eight yard line. Six plays later they were in a second-and-10 situation from their own 34, when Tobin Rote took the snap from under center, and after scanning the field for open receivers, lofted a pass to Keith Lincoln out in the flat. Buffalo linebacker, Mike Stratton, read the play perfectly and moved up to make the hit on the outstretched Lincoln. The result was a textbook tackle that upset the play, cracked Lincoln’s ribs, and shifted the momentum to the Bills. Play resumed after Lincoln was helped off the field, but San Diego had lost the swagger. The Bills shut the Chargers out for the remainder of the game, and earned their first American Football League championship with the 20-7 victory.

After the game, San Diego head coach, Sid Gillman, called Stratton’s hit, “one of the most beautiful tackles I have ever seen in my life.”

Stratton himself recalled the play. “I keyed on rote and I could see se was looking for a receiver downfield and couldn’t find one. As soon as I saw that, I sprinted for Lincoln. One second earlier and it’s pass interference and one second later it’s a missed tackle. He rolled over and I heard him groan. I thought he had the wind knocked out of him, but then he didn’t get up. I knew he was really hurt.”

The tackle became known as “The Hit Heard ‘Round The World.”

Sports Illustrated does the AFL

2011-10-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

Sports memorabilia collectors come in many shapes and sizes, and consequently, so do their collections. Since coming out with their first issue on August 16, 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has had a dedicated following among collectors who prize SI for its wonderful covers, which typically feature fantastic imagery from the most current and important of athletic events.

SI was rather slow to dedicate a full front cover to an American Football League subject; The Chargers’ Paul Lowe and Tobin Rote shared face time on the cover from the December 16, 1963, issue, which floated the idea of a “World Series” between the AFL and NFL.

During the 1960s, there were 15 AFL covers on Sports Illustrated. Not surprisingly, Joe Namath was feature more often than any other AFL player, with his three cover appearances in the 1960s. Below is the list of AFL SI covers.

December 16, 1963 Paul Lowe & Tobin Rote

August 17, 1964 Don Trull

July 19, 1965 Joe Namath

December 13, 1965 Lance Alworth

December12, 1966 Jim Nance

August 8, 1966 Frank Emanuel

August 12, 1968 Paul Brown

December 9, 1968 Joe Namath

January 20, 1969 Joe Namath

July 14, 1969 O.J. Simpson

August 11, 1969 Joe Namath

November 24, 1969 Kansas City Chiefs

August 25, 1969 O.J. Simpson

September 22, 1969 Jim Turner

January 19, 1970 Len Dawson

The 1969 Tresler-Comet Paul Brown card

2011-09-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

I added a new photo to my AFL collections recently, a 1969 Cincinnati Bengals team issued shot of head coach, Paul Brown.

Though he was a founding member of the Bengals, Brown’s greatest successes came as head coach of the Cleveland Browns in the 1940s and 1950s. Despite being better-known for his body of work in the NFL, I immediately wanted to add the photo to my collection. The image was actually used to make a relatively scarce football card that is one of the favorites of my collection. The 1969 Tresler-Comet set consists of 20 cards of Cincinnati Bengals players. The 20-card sets were premiums given away at Tresler-Comet gas stations. Though not his rookie card, the Tresler-Comet card is Brown’s first AFL issue. His being a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having passed away in 1991, and the card being autographed make it all the more desirable.

Collecting these “match prints” is an interesting tangent from mainstream card collecting, and something that I enjoy. It is interesting to learn about the wide range of photos and images that were used to produce cards during the AFL years. Wire service photos, team issues, college press shots and a variety of other image sources were used, and then often, but not always, air-brushed to somewhat resemble the team featured on the card. It was a far cry from the gorgeous photography used to make modern trading cards, but the simplicity of the images also recalls the days before professional football was a multi-billion dollar business.

Al Davis talks about signing Lance Alworth

2011-09-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the Chargers first superstar, Lance Alworth, was actually drafted by the Oakland Raiders? Raiders’ owner, Al Davis, who at that time was an offensive coach with the Chargers, explains the situation behind signing Alworth in an interview that I did with him for my book, Charging Though the AFL.

We had drafted Lance (Alworth) in a prior draft that was ruled not legal. So that draft was thrown out. In the second draft that year, the Oakland Raiders had drafted him, number two, I think, in their draft. Because they were much lower than us in the draft, they had the rights to him. But we traded Bo Roberson and several players for Lance because I thought Lance would be a brilliant athlete and a brilliant performer.

It was unique that it was in November, and we had a bye week. The Chargers did. We were in San Diego, and I was going to go down to see Lance on that bye week. I was going down to Arkansas to see him. I got a call in the middle of the night, and I thought it was the planes calling to say that the weather had changed and they couldn’t go out. But it was a call that was probably the worst call I have ever had in my life; that my father had died. So I went to the funeral back East, and then late in the week I went down to see Lance and met him for the first time. I started to sell him on the Chargers, a young team, a young city, a young league, grow with it, and then of course the point that I would be coaching him. I had the ability to sell the great Sid Gillman, and of course the owner of the team, Barron Hilton.

Earl Faison talks about Civil Rights and the San Diego Chargers

2011-09-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Earl Faison was a dominant defensive end for the San Diego Chargers from 1961-1966. A back injury cut short his professional career, but those who saw Faison play say that in his prime, he was as good as anyone to ever play the position.

Earl Faison grew up in Newport News, Virginia in the 1940s and 1950s, and saw his share of racial strife. More than once I have heard him talk about the advice that he received from his high school football coach when discussing his future. “Earl,” his coach began, “the way I see it, there are three fields that you can go into after high school – tobacco, cotton and football.”

Faison played his college football at the University of Indiana, and then was the first player selected by the Chargers in the 1961 AFL draft (he was also drafted by the in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions). He, along with fellow rookie, Ernie Ladd, made an immediate impact with Chargers, and was a key to the original “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line.

I have spoken with Earl Faison on many occasions, and talked about the Chargers, the AFL, and the situations he encountered as an African-American football player in the racially-charged 1960s. The following is an excerpt from an interview I did with Earl in 1999, in which he recounts the Chargers stance on race-relations

One of the things that I am most proud of the Chargers is that we were at the forefront of Civil Rights, the Chargers were. I think it stemmed from the fact that Barron Hilton owned hotels. The Chargers used to stay at those Hilton Hotels and we were the first blacks to ever stay in many of them in the South. I remember there were Civil Rights pickets in front of our game in Houston at old Jeppesen Stadium. Lloyd Wells used to be a photographer for the Kansas City Chiefs and then turned photographer for Muhammed Ali. Well, somehow he was a newspaper reporter with a black newspaper in Houston. He would come around to us and ask us not to play the games because the blacks weren’t allowed in the middle of the stadium; they had to sit in the end zones. So we protested some of those games and didn’t play a couple of them. Well we played, but we let it be known that we didn’t like it. So eventually they started giving open admittance to blacks.

Little Rock, Arkansas, Dallas, Texas… We often went to the movies on Saturday night before a ball game. In Dallas, there was one theater there that we went into. We had the whole mezzanine to ourselves. During the course of the movie, we kept hearing laughter behind us. We didn’t know what was going on. The lights came on and there were black people seated up in the very top of the theater behind chicken wire. Naturally we had to leave. They wouldn’t allow us to go down to the lobby to get popcorn and drinks, so we walked out of the theater.

But the Chargers, at that time, integrated a lot of places, and helped the South along. Because a lot of the other teams, Boston Patriots, and all of those other teams that were coming down there, if they went to Houston, Texas to play the Oilers, whites lived in a hotel and the black guys lived someplace else, separately. Except for the Chargers. All those places, we’d open them up. Players and management, they would support us. We would go to them and let them know that we didn’t like what was going on, and they supported our cause. If you were thinking about boycotting the game, I mean there were games in Atlanta, Georgia, where we decided that we were not going to play and the mayors and everybody else came in to try to talk us into playing the game. Convince us to play the game. We let it be known that it took more than that. That never made the newspaper, those types of things. Never made the newspaper for some reason.

Earl Faison retired from professional football in 1966, after splitting the season between the Chargers and the expansion Miami Dolphins. After football, Faison began a long and successful career in the San Diego Unified School District, in which he was a teacher, football coach, vice-principal, and ultimately administrator in the district offices. He is retired and now lives in Prescott, Arizona.

Coffee with a Couple of Raiders

2011-09-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

I was up late one night a few weeks ago. It was one of those times when a zillion thoughts are sprinting through your head, dashing any hopes of soon falling asleep. So I wandered downstairs and hopped on the computer. I pulled up my eBay page, and began a few memorabilia searches - "Alworth," "Gillman," "American Football League," and all the rest. I soon finished scrolling through my standard searches, and started a series of searches that all had connections to the AFL.

One of the searches that I ran that night was "Tom Keating." Keating was a defensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders during his years in the AFL. He was a solid player, and was selected to the AFL's All-Time Second Team when the leagues finally merged in 1970. Most of the items found in my search were for Keating's standard trading cards; he has issues in the 1965 and 1968 Topps sets. But one particular item caught my eye. It was a vintage print from the 1970s, of Keating and former teammate, Ben Davidson, sitting on a couple of Kawasaki motorcycles in what appeared to be any Downtown, USA. The photo was listed with a "Buy It Now" price, so with a couple clicks of my mouse, the auction was ended and the photo was on its way to me. While not a typical AFL collectible, this photo was of particular interest to me because of a wonderful afternoon that I spent sharing AFL stories with Davidson and Keating.

As you all know by now, one of my collecting passions is for trading cards autographed by AFL players. I enjoy acquiring the company sets of the 1960s, as well as additional cards for a handful of individual themed sets that I have put together myself. Ben Davidson and Tom Keating both feature prominently in these collections of mine, and while I had been able to get all of my Davidson cards signed at one point or another, I hadn't had nearly the same success with Keating. Fortunately for me, Ben Davidson happens to live about two miles from my home, and despite his on-field image, he is one of the nicest people that you could ever hope to meet.

Ben and I had interacted several times over the years, and I had been to his home in La Mesa. So stuck with my unsigned Tom Keating cards (as well as other Raiders, J.R. Williamson and Isaac Lassiter, at that time), I gave Ben a call to see if he happened to still be in touch with any of these guys, and if he might have some tips for me on how I could get my cards signed. As luck would have it, Davidson was still in contact with Keating, and as a matter of fact, Keating was coming to stay with him for a few days the very next weekend. Ben invited me to come over to the house, where I could meet Keating and have him sign my cards.

So on a cool Saturday afternoon in October 2009, I made my way up to the Ben Davidson's home. I was armed not only with the cards that I hoped to get signed, but also the two binders that house my collection of signed AFL cards. I also brought along a nice bottle of merlot as a "thank you" for Keating, as Ben had mentioned that Tom enjoyed red wine.

After ringing the doorbell, Ben welcomed me in, and took me to the kitchen table where Keating was sitting. Introductions were made, pleasantries were exchanged, and Keating happily signed my cards. As Ben passed around cups of coffee and joined us at the table, I brought out my binders and the old Raiders linemates began flipping through the pages. What began as a quick trip to get a couple of signatures on some bubble gum cards turned into two-and-a-half hours of laughter and stories, that came flooding back each time a page of cards was turned and long-forgotten teammates and opponents were recalled to memory...

Dan Birdwell, who couldn't shave without cutting himself a dozen times, and whose ear lobes somehow stuck out from the bottom of his football helmet.

John Bramlett, who Keating recalled as "the dirtiest sonofabitch I ever played against," but who now runs a large and successful Christian ministry.

Billy Cannon, now a dentist, who ironically is pictured in his 1967 Topps card with a gap in his mouth because his bridge wasn't in.

After the binders had been put away, Ben and Tom began telling stories of their off-season excursions. These two teammates shared an appetite for adventure, and once the football season ended each year, they would hop on their motorcycles and go riding for months at a time. All over the country and through Mexico, beginning with no real destination in-mind and just seeing where their bikes would take them. It seemed a fitting off-season plan for a couple of guys who reveled in the Raiders bad boy images for the other seven months of the year.

So when I stumbled across that photo nearly two years since, I knew that it had to become a part of my collection. It arrived a few days later, and turned out to be even more enjoyable than the auction listing had made it appear. The photo was apparently taken by a Denver Post photographer on June 8, 1976, and used in the newspaper soon after. The caption, clipped from the paper and affixed to the back, reads "Tom Keating and Ben Davidson, traveling the highways in search of a song."

Since receiving the photo, I have made copies to give to Ben and Tom. I don't know if they will recall it being taken, but hopefully it will bring back some fond memories. It is the least that I can do. As a football historian and fan of the old AFL, sitting with them that day, sipping coffee and listening to their stories was like a dream come true. It was simply one of the greatest collecting experiences of my life.

Did the NFL Have a Monopoly on Professional Football Before the AFL?

2011-09-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

In collecting American FootballLeague memorabilia, my preference is typically for the rare, more obscure pieceas opposed to mass-marketed souvenirs and such. I came across one such item several years ago while perusing theofferings on eBay. I don't recall theexact title of the item being auctioned, but it referred to the AFL and "courtcase," which of course, piqued my interest. The item in question turned out to be a judgmentsummary from the early lawsuit between the AFL and NFL.

On October 14, 1960, the AmericanFootball League filed a lawsuit against the NFL in the Maryland District Courts. The AFL charged the NFL with"monopolization, attempted monopolization and conspiracy to monopolizemajor league professional football."

The owners of the AFL argued that"granting NFL franchises to Dallas and Minneapolis-St. Paul, at the timesand under the circumstances shown by the evidence, and statements made withrespect to a proposed franchise for Houston constituted an exercise of monopolypower, and that those acts were done as part of an attempt or a conspiracy tomonopolize."

In the formative days of the AFL,once word got out that the new league was being formed, the leadership of theNational Football League attempted to bring immediate and direct competition toparticular AFL franchises by placing expansion NFL teams in the same city assome of the new AFL franchises. It is nomere coincidence that the NFL's Dallas Cowboys came to be in 1960, the sameyear that the AFL opened its doors. Additionally, the NFL had changed the minds of the ownership group thatwas poised to secure an AFL franchise in Minneapolis-St. Paul. We have discussed that subject in an earlierblog post, and how the Oakland Raiders came about as a result of thatsituation. The idea of placing an NFLfranchise in Houston was discussed as well, but never came to fruition.

On May 21, 1962, the case wasfiled. Chief Judge Thomsen of the U.S.District Court ruled in favor of the defendants (NFL) on all points in thelawsuit, and the AFL was forced to pay appropriate costs.

While this particular piece ofmemorabilia lacks the typical color and flair of most AFL pieces, it remains animportant piece of history, and a unique item to have in my collection. The41-page booklet contains a tremendous synopsis of the early battles between thetwo leagues, making it an outstanding addition to my AFL research library. I have found it to be well-worth the $14.00plus-shipping that it took for me to win that eBay auction.

The Chargers and Oilers Invade Hawaii!!!

2011-08-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

The middle of August in 1961, found the San Diego Chargers on the Hawaiian island of Honolulu, “preparing” for a preseason game against the Houston Oilers. Bud Adams, the owner of the Oilers, thought the games (the Oilers played the Raiders the week before, also in Hawaii) were a great opportunity to promote the AFL, because it was the first time that a professional football team had trained outside of the continental U.S.

The event was of interest for a few reasons other than simply the location. First, it was a rematch between the two teams that had battled in the initial AFL championship game the season before. The Oilers had beaten the then-Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 24-16 in Houston’s Jeppesen Stadium.

Secondly, the head coaches of the two teams, Lou Rymkus of the Oilers and Sid Gillman of the Chargers, hated each other, and had nearly come to blows when the coached together with the Los Angeles Rams in the late 1950s. All pro football games are hard-fought, but the battles between the Chargers and Oilers in 1960 and 1961 were particularly fierce.

Lastly, this was the first trip to Hawaii for most of the players on both teams. As a result, any time not being spent on football was instead spent on having a good time. Chargers defensive back, Bob Zeman, recalled the trip in an interview a few years back…

Well, that was quite a trip. We were supposed to be there longer, but the plane broke down in San Diego, so we got delayed a day or two. We went over there for about three days, I think. We went surfing and stuff. Guys were drinking mai-tais and we stayed a day after the game. I remember that when Don Norton got on the plane, he had a lei around his neck and shorts on. In those days you dressed up when you flew. Anyhow, the players and coaches sat together, so his seat was next to our defensive coordinator, Chuck Noll. Anyhow, Chuck Noll looked at him and just gave him a dirty look. In those days, after practice we used to go watch the Three Stooges. You know how they poked each other in the eye with the two fingers? Well, Chuck had been looking at Norton, and finally Norton stuck his hand out and gave Chuck three jabs in the eyes with his two fingers. Just like the Three Stooges would do. We were all sitting around watching that. Of course Chuck was pretty straight and he didn’t appreciate that. But we went surfing over there. It was the first time I had been surfing. Jack Kemp, he was a West Coast guy and we went out on surfboards. I met this Hawaiian hula dancer. She came back over to the States. I invited her over that year and we got engaged. Barron Hilton really liked her and was going to buy the ring for us if we got married. But it didn’t work out. Good thing for her.

After taking a 39-0 lead at halftime, the Chargers ended up beating the Oilers by a score of 46-28. It was another 15 years before the Chargers played in Hawaii again, this time in a 1976 preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, again in Honolulu.

The AFL's 10 Most Important Players... I think.

2011-08-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently asked me to give my opinion on who were the 10 most important players in AFL history. He is planning some sort of memorabilia display for his man cave, a portion of which will recall the AFL.

I thought this was an interesting question because certainly the most important players doesn’t necessarily mean the best players. Granted there would be crossover between the two groups, but they are indeed different. So I took a stab at the request and came up with my version of the AFL’s 10 Most Important. He immediately came back with a how could you leave him off-type of response, which I enjoyed and attempted to rebut.

The exercise was enjoyable, and actually took more though than I would have originally imagined. Now I am making my list available for public consumption, and hoping that it might spark a bit of debate. Let’s see what you all think!

First off, my friend asked me to rank the players in two groups – the first five and the second five, but not necessarily in a 1-10 order. So the first group is my top five, listed alphabetically by their last name. Same thing goes with the second group.

Players #1-5

Lance Alworth was the AFL’s first superstar. Lightning-fast, with incredible hands and leaping ability, Bambi was the go-to guy in the AFL’s top offense. He led the league in receptions three times, was a perennial all-star, and the 1963 AFL Most Valuable Player. Alworth was the first player from the AFL to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bobby Bell was a dominant linebacker for the great Kansas City Chiefs teams. A brutal combination of size and speed, Bell was a five-time AFL all-star, who won Super Bowl IV with Chiefs. Bobby Bell was the AFL’s first defensive player to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, when he was inducted in 1983 with another AFL legend, coach Sid Gillman.

George Blanda was one of the NFL castoffs that later found success in the new league. He won the first two AFL championships as quarterback of the Houston Oilers. After being traded to the Raiders in 1967, he served as a successful back-up quarterback and kicker. In all Blanda played 26 seasons of professional football over four decades, and set numerous AFL and NFL records.

Billy Cannon, the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU caused the first great player battle between the two leagues. After signing first with the Rams of the NFL, and then the Oilers of the AFL, the situation went to court where a judge deemed that Cannon’s Rams contract had been signed illegally, and he was awarded to the Oilers. The Cannon situation generated much excitement around the new league. For his part, Cannon was a three-time AFL all-star, beginning his career as a running back and then later transitioning to tight end.

Joe Namath. Does anything else really need to be said about this guy? The Jets signing the star from Alabama was one of the biggest events in AFL history. Namath proved his worth by leading the Jets to a surprise victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III; his “guarantee” of victory just added to his legend. Namath became the poster boy for the cocky and brash AFL. He was chosen as quarterback of the AFL’s All-Time Team, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of fame in 1985.

Players #6-10

Willie Brown. Undrafted out of college and then cut by the Houston Oilers, Brown first found success in Denver and ultimately in Oakland. He was the first of the great shut-down corners, played in three AFL championships, and five AFL All-Star Games. Brown was voted to the AFL All-Time Team, and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 1984.

Dave Grayson was not an imposing figure at 5’10” and 187 lbs. But the undrafted defensive back more than proved his worth. Grayson played four years with the Texans/Chiefs before being traded to the Raiders in 1965. He was a six-time AFL all-star, and a four-time all-pro. He is the AFL’s all-time interception leader with 47, and a member of the ALF All-Time Team. In one of pro football’s great injustices, Dave Grayson is not yet a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Abner Haynes, a running back from North Texas, was the first pick of the Dallas Texans in the 1960 AFL draft. He shined immediately in professional football, earning AFL Rookie of the Year and AFL MVP honors (AP, UPI) in 1960. He was one of the league’s early superstars, and helped guide the Texans to an AFL championship in 1962. Haynes played eight seasons in the AFL, and was a four-time AFL All-Star and four-time All-Pro.

Jack Kemp was an early NFL castoff that found success in the new league. Kemp led the Chargers to western division titles in 1960 and 1961, before being picked off the waiver wire by the Buffalo Bills in 1962. Kemp led the Bills to league championships in 1964 & 1965, and an eastern division title in 1966. Kemp was one of the most intelligent men in the AFL, and set his sights on a career in politics after football, and served nine terms as a Congressman for Western New York’s 31^st district. He later served as Housing Secretary in George H.W. Bush’s administration, and was the Republican nominee for Vice President in the 1996 Presidential campaign.

Jim Otto is Mr. Raider. An undersized center out of college, Otto’s hard work and determination made him one of the greatest offensive linemen of all time. He played in all nine AFL all-star games, was one of only three players to play in 140 regular season AFL games (14 games-per-season x 10 seasons). Otto was the AFL’s only all-league center. He was named to the AFL’s All-Time Team, and was inducted into the Pro football Hall of Fame in 1980.

OK, so there they are, my 10 Most Important. Do you agree? Should I have included Len Dawson, the only AFL quarterback to play in two Super Bowls? Or Tom Addison, the first president of the AFL’s players union? Or who is on my list that doesn’t belong? Let the debate begin!

Another Elusive AFL'er - Roger Donnahoo

2011-07-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted about the long, but ultimately fruitful chase for a pair of football cards autographed by former Denver Broncos running back, Donnie Stone. This week I had a similarly-difficult through-the-mail (TTM) success with former New York Titans defensive back, Roger Donnahoo.

Roger Donnahoo played his collegiate football at Michigan State University. He was drafted by the New York Titans in 1960, and played in all 14 games. He pulled down five interceptions, which he returned for 89 yards. He also scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery. Despite his success, Donnahoo did not play beyond the 1960 season. He was injured in a training camp scrimmage in 1961, fracturing his shoulder and sternum while trying to tackle 240-pound fullback, Jim Joyce. Donnahoo never fully recovered, and was soon released. Topps, however, recognized Roger Donnahoo by making his card #156 in their 1961 football issue.

Now more than 50 years after his playing career ended, Roger Donnahoo is living in Georgia. He can be described as a spotty TTM signer at best. Many collectors have sent Donnahoo a copy of his ’61 Topps card, never to have it returned.

Among my other TTM collections, I am working on the AFL portion of the 1961 Topps set, and in April, 2008, I sent Donnahoo a card to sign for me. Two years went by without getting a response. Then, after reading a fellow collector mention a TTM success with Donnahoo on SCN (www.sportscollectors.net), I purchased another card and sent it off. I figured that my first card must have been misplaced or accidentally sent to another collector. But just like my first attempt, my second attempt was a failure.

Frustrated by the situation, I eventually found a signed copy of the Donnahoo card on ebay, and purchased it for around $17. Not a bad price, I thought, for someone who was so difficult to obtain TTM. So I happily marked the card off my Want List, and moved on to something else.

This afternoon I went out to the mail box not expecting to find much. I haven’t sent out any requests in months, and most of what I expected to receive has already come through. But surprisingly I found two of my Self-addressed, stamped envelopes. I opened them up and found autographed 1961 Topps Roger Donnahoo cards wrapped neatly inside my request letters; the first from April 21, 2008, and the second from March 4, 2010.

The TTM collecting experience is truthfully quite unpredictable. You never really know what you are going to get; so few athletes are guaranteed signers. After three years of attempts and a frustration-based ebay purchase, I now have three signed ’61 Topps Roger Donnahoo cards. Anyone want to trade?

Chasing Down the Elusive Donnie Stone!

2011-07-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

When you set out to collect autographed sports card sets, you know ahead of time that it is going to be a legitimate test of your patience. Finding guys, sending cards, waiting for them to return, re-sending, finding new addresses, tracking down vintage signed cards of deceased players - it all factors into the collection. But every once in a while a particular player will prove to be exquisitely difficult to get. For me, one of those players was Donnie Stone, former running back for the Denver Broncos.

I began collecting my signed 1963 Fleer set back in 2007. I purchased my set of 88 cards with about 45 of them already signed in vintage blue ballpoint. So to finish the set, I sent blue ballpoint pens to all of the guys when I sent them their cards. Pretty much everyone that I wrote to happily signed their card with the enclosed pens and sent them back to me - all but Donnie Stone. So I waited about six months and sent him another 63 Fleer card and pen - again, no luck.

I mentioned this one day to Lance Alworth, who was a college teammate of Stone. Lance told me that Stone was a great guy, and to call him and say that Lance prompted my call. He was sure that Stone would sign then. So I called Stone and we spoke for about 30 minutes. He was very nice. We talked about college ball and the AFL. He said that he thought highly of Alworth, and even that he could help me get my Jack Kemp card signed. He said that he usually didn't sign, but that he would for me and to send the cards. By this time I had expanded into collecting all of the AFL sets in autographed form, so I sent Stone his two cards - 63 Fleer and 1964 Topps. Nine months went by with no luck. I sent him a friendly reminder note, but still got nothing in return.

Then two years ago I tried again. I had acquired a couple of very nice, vintage 8x10 action shots of Stone running against the Chargers. I had two of each print, so I figured that I would try to send him the prints as a gift and see if that gesture might get my cards signed. I sent him a Priority Mail envelope with a letter that again kindly reminded him that I never got back the cards after our phone conversation, the two prints, an excel printout of my 63 & 64 sets, with highlights to show his cards, a ballpoint pen and each of his cards. Again, nothing.

This past March I decided to make one final attempt. Again I wrote a nice note, included the excel printouts, 63 Fleer and 64 Topps cards and a blue ballpoint. The only difference this time was that I also included a $20. I figured they were goners again after a month went by. But lo and behold, I went out to the mailbox today and found my return envelope postmarked from Oklahoma. I haven't been sending out many cards lately, so I was cautiously optimistic about the cards inside the enelope. I grabbed a knife, slit open the top, and slid out two beautifully-signed Donnie Stone cards - 1963 Fleer and 1964 Topps.

Most people won't remember Donnie Stone, and his signature will likely mean little to the majority of football fans. But to me it represents a four-year hunt, and a very enjoyable through-the-mail success.

The Pre-Foolish Club (or How the Raiders came to be)

2011-06-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

As was discussed in my last blog post, after a bit, the owners of the original American Football League teams came to call themselves the Foolish Club, because they must have been crazy to challenge the stranglehold that the NFL had on professional football. The photo shown above actually shows the Foolish Club minus two important figures – Billy Sullivan of the Boston Patriots, and Mr. Wayne Valley of the Oakland Raiders – the man who coined the term “Foolish Club.”

Shown from left-to-right are the following men:

TOP ROW

Barron Hilton – Son of Hilton Hotels founder, Conrad Hilton, and grandfather of famed socialite, Paris Hilton, Barron was the original owner of the Chargers.

Ralph Wilson – A trucking magnate, Wilson is the original owner of the Buffalo Bills, a position that he still holds.

Harry Wismer – One of the true characters of the AFL, Wismer was the founder of the New York Titans, who later became the Jets.

BOTTOM ROW

Bob Howsam – Bob Howsam was the original owner of the Denver Broncos, but sold the franchise early on and became the general manager and club president of the Cincinnati Reds during their “Big Red Machine” days of the 1970s.

Max Winter – Max Winter would have been the head of the ownership group of the Minnesota AFL franchise. More on him later…

Lamar Hunt – The founder of the American Football League, Lamar Hunt was the owner of the Dallas Texans, who moved three years later and became the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bud Adams – The other original Texan in the AFL, Bud Adams owned the Houston Oilers. He moved the Oilers to Tennessee many years later, and he is still owner of the Tennessee Titans

Soon after this photo was taken, Billy Sullivan would join the group as owner of the Boston Patriots

Now back to Max Winter, Wayne Valley and the AFL, er, NFL franchise in Minnesota. Originally, Minnesota was going to have an AFL franchise. A onetime owner of the Minneapolis (later Los Angeles) Lakers, Winter had headed a group that like many before him, hat attempted to purchase the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL and move them to the city of their choice. When Hunt proposed the idea of the AFL, Winter assembled a group of investors and committed to a Minneapolis franchise.

As AFL owners were busy building their league, NFL leadership did its best to undermine the new league and cause it to fold. One of their many tactics was aimed at Minnesota. Behind closed doors, the NFL promised Max Winter and his group an NFL expansion team if they would leave the AFL. Pressured by city leadership to accept the NFL’s offer, Minnesota withdrew from the AFL.

This left a hole that needed to be filled in the league. Presentations were made by groups from Atlanta, Oakland, San Francisco, St. Louis and Miami. Noticing that his Chargers had no natural rivals, Barron Hilton lobbied hard for another team to be located in California. Hilton was so adamant about the Oakland franchise in fact, that he threatened to withdraw from the AFL if Oakland was not granted the franchise.

And so it was, that the ownership group of eight men, including Y.C. “Chet” Soda, Wayne Valley (the creator of the Foolish Club moniker), Ed McGah and Robert Osborne were granted a franchise in Oakland, and thus the Raiders were born.

The Foolish Club

2011-06-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

It isn’t often that a piece of memorabilia comes to auction from the collection of a former AFL team owner. But just such a piece popped up on ebay recently, and I was fortunate enough to add it to my collection. This item, which used to belong to former New York Jets owner, Sonny Werblin, also happens to highlight one of my favorite AFL sub-topics, the Foolish Club.

There were few in sports that gave the AFL owners much of a chance to succeed when they first formed the new league in 1959. The National Football League had been around for more than 40 years when the AFL played its first season in 1960, and breaking the grip that the NFL had on professional football would not be easy. In fact, there were so many naysayers chiding the AFL, that Wayne Valley, one of the original owners of the Oakland Raiders, began referring to the fraternity of team owners as the Foolish Club. The name stuck, and to this day, references can be found to the Foolish Club in most AFL texts and documentaries.

As the AFL celebrated its fifth anniversary, Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and founder of the American Football League, had a small number of framed pieces put together and given as gifts to each of the AFL owners at the time. The collage features an AFL logo in the center, with “The Foolish Club,” and “Age 5,” surrounding it. There are also color action photos of each of the original eight AFL teams.

I had first learned about these frames from San Diego Chargers minority owner, George Pernicano, who showed me one nearly 15 years ago. I greatly admired the piece not only for its uniqueness, but as well for its historical significance and ties to Lamar Hunt. So when I stumbled upon another one on ebay one morning, I was immediately interested. I watched it for an entire week, and placed my bid as the auction came to a close. Fortunately for me, no one else recognized the piece for what it was, and I was able to win the auction for the opening bid.

After trading information with the seller, I learned that that the piece used to belong to Sonny Werblin, former owner of the New York Jets, and the man who brought Joe Namath to the American Football League. An email from the seller told me that this particular frame had hung in the New York Jets team offices in the 1960s, at a time when the team resided in the Fuller Building, an iconic 30's style office building located on 57th and Madison Avenue.

I received the Foolish Club piece shortly after the auction ended, and I was more thrilled that I could imagine. After taking a close look at each of the individual team photos, I have an even greater appreciation for each shot, the subjects of which are here:

Buffalo Bills – Quarterback Jack Kemp handing the ball off to legendary running back, Cookie Gilchrist.

Denver Broncos – Lionel Taylor turning to look for a pass from quarterback, Jacky Lee.

San Diego Chargers – Paul Lowe sweeps around the end behind the blocking of center, Sam Gruneisen.

Kansas City Chiefs – Quarterback Len Dawson addresses his offense in the huddle.

New York Jets – Quarterback Dick Wood launches a pass over the outstretched arms of Chiefs defender, Buck Buchanan.

Houston Oilers – Quarterback Don Trull passes to Charlie Hennigan as Chiefs linebacker, Bobby Bell, rushes in.

Boston Patriots – Jess Richardson, the last man to not wear a facemask in professional football, and the rest of his defensive line await the next play.

Oakland Raiders – Billy Cannon runs around the end behind linemen Wayne Hawkins and Bob Mischak.

This is one of the finest additions that I have made to my AFL collection in terms of historical significance. Now my biggest challenge is trying to find a place to put it on my walls!

Three Must-Read AFL Books

2011-04-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

The American Football League has enjoyed a rise in popularity over the last decade. Call it nostalgia, or a fan’s desire to learn about what came before the modern-day NFL, or interest surrounding the 50^th anniversary, but there has been a recent swell in all things AFL. Retro pennants, throwback jerseys, turn-back-the-clock card sets and all types of jewelry, stickers, watches, ball caps, nick-nacks and doo-dads are now for sale in stores near you, and all over the internet. All of these things are nice, and help us all to “remember the AFL,” but the thing that I have particularly noticed, and enjoyed, is the explosion of AFL-related books that have been written in recent years.

Back when I began my research on Charging Through the AFL, there were really only a handful of tomes dedicated to the AFL. You had four “old school” options, with The $400,000 Quarterback by Bob Curran, We Came of Age by Jack Orr, Touchdown! by George Sullivan, and the classic The Other League by Jack Horrigan and Mike Rathet. Of course you could find snippets of AFL info in different books, and there were still more autobiographies that told a few stories, but in-depth studies on the AFL were pretty limited.

Sitting here in 2011, things have changed in the area of AFL research. I am very to say that there are now scores of books available on all sorts of AFL subjects, broad and narrowly-defined. A simple search on Amazon.com can locate books on the New York Titans, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, as well as individual studies on Joe Namath, Don Maynard, Otis Taylor, Jim Otto, George Blanda, and others.

There are also three books, all relatively new, that cover the league in its entirety. These are the three that I will cover in today’s blog entry. If I were ever to be given the opportunity to teach a course in AFL history, these are the books that I would assign as texts. They each attack the AFL story from a different angle, but read in succession, give what I believe to be a fantastic all-around view of the AFL and what it means to both football and American history.

The American Football League; A Year-by-Year History, 1960-1969 by Ed Gruver

Sportswriter Ed Gruver came out with his study on the AFL in 1997. In it Gruver provides an in-depth study on the inner-working of the AFL, from Lamar Hunt’s initial meetings in his attempt to buy the Chicago Cardinals, through the merger and Super Bowl IV. This book will tell you about the influence that television contracts had on the AFL, and what signing Joe Namath meant to the long-term success of the league. Gruver’s effort is generally light on anecdotal material and amusing stories, but more than makes up for it in the area of delivering good, quality information.

Going Long; The Wild 10-Year Saga of the Renegade American Football League in the Words of those Who Lived It by Jeff Miller

If there were a perfect book to match with Ed Gruver’s nitty-gritty AFL story, it would be Going Long. Where Gruver gives you fact and little sideshow, Miller puts for the exact opposite. Structured in a fun, short oral history style, Miller runs chronologically through the league, touching on the important points, but allowing AFL characters (players, owners, media, etc.) to give plenty of anecdotal material on live in the AFL. This book is full of the hilarity, fight, love and brotherhood that was the American Football League. From Jim Otto challenging San Francisco 49ers players to fight at dinner banquets to catching rattlesnakes at the Charges Rough Acres training camp; from the holes in the soles of Lamar Hunt’s shoes to Dan Birdwell changing the brakes on his car, this book will keep you laughing and give you a great understanding of the flavor of the AFL.

Remember the AFL; The Ultimate Fan’s Guide to the American Football League by Dave Steidel

Remember the AFL fits very nicely in-between Gruver’s facts and Miller’s frivolity. Steidel took a crack at the AFL from a team-by-team, year-by-year breakdown. It is here that we get info on the player movements each season, and how that affected teams and their standings. With a nearly game-by-game breakdown for each team, every season, Steidel gives the reader a true sense of how each season unfolded. In addition to this, Remember the AFL is also loaded with photos and statistics. In addition, Steidel has included a series of AFL “quizzes” that ensure that the reader got all that was available out of the book.

As I said before, there are now many, many more books available with AFL info. Team studies and player biographies abound. I have read nearly all of them, and learned and enjoyed something from each one. But for my money, the all-around AFL education that a reader can get from the efforts of Gruver, Miller and Steidel can’t be beat at any price. Football fans the world over owe these three men a debt of gratitude for their efforts and successes in the world of AFL literature.

Mack Lee Hill - A Career Cut Short

2011-03-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

At 5’11” and 225-pounds, Mack Lee Hill was a powerful fullback when he came to the Chiefs as a free agent out of Southern University in 1964. He was the Chiefs second-leading rusher in his rookie season, carrying the ball 105 times for 567 yards and four touchdowns. Hill’s success earned him a spot on the 1965 AFL All-Star Western Division team. Hill had six carries for 20 yards in the game played at Houston’s Jeppesen Stadium.

Mack Lee Hill overcame the dreaded “sophomore slump,” by gaining 627 yards in the first 13 games of the 1965 season. He was forced to end his season one game early, however, after he ruptured a ligament in his right knee in a game against the Buffalo Bills.

Hill underwent knee surgery a few days after his injury, but after going into convulsions post-surgery, Hill died on the operating table. He was just 25 years old.

Inspired by their young runner, the Kansas City Chiefs created the Mack Lee Hill Award, which is given each season to the team's most outstanding rookie.

Happy Birthday, Don Norton - An Original Charger!

2011-03-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

This week marks what would have been Don Norton’s 73^rd birthday. Sadly, Norton passed away in 1997, of complications from open-heart surgery.

Don Norton was an original Charger, a member of the 1960 team that began in Los Angeles. A two-time Rose Bowl champion and all-america end out of the University of Iowa, Norton was drafted in the first round of the 1960 AFL draft by the Oakland Raiders, but soon traded to the Chargers for defensive lineman, Charlie Powell. Norton was a workhorse, missing only seven games in his seven-season career with the Chargers. In 91 career games, Don Norton had 228 receptions for 3,486 yards (15.3 avg.) and scored 27 touchdowns. He was an AFL All-Star in 1962 and 1963. He played in five AFL championship games with the Chargers (1960, ’61, ’63, ’64 & ’65), and was an integral member of the 1963 AFL Champion Chargers team, despite playing the season with a back injury that he suffered while lifting weights in training camp that season.

The following is a collection of photographs and memorabilia from Don Norton’s time in the American Football League.

Autographed 1961 Fleer Card

Autographed 1962 Fleer Card

Autographed 1964 Topps Card

Autographed 1965 Topps Card

Autographed 1966 Topps Card

1962 Union Oil Card

1960s Chargers White Border Card

November 27, 1960 vs. Oakland Raiders

December 4, 1960 vs. Oakland Raiders

1961 Team Issued Photo

November 19, 1961 vs. Dallas Texans

December 9, 1961 vs. Boston Patriots


Chargers in the 1962 AFL All-Star Game

July 1, 1962 Pool Party at Sid Gillman's House

August 11, 1962 vs. Dallas Texans

September 16, 1962 vs. New York Titans

September 30, 1962 vs. Oakland Raiders

October 7, 1962 vs. Dallas Texans

November 4, 1962 vs. Denver Broncos

December 9, 1962 vs. Boston Patriots

Chargers in the 1963 AFL All-Star Game

1963 Training Camp

October 20, 1963 vs. Kansas City

September 14, 1964 vs. Oakland Raiders

September 12, 1964 vs. Houston Oilers

October 18, 1964 vs. Denver Broncos

November 1, 1964 vs. Oakland Raiders

December 6, 1964 vs. New York Jets

Original Chargers at 1965 Training Camp

September 19, 1965 postgame interview with Paul Christman


December 26, 1965 vs. Buffalo Bills

The First AFL Game

2011-03-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

September 9, 1960. The Denver Broncos vs. the Boston Patriots at Boston University Field.

More than the announcement of a new league, the first AFL draft or the opening of training camps, the first regular season game marked the presence of fledgling American Football League. After several weeks of bar tenders, truck drivers, and local tough guys intermingling with legitimate football players at eight camps spread across the country, rosters had been set (somewhat) and the new league was open for business.

The first AFL game matched two teams that had somewhat similar backgrounds. Lacking the seemingly unlimited the financial backing of the Houston Oilers, Dallas Texans or Los Angeles Chargers, the Boston Patriots and Denver Broncos were pieced together by hard-working ownership groups that scrutinized every nickel that went out the door. The results were two working-class teams with little known star power, and whose rosters were heavy with players from the local colleges.

But despite their less-than-flashy origins, the Denver Broncos and Boston Patriots were scheduled to open the AFL season and introduce the nation to “the other league.”

Clad in their second-hand mustard yellow and brown uniforms, the Broncos offense stalled on their opening drive and Denver was forced to punt. The Patriots began on their own 29-yard line and the men with the tri-corner logos on their helmets drove to the Denver 27 before Gino Cappelletti kicked a 34-yard field goal and recorded the AFL’s first official points.

The Broncos countered with the league’s first touchdown. On the opening play of the second quarter, Denver quarterback Frank Tripucka threw to Al Carmichael in the right flat. Carmichael crossed the field and dashed 41 yards into the end zone. The score remained 7-3 going into halftime.

Play resumed and both team were held pointless until Gene Mingo scored the AFL’s first special teams touchdown late in the third quarter when he returned a Boston punt 76 yards for a touchdown.

The Patriots responded with a Butch Songin 10-yard touchdown pass to end Jim Colclough. Despite a valiant effort by the Bostonians to take the lead in the fourth quarter, Colclough’s TD was the last score of the game, and the Broncos recorded their first-ever victory with the 13-10 win.

Neither team proved to be a post-season threat in 1960. Despite winning four of their first six games, the Broncos closed the season with six losses and a tie to finish with a 4-9-1 record. Boston fared only slightly better, finishing fourth in the AFL’s Eastern Division with a 5-9 record. In fact, neither team experienced the post-season for several years. The Patriots made their first playoff appearance in the 1963 AFL championship game, where they were subjected to a 51-10 drubbing by the San Diego Chargers. The Broncos did not find themselves playoff-bound until 1977, when they finished 12-2 and won the AFC championship, only to lose 27-10 to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXII.