1961 Houston Oilers season

NFL team season November 2013 March 2026 611112-Oilers-Patriots-program.jpg Houston Oilers 1961 10–3–1 1st AFL Eastern Bud Adams Don Suman Lou Rymkus (1–3–1, fired) and Wally Lemm (9–0) Jeppesen Stadium Won AFL Championship(at Chargers) 10–3 Oilers seasons The 1961 Houston Oilers season was the second season for the Houston Oilers as a professional American football franchise; For the second consecutive season, the Oilers scored a triumph in the AFL championship game over the San Diego Chargers (12–2), the Western Division champions.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PDNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5524%2C2575929 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Chargers challenge for AFL grid title December 24, 1961 2, sports https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xm5QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ExEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6928%2C2178762 Milwaukee Sentinel UPI Blanda stars as Oilers win AFL title, 10-3 December 25, 1961 1Shttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PTNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6607%2C2833505 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Blanda's arm and toe clear path as Houston takes 2d AFL crown December 25, 1961 14 The Oilers started slowly in 1961, with a 1–3–1 record. After a tie on October 13 with the Boston Patriots, head coach Lou Rymkus was fired by owner Bud Adams. Wally Lemm was hired,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-0g1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=-YoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5091%2C266174 Sarasota Journal Florida UPI Lemm lifts Oilers back toward top November 2, 1961 30 and the team went undefeated for the remainder of the season, including the championship game, a winning streak of ten games. The Oilers set the AFL record for points scored in 1961, with 513 (36.6 points per game).Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points For They also set an American Football League record with a +271 point differential, by allowing only 242 points.Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1960 to 1969, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Differential The 1961 Oilers are the only team in AFL or NFL history to score 45 points or more six times in a single season.Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, requiring Points For >= 45, sorted by most games in season matching criteria. Offseason On January 14, end Willard Dewveall played out his option with the Chicago Bears of the NFL and joined the Oilers.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GuJHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rIAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6345%2C1787888 Victoria Advocate Texas Associated Press Chicago Bears veteran Dewveall joins January 14, 1961 8 He became the first player to move deliberately from one league to another.NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, 0-7611-2480-2, p. 282 Dewveall was the only one to move between leagues for five years, until placekicker Pete Gogolak moved from the Buffalo Bills to the New York Giants of the NFL in 1966.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C7xaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LFADAAAAIBAJ&pg=2862%2C2718730 Ludington Daily News Michigan Associated Press Signing of Gogolak could trigger football battle May 18, 1966 12 AFL Draft 1961 American Football League draft Houston Oilers draft picks (Selected eighth)1961 Houston Oilers Draftees https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/1961_draft.htm 2024-12-05 Pro-Football-Reference.com en Round Player Position College 1 Mike DitkaMike Ditka Offensive End Pittsburgh 2 Tom GoodeTom Goode Center Mississippi State 3 Walter SuggsWalter Suggs 1 Tackle Mississippi State 4 Bobby WaldenBobby Walden Halfback Georgia 5 Monte LeeMonte Lee Linebacker Texas 6 Jake GibbsJake Gibbs Quarterback Mississippi 7 Dick ReynoldsDick Reynolds Tackle North Carolina State 8 Houston AntwineHouston Antwine 1,2 Guard Southern Illinois 9 Ralph WhiteRalph White Tackle Bowling Green 10 Charles LeeCharles Lee Center Iowa 11 Robert BirdRobert Bird Guard Bowling Green 12 Bob McLeodBob McLeod Offensive End Abilene Christian 13 Gerald HintonGerald Hinton Guard Louisiana Tech 14 Jimmy KingJimmy King Tackle Clemson 15 Dennis FerriterDennis Ferriter Center Marquette 16 Larry WoodLarry Wood Halfback Northwestern 17 Sam FewellSam Fewell Tackle South Carolina 18 Mike GrimsleyMike Grimsley Halfback Michigan State 19 Myron PearsonMyron Pearson Halfback Colorado 20 Lewis JohnsonLewis Johnson Halfback Florida A&M 21 Ron MillerRon Miller Quarterback Wisconsin 22 Bob KellyBob Kelly Offensive End New Mexico State 23 James AndersonJames Anderson Fullback Mississippi 24 Ken GregoryKen Gregory Offensive End Whittier 25 Jack KreiderJack Kreider Halfback Tulsa 26 Don FuellDon Fuell Quarterback Mississippi Southern 27 Boyd KingBoyd King Center Rice 28 John FrongilloJohn Frongillo Center Baylor 29 Tom LewisTom Lewis Offensive End Wake Forest 29 Errol LindenErrol Linden Defensive end Houston 30 Jim StroudJim Stroud Tackle Rice Roster 1961 Houston Oilers roster Quarterbacks 16 George Blanda K 15 Jacky Lee Running backs 20 Billy Cannon 46 Claude King y American football 32 Dave Smith fullback 44 Charley Tolar Wide receivers 88 Willard Dewveall 89 Bill Groman 87 Charley Hennigan Tight ends 81 Bob McLeod y American football 86 John White tight end Offensive linemen 70 Al Jamison T 73 Bob Kelly T y American football, born 1938 77 Rich Michael T 64 Willis Perkins G y 52 Bob Schmidt C American football 61 Bob Talamini G 63 Hogan Wharton G Defensive linemen 80 Dalva Allen DE 75 Don Floyd DE 62 Dick Frey DE 82 Ed Husmann DT 74 George Shirkey DT 79 Orville Trask DT Linebackers 37 Ron Botchan OLB 31 Doug Cline OLB 30 Mike Dukes OLB 34 Jack Laraway OLB 50 Dennit Morris MLB Defensive backs 40 Tony Banfield CB 27 Fred Glick FS 41 Mark Johnston American football CB 25 Gene Jones American football DB 43 Jim Norton safety SS/P 24 Julian Spence FS Reserve lists -- Dan Lanphear DE DNR 12 Charlie Milstead S Retired 22 Gary Wisener CB IR rookies in italics Standings Season schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance GameRecap 1 September 9 Oakland Raiders W 55–0 1–0 Jeppesen Stadium 16,231 Recap 2 Bye 3 September 24 at San Diego Chargers L 24–34 1–1 Balboa Stadium 29,210 Recap 4 October 1 at Dallas Texans L 21–26 1–2 Cotton Bowl 28,000 Recap 5 October 8 Buffalo Bills L 12–22 1–3 Jeppesen Stadium 22,761 Recap6 October 13 at Boston Patriots T 31–31 1–3–1 Boston University Field 15,070 Recap 7 October 22 Dallas Texans W 38–7 2–3–1 Jeppesen Stadium 21,237 Recap 8 October 29 at Buffalo Bills W 28–16 3–3–1 War Memorial Stadium 23,228 Recap 9 November 5 at Denver Broncos W 55–14 4–3–1 Bears Stadium 11,564 Recap 10 November 12 Boston Patriots W 27–15 5–3–1 Jeppesen Stadium 35,649 Recap 11 November 19 New York Titans W 49–13 6–3–1 Jeppesen Stadium 33,428 Recap 12 November 26 Denver Broncos W 45–14 7–3–1 Jeppesen Stadium 27,864 Recap 13 December 3 San Diego Chargers W 33–13 8–3–1 Jeppesen Stadium 37,845 Recap 14 December 10 at New York Titans W 48–21 9–3–1 Polo Grounds 9,462 Recap 15 December 17 at Oakland Raiders W 47–16 10–3–1 Candlestick Park 4,821 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Regular season game summaries Week 1 (Saturday, September 9, 1961): vs. Oakland Raiders Week 3 (Sunday, September 24, 1961): at San Diego Chargers Week 4 (Sunday, October 1, 1961): at Dallas Texans Week 5 (Sunday, October 8, 1961): vs. Buffalo Bills Week 6 (Friday, October 13, 1961): at Boston Patriots Week 7 (Sunday, October 22, 1961): vs. Dallas Texans Week 8 (Sunday, October 29, 1961): at Buffalo Bills Week 9 (Sunday, November 5, 1961): at Denver Broncos Week 10 (Sunday, November 12, 1961): vs. Boston Patriots Week 11 (Sunday, November 19, 1961): vs. New York Titans Week 12 (Sunday, November 26, 1961): vs. Denver Broncos Week 13 (Sunday, December 3, 1961): vs. San Diego Chargers Week 11 (Sunday, December 10, 1961): at New York Titans Week 15 (Sunday, December 17, 1961): at Oakland Raiders Postseason Round Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Recap AFL Championship December 24, 1961 at San Diego Chargers W 10–3 Balboa Stadium 29,556 Recap 1961 AFL Championship Game (Sunday, December 24, 1961): at San Diego Chargers 1961 American Football League Championship Game Houston Oilers 1961 2; text-align:center collapsed 1961 AFL Championship Game: Houston Oilers 10 at San Diego Chargers 3 – Game summary December 24, 1961 3:30 p.m. CST Oilers (1–0) 0 3 7 0 Chargers (0–1) 0 0 0 3 Balboa Stadium • San Diego, California 29,556 ABC Jack Buck (play-by-play), George Ratterman (color commentator) and Bob Neal (sideline reporter) Pro Football Reference; 1961 AFL Championship Game – Houston Oilers at San Diego Chargers – December 24, 1961 right Houston Oilers HOU San Diego Chargers SD HOU SD collapsed 2 Oilers FG 46 Blanda 3 0 3 Oilers RecTD Cannon Blanda 35 good Blanda 10 0 4 Chargers FG 12 Blair 10 3 10 3 Point spread: Oilers –5½ Time of game: OilersGame statisticsChargers18 First downs 1533–96 Rushes–yards 20–79160 Passing yards 22618–41–6 Passes Completions–Attempts–Interceptions 17–32–40–0 Sacked–yards 0–49160 Net passing yards 177256 Total yards 2567 Return yards 1265–34.0 Punts Number–Average yardage 4–41.05–1 Fumbles–lost 2–25–68 Penalties–yards 10–106 Time of possession References 2 External links Oilers on Pro Football Reference Oilers on jt-sw.com Houston Oilers Category:American Football League championship seasons Category:Houston Oilers seasons Houston