1961 Houston Oilers season: Difference between revisions

1961 Houston Oilers season
1961 Houston Oilers season
Owner	Bud Adams
General manager	Don Suman
Head coach	Lou Rymkus (1–3–1, fired) and; Wally Lemm (9–0)
Home field	Jeppesen Stadium
Results
Record	10–3–1
Division place	1st AFL Eastern
Playoff finish	Won AFL Championship; (at Chargers) 10–3
	← 1960; Oilers seasons; 1962 →;

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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.^[1]^[2]^[3]

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,^[4] 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).^[5] They also set an American Football League record with a +271 point differential, by allowing only 242 points.^[6] The 1961 Oilers are the only team in AFL or NFL history to score 45 points or more six times in a single season.^[7]

Offseason

On January 14, end Willard Dewveall played out his option with the Chicago Bears of the NFL and joined the Oilers.^[8] He became the first player to move deliberately from one league to another.^[9] 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.^[10]

AFL Draft

Houston Oilers draft picks (Selected eighth)^[11]

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

Standings

AFL Eastern Division
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
Houston Oilers	10	3	1	.769	4–1–1	513	242	W9
Boston Patriots	9	4	1	.692	2–3–1	413	313	W4
New York Titans	7	7	0	.500	3–3	301	390	L2
Buffalo Bills	6	8	0	.429	2–4	294	342	L1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.

Season schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Game Recap
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	Recap
6	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.

Roster

1961 Houston Oilers roster

Quarterbacks

16 George Blanda

15 Jacky Lee

12 Charlie Milstead

Running backs

46 Claude King

21 Ken Hall

44 Charlie Tolar FB

32 Dave Smith

Wide receivers

87 Charley Hennigan

89 Bill Groman

Tight ends

20 Billy Cannon

81 Bob McLeod

86 John White

88 Willard Dewveall

Offensive linemen

70 Al Jamison T

77 Rich Michael T

66 Leo Reed T

73 Bob Kelly T

61 Bob Talamini G

60 Buzz Guy G

63 Hogan Wharton G

52 Bob Schmidt C

57 George Belotti C

Defensive linemen

80 Dalva Allen DE

75 Don Floyd DE

64 Willis Perkins DE

62 Dick Frey DE

82 Ed Husmann

79 Orville Trask DT

74 George Shirkey

Linebackers

31 Doug Cline

50 Dennit Morris

30 Mike Dukes

34 Jack Laraway

25 Gene Jones

33 John Guzik

37 Ron Botchan

Defensive backs

40 Tony Banfield

27 Fred Glick

22 Gary Wisener

24 Julian Spence

43 Jim Norton

41 Mark Johnston

Special teams

Reserve lists

Practice squad

rookies in italics

Postseason

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance	Recap
Championship	December 24	San Diego Chargers	W 10–3	Balboa Stadium	29,556	Recap

AFL Championship Game

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	3	7	0	10
Chargers	0	0	0	3	3

Houston Oilers 10, San Diego Chargers 3

December 24, 1961, at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California
Attendance: 29,556

Scoring

HOU – Field goal George Blanda 46
HOU – Billy Cannon 35 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick)
SD – Field goal Blair 12

References

^ "Chargers challenge for AFL grid title". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 24, 1961. p. 2, sports.
^ "Blanda stars as Oilers win AFL title, 10-3". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. December 25, 1961. p. 1S.
^ "Blanda's arm and toe clear path as Houston takes 2d AFL crown". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 25, 1961. p. 14.
^ "Lemm lifts Oilers back toward top". Sarasota Journal. Florida. UPI. November 2, 1961. p. 30.
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points For
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1960 to 1969, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Differential
^ 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.
^ "Chicago Bears veteran Dewveall joins". Victoria Advocate. Texas. Associated Press. January 14, 1961. p. 8.
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 282
^ "Signing of Gogolak could trigger football battle". Ludington Daily News. Michigan. Associated Press. May 18, 1966. p. 12.
^ "1961 Houston Oilers Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

External links

[ccfafgt-1] "Chargers challenge for AFL grid title". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 24, 1961. p. 2, sports.

[bsaowat-2] "Blanda stars as Oilers win AFL title, 10-3". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. December 25, 1961. p. 1S.

[blndarmt-3] "Blanda's arm and toe clear path as Houston takes 2d AFL crown". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 25, 1961. p. 14.

[llobttp-4] "Lemm lifts Oilers back toward top". Sarasota Journal. Florida. UPI. November 2, 1961. p. 30.

[5] Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points For

[6] Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1960 to 1969, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Differential

[7] 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.

[cbvdvl-8] "Chicago Bears veteran Dewveall joins". Victoria Advocate. Texas. Associated Press. January 14, 1961. p. 8.

[9] NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 282

[sofgoglk-10] "Signing of Gogolak could trigger football battle". Ludington Daily News. Michigan. Associated Press. May 18, 1966. p. 12.

[11] "1961 Houston Oilers Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
 {{Infobox NFL season
+| logo = 611112-Oilers-Patriots-program.jpg
 | team = Houston Oilers
 | year = 1961
@@ Line 8: / Line 9: @@
 | owner = [[Bud Adams]]
 | general manager = [[Don Suman]]
-| coach = [[Wally Lemm]] (9–0) and<br>[[Lou Rymkus]] (1–3–1, fired)
+| coach = [[Lou Rymkus]] (1–3–1, fired) and<br> [[Wally Lemm]] (9–0)
 | stadium = [[Jeppesen Stadium]]
-| playoffs = '''Won [[1961 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship]]''' (at [[1961 San Diego Chargers season|Chargers]]) 10–3
+| playoffs = '''Won [[1961 American Football League Championship Game|AFL Championship]]'''<br>(at [[1961 San Diego Chargers season|Chargers]]) 10–3
 | shortnavlink = Oilers seasons
 }}
@@ Line 24: / Line 25: @@
 === AFL Draft ===
 {{main article|1961 American Football League draft}}
+* Houston Oilers draft picks (Selected eighth)<ref>{{Cite web |title=1961 Houston Oilers Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/oti/1961_draft.htm |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>
-* Houston Oilers draft picks (Selected eighth)
 {| class="wikitable sortable sortable" style="width: 60%"
 |-
@@ Line 31: / Line 32: @@
 |align=center| 1 || <span style="display:none">Mike Ditka</span>[[Mike Ditka]] || Offensive End || Pittsburgh
 |-
-|align=center| 2 || <span style="display:none">Tom Goode</span>[[Tom Goode]] || Center || Mississippi State
+|align=center| 2 || <span style="display:none">Tom Goode</span>[[Tom Goode (footballer)|Tom Goode]] || Center || Mississippi State
 |-
 |align=center| 3 || <span style="display:none">Walter Suggs</span>[[Walter Suggs]] <sup>1</sup> || Tackle || Mississippi State
@@ Line 37: / Line 38: @@
 |align=center| 4 || <span style="display:none">Bobby Walden</span>[[Bobby Walden]] || Halfback || Georgia
 |-
-|align=center| 5 || <span style="display:none">Monte Lee</span>[[Monte Lee]] || Linebacker || Texas
+|align=center| 5 || <span style="display:none">Monte Lee</span>[[Monte Lee (American football)|Monte Lee]] || Linebacker || Texas
 |-
 |align=center| 6 || <span style="display:none">Jake Gibbs</span>[[Jake Gibbs]] || Quarterback || Mississippi
@@ Line 85: / Line 86: @@
 |align=center| 28 || <span style="display:none">John Frongillo</span>[[John Frongillo]] || Center || Baylor
 |-
-|align=center| 29 || <span style="display:none">Tom Lewis</span>[[John Frongillo]] || Offensive End || Lake Forest
+|align=center| 29 || <span style="display:none">Tom Lewis</span>Tom Lewis || Offensive End || Wake Forest
 |-
-|align=center| 29 || <span style="display:none">Tom Lewis</span>[[Errol Linden]] || Defensive end || Houston
+|align=center| 29 || <span style="display:none">Errol Linden</span>[[Errol Linden]] || Defensive end || Houston
 |-
-|align=center| 30 || <span style="display:none">Tom Lewis</span>Jim Stroud || Tackle || Rice
+|align=center| 30 || <span style="display:none">Jim Stroud</span>Jim Stroud || Tackle || Rice
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 263: / Line 264: @@
 {{NFLplayer|88|Willard Dewveall|End}}
 | style="width: 25px;" |
-| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | '''Offensive Linemen'''
+| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | '''Offensive linemen'''
 {{NFLplayer|70|Al Jamison|T}}
 {{NFLplayer|77|Rich Michael|T}}
@@ Line 274: / Line 275: @@
 {{NFLplayer|57|George Belotti|C}}
-'''Defensive Linemen'''
+'''Defensive linemen'''
 {{NFLplayer|80|Dalva Allen|DE}}
 {{NFLplayer|75|Don Floyd|DE}}
@@ Line 301: / Line 302: @@
-'''Special Teams'''
+'''Special teams'''
 | style="width: 25px;" |
-| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | '''Reserve Lists'''
+| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | '''Reserve lists'''
-'''Practice Squad'''
+'''Practice squad'''
-<small>''Rookies in italics''</small><br />
+<small>''rookies in italics''</small><br />
 |-
 |}

v t e Tennessee Titans
Founded in 1960 Formerly the Houston Oilers (1960–1996) and the Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998) Based and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee
Franchise	History in Houston Coaches Seasons All-time roster First-round draft picks Starting quarterbacks
Stadiums	Jeppesen Stadium Rice Stadium Houston Astrodome Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Vanderbilt Stadium Nissan Stadium New Nissan Stadium (future)
Culture	Bud Adams Luv Ya Blue T-Rac Cheerleaders
Lore	The Comeback Music City Miracle One Yard Short
Rivalries	Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Pittsburgh Steelers
Division championships (11)	1960 1961 1962 1967 1991 1993 2000 2002 2008 2020 2021
Conference championships (1)	1999
League championships (2)	1960 1961
Retired numbers	1 9 27 34 43 63 65 74
Media	Broadcasters Titans All Access Titans Preseason Football Titans Radio Network WKRN-TV WTVF WZTV WGFX-FM WSMV-TV
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League (1970–present) Conference: American Football Conference Division: South Division
Former league affiliation	League: American Football League (1960–1969)
Key personnel	Bud Adams Amy Adams Strunk

v t e Tennessee Titans seasons
Formerly the Houston Oilers (1960–1996) and the Tennessee Oilers (1997–1998)
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Bold indicates AFL Championship (1960–69) or Super Bowl (1966–present) victory Italics indicates Super Bowl (1966–present) appearance