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1961 Buffalo Bills
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Record: 6-8-0, Finished 4th in AFL East Division
AFL Season Summary
Scored 294 points (21.0/g), 6th of 8 in the AFL.
Allowed 342 points (24.4/g), 4th.
Differential of -48 points (-3.4/g), 5th.
Expected W-L: 5.8-8.2.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +2 (0.1/g), 4th.
Simple Rating System: Total -3.0, Offense: -3.5, Defense: 0.5, SoS: 0.4, versus averages of 0.0.
Coached by
Buster Ramsey (6-8-0)
Training Camp: Roycroft Inn & Knox Estates (East Aurora, New York)
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Starters
ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | ||||||
| QB | Johnny Green | 24 | 1 | 5 | 56 for 126, 903 yards, 6 td, 5 int, & 14 rushes for 15 yards and 1 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 21st / 247th pick / 1959 |
| HB | Wray Carlton | 24 | 1 | 0 | 101 rushes for 311 yards, 4 td, & 17 catches for 193 yards and 0 td | Philadelphia Eagles / 3rd / 26th pick / 1959 |
| FB | Art Baker | 24 | Rook | 0 | 152 rushes for 498 yards, 3 td, & 6 catches for 73 yards and 0 td | Philadelphia Eagles / 1st / 14th pick / 1961 Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 19th pick / 1961 |
| FL | Elbert Dubenion | 28 | 1 | 0 | 31 catches for 461 yards, 6 td, & 17 rushes for 173 yards and 2 td | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1959 |
| SE | Glenn Bass | 22 | Rook | 0 | 50 catches for 765 yards, 3 td, & 2 rushes for 8 yards and 0 td | St. Louis Cardinals / 5th / 64th pick / 1961 San Diego Chargers / 23rd / 183rd pick / 1961 |
| TE | Tom Rychlec | 27 | 3 | 0 | 33 catches for 405 yards, 2 td, & 1 rush for -18 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 10th / 119th pick / 1957 |
| LT | Ken Rice* | 22 | Rook | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 3rd pick / 1961 St. Louis Cardinals / 1st / 8th pick / 1961 |
|
| LG | Billy Shaw | 23 | Rook | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 11th pick / 1961 Dallas Cowboys / 14th / 184th pick / 1961 |
|
| C | Al Bemiller | 23 | Rook | 14 | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 51st pick / 1961 St. Louis Cardinals / 7th / 94th pick / 1961 |
|
| RG | Chuck Muelhaupt | 26 | 1 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 26th / 311th pick / 1957 | |
| RT | Harold Olson* | 23 | 1 | 0 | St. Louis Cardinals / 2nd / 13th pick / 1960 | |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Mack Yoho | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| LDT | Chuck McMurtry* | 24 | 1 | 0 | ||
| RDT | Jim Sorey | 25 | 1 | 0 | Chicago Bears / 14th / 165th pick / 1960 | |
| RDE | LaVerne Torczon* | 25 | 1 | 0 | Cleveland Browns / 18th / 211th pick / 1957 | |
| LLB | Ralph Felton | 29 | 7 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Washington Redskins / 4th / 39th pick / 1954 |
| MLB | Archie Matsos* | 27 | 1 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Baltimore Colts / 16th / 189th pick / 1958 |
| RLB | Stew Barber | 22 | Rook | 0 | 3 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Buffalo Bills / 4th / 27th pick / 1961 Dallas Cowboys / 3rd / 30th pick / 1961 |
| LCB | Richie McCabe | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Pittsburgh Steelers / 22nd / 258th pick / 1955 |
| RCB | Vern Valdez | 26 | 1 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| LS | Jim Wagstaff | 25 | 2 | 0 | 3 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 21st / 253rd pick / 1958 |
| RS | Billy Atkins* | 27 | 3 | 0 | 10 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 59th pick / 1958 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Billy Atkins* | 27 | 3 | 0 | 2 of 6 field goals & 29 of 31 extra points | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 59th pick / 1958 |
| P | Billy Atkins* | 27 | 3 | 0 | 85 punts for a 44.5 average, 1 blocked | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 59th pick / 1958 |
| PR | Glenn Bass | 22 | Rook | 0 | 8 punt returns for a 9.4 average and 0 td | St. Louis Cardinals / 5th / 64th pick / 1961 San Diego Chargers / 23rd / 183rd pick / 1961 |
| KR | Elbert Dubenion | 28 | 1 | 0 | 16 kick returns for a 20.6 average and 0 td | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1959 |
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Billy Atkins* | 27 | DB-HB | 14 | 0 | 196 | 6-1 | Auburn | 11/19/1934 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 59th pick / 1958 |
| 33 | Art Baker | 24 | FB | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-0 | Syracuse | 12/31/1937 | Rook | Philadelphia Eagles / 1st / 14th pick / 1961 Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 19th pick / 1961 |
| 64 | Stew Barber | 22 | T-LB-G | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-2 | Penn St. | 6/14/1939 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 4th / 27th pick / 1961 Dallas Cowboys / 3rd / 30th pick / 1961 |
| 88 | Glenn Bass | 22 | SE-WR | 14 | 0 | 202 | 6-2 | East Carolina | 4/12/1939 | Rook | St. Louis Cardinals / 5th / 64th pick / 1961 San Diego Chargers / 23rd / 183rd pick / 1961 |
| 50 | Al Bemiller | 23 | C-G-T | 14 | 14 | 243 | 6-3 | Syracuse | 4/18/1938 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 51st pick / 1961 St. Louis Cardinals / 7th / 94th pick / 1961 |
| 26 | Dewey Bohling | 23 | HB | 7 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Hardin-Simmons | 8/22/1938 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 13th / 151st pick / 1959 |
| 46 | Fred Brown | 23 | HB | 5 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Georgia | 12/22/1938 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 6th / 43rd pick / 1961 |
| 30 | Wray Carlton | 24 | HB-FB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Duke | 6/18/1937 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles / 3rd / 26th pick / 1959 |
| 85 | Dan Chamberlain | 24 | E-HB | 3 | 0 | 200 | 6-3 | Sacramento St. | 8/26/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 25th / 293rd pick / 1959 |
| 77 | Donald Chelf | 28 | T-G | 14 | 0 | 235 | 6-3 | Iowa | 3/25/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 12th / 136th pick / 1954 |
| 80 | Monte Crockett | 23 | HB-TE | 14 | 0 | 218 | 6-4 | New Mex. Highlands | 7/14/1938 | 1 | |
| 46 | Jim Crotty | 23 | DB | 5 | 0 | 190 | 6-1 | Notre Dame | 3/31/1938 | 1 | Washington Redskins / 12th / 136th pick / 1960 |
| 78 | Tom Day | 26 | DE-G-DT-T | 12 | 0 | 252 | 6-2 | North Carolina A&T | 8/20/1935 | 1 | St. Louis Cardinals / 20th / 229th pick / 1960 |
| 60 | John Dittrich | 28 | G | 12 | 0 | 236 | 6-1 | Wisconsin | 5/7/1933 | 5 | Chicago Cardinals / 6th / 70th pick / 1956 |
| 44 | Elbert Dubenion | 28 | FL-WR-HB | 14 | 0 | 187 | 5-11 | Bluffton | 2/16/1933 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1959 |
| 57 | Ralph Felton | 29 | LB-DB-FB | 14 | 0 | 210 | 5-11 | Maryland | 5/21/1932 | 7 | Washington Redskins / 4th / 39th pick / 1954 |
| 23 | Willmer Fowler | 24 | HB | 2 | 0 | 185 | 5-10 | Northwestern | 6/3/1937 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles / 8th / 86th pick / 1959 |
| 18 | Johnny Green | 24 | QB | 8 | 5 | 198 | 6-3 | Tenn-Chattanooga | 10/12/1937 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 21st / 247th pick / 1959 |
| 54 | Joe Hergert | 25 | LB-K | 9 | 0 | 216 | 6-1 | Florida | 6/7/1936 | 1 | Green Bay Packers / 24th / 277th pick / 1959 |
| 42 | Jack Johnson | 28 | DB | 3 | 0 | 198 | 6-3 | Miami (FL) | 12/11/1933 | 4 | Chicago Bears / 4th / 49th pick / 1957 |
| 59 | Cotton Letner | 24 | LB | 5 | 0 | 215 | 6-1 | Tennessee | 1/26/1937 | Rook | |
| 11 | Richie Lucas | 23 | QB-DB-HB | 8 | 2 | 190 | 6-0 | Penn St. | 4/15/1938 | 1 | Washington Redskins / 1st / 4th pick / 1960 |
| 25 | Billy Majors | 23 | DB | 1 | 0 | 175 | 6-0 | Tennessee | 11/7/1938 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 9th / 67th pick / 1961 Philadelphia Eagles / 12th / 168th pick / 1961 |
| 56 | Archie Matsos* | 27 | LB | 14 | 0 | 217 | 6-0 | Michigan St. | 11/22/1934 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 16th / 189th pick / 1958 |
| 45 | Richie McCabe | 28 | DB | 9 | 0 | 185 | 6-1 | Pittsburgh | 3/12/1933 | 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 22nd / 258th pick / 1955 |
| 42 | Don McDonald | 24 | DB | 11 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | TCU,Houston | 2/5/1937 | Rook | Philadelphia Eagles / 29th / 340th pick / 1958 |
| 73 | Chuck McMurtry* | 24 | DT | 14 | 0 | 280 | 6-0 | Whittier | 2/15/1937 | 1 | |
| 70 | Chuck Muelhaupt | 26 | G | 14 | 0 | 230 | 6-3 | Iowa St. | 12/11/1935 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 26th / 311th pick / 1957 |
| 14 | Tommy O'Connell | 31 | QB | 1 | 1 | 187 | 5-11 | Notre Dame,Illinois | 9/26/1930 | 8 | Chicago Bears / 18th / 212th pick / 1952 |
| 74 | Harold Olson* | 23 | T | 14 | 0 | 255 | 6-2 | Clemson | 1/19/1938 | 1 | St. Louis Cardinals / 2nd / 13th pick / 1960 |
| 17 | Warren Rabb | 24 | QB | 9 | 3 | 204 | 6-3 | LSU | 12/12/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 15th pick / 1960 |
| 14 | M.C. Reynolds | 26 | QB | 12 | 3 | 193 | 6-0 | LSU | 2/11/1935 | 3 | |
| 75 | Ken Rice* | 22 | T-G | 14 | 0 | 240 | 6-2 | Auburn | 9/14/1939 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 3rd pick / 1961 St. Louis Cardinals / 1st / 8th pick / 1961 |
| 84 | Perry Richards | 27 | E | 11 | 0 | 205 | 6-2 | Detroit Mercy | 1/14/1934 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 55th pick / 1957 |
| 81 | Tom Rychlec | 27 | E | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-3 | American Int. | 9/11/1934 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 10th / 119th pick / 1957 |
| 76 | Jack Scott | 25 | DT | 7 | 0 | 260 | 6-4 | Ohio St. | 4/12/1936 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 26th / 307th pick / 1959 |
| 66 | Billy Shaw | 23 | G | 14 | 0 | 258 | 6-2 | Georgia Tech | 12/15/1938 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 11th pick / 1961 Dallas Cowboys / 14th / 184th pick / 1961 |
| 23 | Bill Shockley | 24 | HB-K | 2 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | West Chester | 3/13/1937 | 1 | |
| 79 | Jim Sorey | 25 | DT | 14 | 0 | 285 | 6-4 | Texas Southern | 9/5/1936 | 1 | Chicago Bears / 14th / 165th pick / 1960 |
| 87 | LaVerne Torczon* | 25 | DE | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-3 | Nebraska | 1/1/1936 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 18th / 211th pick / 1957 |
| 25 | Vern Valdez | 26 | DB | 13 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Cal Poly-Pomona,San Diego | 8/12/1935 | 1 | |
| 22 | Jim Wagstaff | 25 | DB | 14 | 0 | 192 | 6-2 | Idaho St. | 6/12/1936 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 21st / 253rd pick / 1958 |
| 60 | Wayne Wolff | 23 | G | 2 | 0 | 243 | 6-2 | Wake Forest | 1/28/1938 | Rook | Cleveland Browns / 10th / 129th pick / 1961 Buffalo Bills / 17th / 131st pick / 1961 |
| 71 | Mack Yoho | 25 | DE-K | 14 | 0 | 230 | 6-2 | Miami (OH) | 6/14/1936 | 1 | |
| Team Total | 25.0 | 14 | 216.1 | 6-1.3 | 1.5 |