You Are Here > Pro-Football-Reference.com > Teams > Houston Oilers > 1961 Starters, Roster, & Players

1961 Houston Oilers

Franchise IndexPrevious Season / Next Season

Record: 10-3-1, Finished 1st in AFL East Division
AFL Season Summary

1961 AFL Champions

Scored 513 points (36.6/g), 1st of 8 in the AFL.
 Allowed 242 points (17.3/g), 2nd.
 Differential of 271 points (19.4/g), 1st.
 Expected W-L: 12.0-2.0.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +9 (0.6/g), 3rd.

Coached by Lou Rymkus (1-3-1) and Wally Lemm (9-0-0)

1961 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees

Starters

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters Complete Team Stats
QB George Blanda*+ 34 12 11 187 for 362, 3,330 yards, 36 td, 22 int, & 7 rushes for 12 yards and 0 td

Chicago Bears / 12th / 119th pick / 1949

HB Billy Cannon*+ 24 1 0 200 rushes for 948 yards, 6 td, & 43 catches for 586 yards and 9 td

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1960

FB Charley Tolar* 24 1 0 157 rushes for 577 yards, 4 td, & 24 catches for 219 yards and 1 td

Pittsburgh Steelers / 27th / 319th pick / 1959

WR Bill Groman+ 25 1 0 50 catches for 1,175 yards, 17 td, & 1 rush for 2 yards and 1 td
WR Charley Hennigan*+ 26 1 0 82 catches for 1,746 yards, 12 td
TE John White 26 1 0 13 catches for 238 yards, 1 td
TE Bob McLeod* 23 Rook 0 14 catches for 172 yards, 2 td

Houston Oilers / 12th / 96th pick / 1961
Chicago Bears / 13th / 173rd pick / 1961

LT Al Jamison*+ 24 1 0
LG Bob Talamini 22 1 0
C Bob Schmidt* 25 2 0

Chicago Cardinals / 14th / 159th pick / 1958

RG Hogan Wharton 26 1 0

San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 131st pick / 1958

RT Rich Michael 23 1 0
 Defensive Starters
LDE Dalva Allen 26 1 0

Los Angeles Rams / 23rd / 267th pick / 1957

LDT Orville Trask 27 1 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered

Chicago Cardinals / 24th / 282nd pick / 1956

RDT Ed Husmann* 30 8 0

Chicago Cardinals / 9th / 99th pick / 1953

RDE Don Floyd* 23 1 0

Baltimore Colts / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1960

LLB Doug Cline 23 1 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered

New York Giants / 14th / 168th pick / 1960

MLB Dennit Morris* 25 3 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered

San Francisco 49ers / 18th / 215th pick / 1958

RLB Mike Dukes 25 1 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered

San Francisco 49ers / 14th / 162nd pick / 1959

LCB Tony Banfield*+ 24 1 14 8 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered
RCB Mark Johnston* 23 1 0 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered
LS Jim Norton 23 1 0 9 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 7th / 75th pick / 1960

RS Fred Glick 24 2 0 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Chicago Cardinals / 23rd / 266th pick / 1959

 Special Teams Starters
K George Blanda*+ 34 12 11 16 of 26 field goals & 64 of 65 extra points

Chicago Bears / 12th / 119th pick / 1949

P Jim Norton 23 1 0 48 punts for a 40.7 average, 0 blocked

Detroit Lions / 7th / 75th pick / 1960

PR Billy Cannon*+ 24 1 0 9 punt returns for a 7.8 average and 0 td

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1960

KR Billy Cannon*+ 24 1 0 18 kick returns for a 24.4 average and 0 td

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1960

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Dalva Allen 26 DE 14 0 245 6-4 Houston 1/13/1935 1

Los Angeles Rams / 23rd / 267th pick / 1957

Tony Banfield*+ 24 DB 14 14 185 6-1 Oklahoma State 12/18/1937 1
Byron Beams 32 T-DT 7 0 248 6-6 Notre Dame 9/8/1929 2

Los Angeles Rams / 20th / 232nd pick / 1957

George Belotti 27 C 4 0 250 6-4 USC 11/29/1934 1

Green Bay Packers / 8th / 87th pick / 1957

George Blanda*+ 34 QB 14 11 215 6-2 Kentucky 9/17/1927 12

Chicago Bears / 12th / 119th pick / 1949

Ron Botchan 26 LB 14 0 238 6-1 Occidental 2/15/1935 1
Billy Cannon*+ 24 TE-HB-FB 14 0 207 6-1 LSU 8/2/1937 1

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1960

Doug Cline 23 LB-FB 14 0 230 6-2 Clemson 3/22/1938 1

New York Giants / 14th / 168th pick / 1960

Willard Dewveall 25 E 7 0 224 6-4 SMU 4/29/1936 2

Chicago Bears / 2nd / 18th pick / 1958

Mike Dukes 25 LB 14 0 235 6-3 Clemson 3/16/1936 1

San Francisco 49ers / 14th / 162nd pick / 1959

Don Floyd* 23 DE 14 0 245 6-3 TCU 7/10/1938 1

Baltimore Colts / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1960

Dick Frey 32 DE 7 0 235 6-2 Texas A&M 12/17/1929 1
Fred Glick 24 DB 12 0 195 6-1 Colorado State 2/25/1937 2

Chicago Cardinals / 23rd / 266th pick / 1959

Bill Groman+ 25 WR-FL 14 0 194 6-0 Heidelberg 7/17/1936 1
Buzz Guy 25 G-T-DT 1 0 248 6-3 Duke 3/20/1936 3

Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 34th pick / 1958

John Guzik 25 LB 3 0 231 6-3 Pittsburgh 7/12/1936 2

Los Angeles Rams / 4th / 41st pick / 1958

Ken Hall 26 HB-P 3 0 205 6-1 Texas A&M 12/13/1935 2

Baltimore Colts / 14th / 165th pick / 1958

Charley Hennigan*+ 26 WR 14 0 187 6-1 LSU,Northwest State (LA) 3/19/1935 1
Ed Husmann* 30 DT-G-DE-LB 14 0 245 6-2 Nebraska 8/6/1931 8

Chicago Cardinals / 9th / 99th pick / 1953

Al Jamison*+ 24 T 14 0 250 6-5 Colgate 5/11/1937 1
Mark Johnston* 23 DB 14 0 203 6-0 Northwestern 3/4/1938 1
Gene Jones 25 LB 1 0 200 6-0 Rice 10/18/1936 Rook

Chicago Bears / 13th / 153rd pick / 1959

Bob Kelly 21 T-DT 14 0 270 6-2 New Mexico State 8/18/1940 Rook

Houston Oilers / 22nd / 176th pick / 1961

Claude King 23 HB 11 0 185 5-11 Houston 12/3/1938 Rook

Chicago Bears / 18th / 212th pick / 1960

Jack Laraway 26 LB 10 0 220 6-1 Purdue 9/20/1935 1

Detroit Lions / 10th / 112th pick / 1959

Jacky Lee 22 QB 14 3 189 6-1 Cincinnati 7/11/1939 1

St. Louis Cardinals / 6th / 61st pick / 1960

Bob McLeod* 23 TE 14 0 240 6-4 Abilene Christian 11/10/1938 Rook

Houston Oilers / 12th / 96th pick / 1961
Chicago Bears / 13th / 173rd pick / 1961

Rich Michael 23 T 14 0 242 6-3 Ohio State 11/15/1938 1
Charlie Milstead 24 QB-DB 8 0 190 6-2 Texas A&M 11/21/1937 1

Washington Redskins / 14th / 160th pick / 1960

Dennit Morris* 25 LB 14 0 228 6-1 Oklahoma 4/15/1936 3

San Francisco 49ers / 18th / 215th pick / 1958

Jim Norton 23 DB-P 14 0 190 6-3 Idaho 10/20/1938 1

Detroit Lions / 7th / 75th pick / 1960

Willis Perkins 27 DE-G 1 0 260 6-0 Texas Southern 2/14/1934 Rook
Leo Reed 21 T-G 5 0 240 6-4 Colorado State 1/3/1940 Rook

St. Louis Cardinals / 20th / 274th pick / 1961

Bob Schmidt* 25 C-T-G 12 0 248 6-4 Minnesota 7/9/1936 2

Chicago Cardinals / 14th / 159th pick / 1958

George Shirkey 25 DT 7 0 260 6-4 Stephen F. Austin 8/20/1936 1

San Francisco 49ers / 16th / 191st pick / 1958

Dave Smith 24 FB 14 0 210 6-1 Ripon 3/23/1937 1

Green Bay Packers / 21st / 241st pick / 1959

Julian Spence 32 DB-FL 10 0 170 5-11 Sam Houston State 5/5/1929 5
Bob Talamini 22 G 14 0 255 6-1 Kentucky 1/8/1939 1
Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 199 5-6 Northwest State (LA) 9/5/1937 1

Pittsburgh Steelers / 27th / 319th pick / 1959

Orville Trask 27 DT 14 0 260 6-4 Rice 12/3/1934 1

Chicago Cardinals / 24th / 282nd pick / 1956

Hogan Wharton 26 G 14 0 250 6-2 Houston 12/13/1935 1

San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 131st pick / 1958

John White 26 TE 14 0 230 6-3 Texas Southern 10/9/1935 1
Gary Wisener 23 DB 5 0 206 6-1 Baylor 8/24/1938 1
Team Total 25.3 14 224.6 6-1.9 1.6