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1961 Houston Oilers

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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.

Simple Rating System: Total 16.9, Offense: 11.4, Defense: 5.5, SoS: -2.4, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Lou Rymkus and Wally Lemm

Training Camp: Ellington Air Force Base (Webster, Texas)


Starters

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters
K George Blanda*+ 34 12 11 16 of 26 field goals & 64 of 65 extra points 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
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
LS Jim Norton 23 1 0 9 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Detroit Lions / 7th / 75th pick / 1960
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
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

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs AV Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
80 Dalva Allen 26 LDE 14 0 245 6-4 Houston 1/13/1935 1 10 Los Angeles Rams / 23rd / 267th pick / 1957
40 Tony Banfield*+ 24 LCB 14 14 185 6-1 Oklahoma St. 12/18/1937 1 19
78 Byron Beams 32 7 0 248 6-6 Notre Dame 9/8/1929 2 1 Los Angeles Rams / 20th / 232nd pick / 1957
57 George Belotti 27 4 0 250 6-4 USC 11/29/1934 1 0 Green Bay Packers / 8th / 87th pick / 1957
16 George Blanda*+ 34 K 14 11 215 6-2 Kentucky 9/17/1927 12 16 Chicago Bears / 12th / 119th pick / 1949
37 Ron Botchan 26 14 0 238 6-1 Occidental 2/15/1935 1 2
20 Billy Cannon*+ 24 HB 14 0 207 6-1 LSU 8/2/1937 1 19 Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1960
31 Doug Cline 23 LLB 14 0 230 6-2 Clemson 3/22/1938 1 12 New York Giants / 14th / 168th pick / 1960
88 Willard Dewveall 25 7 0 224 6-4 SMU 4/29/1936 2 3 Chicago Bears / 2nd / 18th pick / 1958
30 Mike Dukes 25 RLB 14 0 235 6-3 Clemson 3/16/1936 1 10 San Francisco 49ers / 14th / 162nd pick / 1959
75 Don Floyd* 23 RDE 14 0 245 6-3 TCU 7/10/1938 1 13 Baltimore Colts / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1960
62 Dick Frey 32 7 0 235 6-2 Texas A&M 12/17/1929 1 1
27 Fred Glick 24 RS 12 0 195 6-1 Colorado St. 2/25/1937 2 7 Chicago Cardinals / 23rd / 266th pick / 1959
89 Bill Groman+ 25 WR 14 0 194 6-0 Heidelberg 7/17/1936 1 15
60 Buzz Guy 25 1 0 248 6-3 Duke 3/20/1936 3 0 Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 34th pick / 1958
33 John Guzik 25 3 0 231 6-3 Pittsburgh 7/12/1936 2 0 Los Angeles Rams / 4th / 41st pick / 1958
21 Ken Hall 26 3 0 205 6-1 Texas A&M 12/13/1935 2 0 Baltimore Colts / 14th / 165th pick / 1958
87 Charley Hennigan*+ 26 WR 14 0 187 6-1 LSU,NW State (LA) 3/19/1935 1 22
82 Ed Husmann* 30 RDT 14 0 245 6-2 Nebraska 8/6/1931 8 13 Chicago Cardinals / 9th / 99th pick / 1953
70 Al Jamison*+ 24 LT 14 0 250 6-5 Colgate 5/11/1937 1 14
41 Mark Johnston* 23 RCB 14 0 203 6-0 Northwestern 3/4/1938 1 11
25 Gene Jones 25 1 0 200 6-0 Rice 10/18/1936 Rook 0 Chicago Bears / 13th / 153rd pick / 1959
73 Bob Kelly 21 14 0 270 6-2 New Mexico St. 8/18/1940 Rook 1 Houston Oilers / 22nd / 176th pick / 1961
46 Claude King 23 11 0 185 5-11 Houston 12/3/1938 Rook 2 Chicago Bears / 18th / 212th pick / 1960
34 Jack Laraway 26 10 0 220 6-1 Purdue 9/20/1935 1 2 Detroit Lions / 10th / 112th pick / 1959
15 Jacky Lee 22 qb 14 3 189 6-1 Cincinnati 7/11/1939 1 5 St. Louis Cardinals / 6th / 61st pick / 1960
81 Bob McLeod* 23 14 0 240 6-4 Abilene Christian 11/10/1938 Rook 4 Houston Oilers / 12th / 96th pick / 1961
Chicago Bears / 13th / 173rd pick / 1961
77 Rich Michael 23 RT 14 0 242 6-3 Ohio St. 11/15/1938 1 7
12 Charlie Milstead 24 8 0 190 6-2 Texas A&M 11/21/1937 1 0 Washington Redskins / 14th / 160th pick / 1960
50 Dennit Morris* 25 MLB 14 0 228 6-1 Oklahoma 4/15/1936 3 13 San Francisco 49ers / 18th / 215th pick / 1958
43 Jim Norton 23 LS 14 0 190 6-3 Idaho 10/20/1938 1 9 Detroit Lions / 7th / 75th pick / 1960
64 Willis Perkins 27 1 0 260 6-0 Texas Southern 2/14/1934 Rook 0
66 Leo Reed 21 5 0 240 6-4 Colorado St. 1/3/1940 Rook 0 St. Louis Cardinals / 20th / 274th pick / 1961
52 Bob Schmidt* 25 C 12 0 248 6-4 Minnesota 7/9/1936 2 9 Chicago Cardinals / 14th / 159th pick / 1958
74 George Shirkey 25 7 0 260 6-4 S.F. Austin 8/20/1936 1 1 San Francisco 49ers / 16th / 191st pick / 1958
32 Dave Smith 24 14 0 210 6-1 Ripon 3/23/1937 1 6 Green Bay Packers / 21st / 241st pick / 1959
24 Julian Spence 32 10 0 170 5-11 Sam Houston St. 5/5/1929 5 1
61 Bob Talamini 22 LG 14 0 255 6-1 Kentucky 1/8/1939 1 7
44 Charley Tolar* 24 FB 14 0 199 5-6 NW State (LA) 9/5/1937 1 11 Pittsburgh Steelers / 27th / 319th pick / 1959
79 Orville Trask 27 LDT 14 0 260 6-4 Rice 12/3/1934 1 10 Chicago Cardinals / 24th / 282nd pick / 1956
63 Hogan Wharton 26 RG 14 0 250 6-2 Houston 12/13/1935 1 7 San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 131st pick / 1958
86 John White 26 TE 14 0 230 6-3 Texas Southern 10/9/1935 1 6
22 Gary Wisener 23 5 0 206 6-1 Baylor 8/24/1938 1 0
Team Total 25.3 14 224.6 6-1.9 1.6