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1961 San Diego Chargers

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Record: 12-2-0, Finished 1st in AFL West Division
AFL Season Summary

Scored 396 points (28.3/g), 3rd of 8 in the AFL.
 Allowed 219 points (15.6/g), 1st.
 Differential of 177 points (12.6/g), 2nd.
 Expected W-L: 11.2-2.8.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +22 (1.6/g), 1st.

Simple Rating System: Total 11.1, Offense: 2.6, Defense: 8.4, SoS: -1.6, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Sid Gillman

 Other Notable Asst.: Chuck Noll (Defensive Assistant)

Training Camp: University of San Diego (San Diego, California)

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 Jack Kemp* 26 4 14 165 for 364, 2,686 yards, 15 td, 22 int, & 43 rushes for 105 yards and 6 td Detroit Lions / 17th / 203rd pick / 1957
HB Paul Lowe 25 1 0 175 rushes for 767 yards, 9 td, & 17 catches for 103 yards and 0 td
FB Charlie Flowers 24 1 0 51 rushes for 177 yards, 3 td, & 16 catches for 175 yards and 0 td New York Giants / 12th / 142nd pick / 1959
FL Dave Kocourek* 24 1 0 55 catches for 1,055 yards, 4 td Pittsburgh Steelers / 19th / 223rd pick / 1959
SE Don Norton* 23 1 0 47 catches for 816 yards, 6 td Philadelphia Eagles / 5th / 56th pick / 1960
TE Howard Clark 26 1 0 11 catches for 182 yards, 0 td
LT Ernie Wright* 22 1 0 Los Angeles Rams / 15th / 200th pick / 1961
LG Orlando Ferrante 29 1 0
C Don Rogers 25 1 0 San Francisco 49ers / 7th / 74th pick / 1959
RG Sam DeLuca 25 1 0 New York Giants / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1957
RT Ron Mix*+ 23 1 0 Baltimore Colts / 1st / 10th pick / 1960
 Defensive Starters
LDE Earl Faison*+ 22 Rook 0 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered San Diego Chargers / 1st / 7th pick / 1961
Detroit Lions / 5th / 66th pick / 1961
LDT Bill Hudson* 26 Rook 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered Chicago Cardinals / 3rd / 34th pick / 1957
RDT Ernie Ladd+ 23 Rook 0 Chicago Bears / 4th / 48th pick / 1961
San Diego Chargers / 15th / 119th pick / 1961
RDE Ron Nery+ 27 1 0 New York Giants / 7th / 81st pick / 1956
LLB Emil Karas* 28 2 0 3 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Washington Redskins / 3rd / 28th pick / 1959
MLB Chuck Allen 22 Rook 0 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered San Diego Chargers / 28th / 223rd pick / 1961
Los Angeles Rams / 17th / 228th pick / 1961
P Paul Maguire 23 1 0 63 punts for a 41.5 average, 1 blocked
LCB Claude Gibson 22 Rook 0 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Chicago Bears / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1961
San Diego Chargers / 7th / 55th pick / 1961
RCB Dick Harris*+ 24 1 0 7 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered
LS Bob Zeman 24 1 0 8 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Cleveland Browns / 10th / 119th pick / 1959
RS Charlie McNeil*+ 25 1 0 9 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered
 Special Teams Starters
K George Blair* 23 Rook 0 13 of 27 field goals & 42 of 47 extra points New York Giants / 6th / 72nd pick / 1960
P Paul Maguire 23 1 0 63 punts for a 41.5 average, 1 blocked
LCB Claude Gibson 22 Rook 0 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Chicago Bears / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1961
San Diego Chargers / 7th / 55th pick / 1961
KR Bo Roberson 26 Rook 0 13 kick returns for a 15.9 average and 0 td

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs AV Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
50 Chuck Allen 22 MLB 9 0 225 6-1 Washington 9/7/1939 Rook 10 San Diego Chargers / 28th / 223rd pick / 1961
Los Angeles Rams / 17th / 228th pick / 1961
61 Ernie Barnes 23 10 0 247 6-3 North Carolina Central 7/15/1938 1 3 Baltimore Colts / 10th / 112th pick / 1960
57 George Belotti 27 2 0 250 6-4 USC 11/29/1934 1 3 Green Bay Packers / 8th / 87th pick / 1957
39 George Blair* 23 K 14 0 195 5-11 Mississippi 5/10/1938 Rook 1 New York Giants / 6th / 72nd pick / 1960
87 Howard Clark 26 TE 10 0 215 6-2 Tenn-Chattanooga 8/23/1935 1 4
60 Sam DeLuca 25 RG 14 0 250 6-2 South Carolina 5/2/1936 1 6 New York Giants / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1957
17 Hunter Enis 25 13 0 195 6-2 TCU 12/10/1936 1 1
86 Earl Faison*+ 22 LDE 14 0 270 6-5 Indiana 1/31/1939 Rook 16 San Diego Chargers / 1st / 7th pick / 1961
Detroit Lions / 5th / 66th pick / 1961
68 Orlando Ferrante 29 LG 14 0 230 6-0 USC 9/24/1932 1 6
41 Charlie Flowers 24 FB 14 0 220 6-1 Mississippi 6/28/1937 1 6 New York Giants / 12th / 142nd pick / 1959
25 Claude Gibson 22 LCB 14 0 190 6-1 North Carolina St. 5/26/1939 Rook 12 Chicago Bears / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1961
San Diego Chargers / 7th / 55th pick / 1961
36 Dick Harris*+ 24 RCB 14 0 187 5-11 McNeese St. 7/24/1937 1 30
24 Luther Hayes 22 14 0 202 6-4 USC 1/1/1939 Rook 3 Philadelphia Eagles / 10th / 140th pick / 1961
San Diego Chargers / 27th / 215th pick / 1961
79 Bill Hudson* 26 LDT 14 0 270 6-4 Clemson 7/9/1935 Rook 11 Chicago Cardinals / 3rd / 34th pick / 1957
56 Emil Karas* 28 LLB 14 0 230 6-3 Dayton 12/13/1933 2 11 Washington Redskins / 3rd / 28th pick / 1959
15 Jack Kemp* 26 QB 14 14 201 6-1 Occidental 7/13/1935 4 12 Detroit Lions / 17th / 203rd pick / 1957
83 Dave Kocourek* 24 FL 14 0 240 6-5 Wisconsin 8/20/1937 1 12 Pittsburgh Steelers / 19th / 223rd pick / 1959
77 Ernie Ladd+ 23 RDT 14 0 290 6-9 Grambling St. 11/28/1938 Rook 15 Chicago Bears / 4th / 48th pick / 1961
San Diego Chargers / 15th / 119th pick / 1961
53 Bob Laraba 28 14 0 195 6-3 Texas-El Paso 5/30/1933 1 8 Green Bay Packers / 8th / 95th pick / 1959
22 Keith Lincoln 22 14 0 215 6-1 Washington St. 5/8/1939 Rook 6 San Diego Chargers / 2nd / 15th pick / 1961
Chicago Bears / 5th / 61st pick / 1961
23 Paul Lowe 25 HB 14 0 205 6-0 Oregon St. 9/27/1936 1 8
67 Jacque MacKinnon 23 9 0 235 6-4 Colgate 11/10/1938 Rook 2 San Diego Chargers / 33rd / 264th pick / 1962
Philadelphia Eagles / 20th / 280th pick / 1961
84 Paul Maguire 23 P 14 0 228 6-0 The Citadel 8/22/1938 1 10
27 Charlie McNeil*+ 25 RS 14 0 180 5-11 Compton CC (CA) 8/8/1936 1 0
74 Ron Mix*+ 23 RT 10 0 250 6-4 USC 3/10/1938 1 6 Baltimore Colts / 1st / 10th pick / 1960
80 Ron Nery+ 27 RDE 14 0 247 6-6 Kansas St. 12/30/1934 1 15 New York Giants / 7th / 81st pick / 1956
88 Don Norton* 23 SE 14 0 190 6-1 Iowa 3/13/1938 1 9 Philadelphia Eagles / 5th / 56th pick / 1960
70 Sherman Plunkett 28 12 0 290 6-4 Md-Eastern Shore 4/17/1933 3 3 Cleveland Browns / 6th / 71st pick / 1956
26 Bo Roberson 26 KR 14 0 195 6-1 Cornell 7/23/1935 Rook 3
52 Don Rogers 25 C 14 0 240 6-2 South Carolina 12/4/1936 1 6 San Francisco 49ers / 7th / 74th pick / 1959
46 Bob Scarpitto 22 7 0 192 5-11 Notre Dame 1/7/1939 Rook 2 San Diego Chargers / 9th / 71st pick / 1961
81 Maury Schleicher 24 14 0 238 6-3 Penn St. 7/17/1937 2 5 Chicago Cardinals / 5th / 50th pick / 1959
76 Henry Schmidt 26 14 0 254 6-4 USC,Trinity (TX) 9/28/1935 2 5 San Francisco 49ers / 6th / 71st pick / 1958
78 Gene Selawski 26 8 0 252 6-4 Purdue 11/28/1935 2 3 Los Angeles Rams / 9th / 104th pick / 1958
47 Bud Whitehead 22 9 0 185 6-0 Florida St. 1/1/1939 Rook 6 San Diego Chargers / 16th / 127th pick / 1961
75 Ernie Wright* 22 LT 14 0 270 6-4 Ohio St. 11/6/1939 1 6 Los Angeles Rams / 15th / 200th pick / 1961
34 Bob Zeman 24 LS 14 0 200 6-1 Wisconsin 2/22/1937 1 0 Cleveland Browns / 10th / 119th pick / 1959
Team Total 24.5 14 226.2 6-2.3 0.9