1960s Timeline

Dec. 22, 1961 - George Blanda, voted the American Football League’s player of the year by The Associated Press, today said this might be his last year as a professional quarterback. “I haven’t signed a contract yet,” Blanda said. “I may not want to play next year because it’s sure nice to go out a winner.” Blanda, 33, is in his twelfth pro year. He spent 10 years with the NFL Chicago Bears, where he was better known as a kicker than a passer. He had retired when Houston lured

Dec. 21, 1961 - Arthur Modell, the board chairman of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, said Ernie Davis, the all-America halfback from Syracuse (pictured meeting President Kennedy earlier this month at the Hall of Fame Dinner in New York), had agreed to a 3-year contract with the Browns for $65,000 plus a $15,000 bonus. Davis was the first player taken in the NFL’s annual player draft Dec. 4. He was picked by the Washington Redskins. But the Browns previously (and secretly) had obt

Dec. 20, 1961 - Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers was named today the most valuable player of the NFL in a poll of writers and broadcasters by The Associated Press. The halfback was called to Army duty and was available only on a weekend pass during the second half of the season. But he scored 10 touchdowns, kicked 15 of 22 field goal attempts, and posted 41 successive extra points. He led the league scorers with 146 points. Other contenders in the poll were Jim Taylor of

Dec. 20, 1961 - Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns survived a late-season rally by Jim Taylor of the Packers and set a NFL scoring record by taking rushing honors for the fifth consecutive year. No other league player has ever won five rushing titles. Brown carried the ball 305 times and gained 1,408 yards for an average of 4.6 yards. #NFL #football #footballplayer #footballgame #footballseason #footballislife #footballgames #FootballNews #footballsunday #footballskills #footb

Dec. 19, 1961 - Allie Sherman, the Brooklyn College boy who made good in his first year as coach of the Giants, was named NFL coach of the year in an AP poll today. Those who know Sherman best say it’s characteristic of him to credit others for success and accept the blame for mistakes. Today, he credited the team’s clinching of the League’s Eastern Conference championship to the players, the assistant coaches, the scouting staff, and the club management. He even paid high tr

Dec. 19, 1961 - Mike Ditka was named rookie of the year in the NFL today by a committee of sportswriters and broadcasters for his work with the Chicago Bears. Ditka, 21, took over a regular offensive-end job with the Bears in his first year and caught 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also won rating as an excellent blocker as the tight end. Opposing players who tried to rough up Ditka got just as much in return from an unfriendly forearm. #NFL #football #footba

Dec. 18, 1961 - The American Football League’s commissioner, Joe Foss (pictured center last year), said today that three of the eight clubs were “nearly breaking even or in the black” this year. Foss said that the Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, and Boston Patriots were in a strong financial position, and that only the New York Titans and Oakland Raiders had failed to improve from 1960. He didn’t have deficit figures available for Dallas, Denver, Oakland, or New York. The San

Dec. 17, 1961 - The Houston Oilers, paced by George Blanda’s 4 touchdown passes, trounced the Oakland Raiders, 47-16. The victory gave the Oilers the Eastern Division title of the American Football League. The Oilers will once again play the San Diego Chargers for the league championship next Sunday at San Diego. With both ground attacks stalled by the mud in Candlestick Park, passing was the order of the day. After a scoreless first quarter, the Oilers scored 26 points in th

Dec. 17, 1961 - The New York Giants made a first-quarter touchdown stand up for a 7-7 tie with the Cleveland Browns in a tense contest witnessed by 61,084 roaring New Yorkers. The deadlock, as good as a victory, nailed down the NFL’s Eastern Conference title for the Giants. They will play the Packers for the league championship at Green Bay, Wis., on Dec. 31. Finishing with a 10-3-1 record, the Giants ended the conference race a half-game in front of the reigning NFL champion

Dec. 16, 1961 - Johnny Unitas tossed 3 touchdown passes today and led the Colts to a 27-24 upset over the Forty-Niners. The brilliant quarterback also set up a pair of first-half field goals with his aerials. These provided the victory margin. As a result of San Francisco’s loss, Detroit clinched second place in the Western Conference of the NFL. The Lions are assured of a berth in the “Runner-Up Bowl” in Miami Jan. 6. #NFL #football #footballplayer #footballgame #footballsea

Dec. 13, 1961 - Roman Gabriel, the ace passer of North Carolina State College, today said he would play with the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. The 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound quarterback said he had signed a contract with Elroy Hirsch, general manager of the Rams, last week. Selected for The Associated Press second all-America team this year, Gabriel was the No. 1 choice of the Rams in the league’s recent draft of college players. #NFL #football #footballplayer #footballgame #foo

Dec. 10, 1961 - Charlie Conerly’s deft hand guided the New York Giants today to at least a tie for the NFL’s Eastern Conference title. Called to the rescue with his team trailing by 3 points midway in the second period, the gallant 40-year-old quarterback from Mississippi threw 3 touchdown passes that brought about a 28-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Now the Giants can clinch the Eastern title they last won in 1959 by beating the Cleveland Browns in their regular-se

Dec. 7, 1961 - N.F.L. Commissioner Pete Rozelle (pictured center) said the championship game would start at 2 p.m. New York time on Sunday, Dec. 31 in Green Bay, Wis., unless there was a 3-way tie in the Eastern Conference. The Green Bay Packers have clinched the Western Conference crown. In the event that the Giants, Eagles, and Browns finish the regular season tied for first place, playoffs will be held on Dec. 24 and 31, delaying the title game until Jan. 7. If only two cl

Dec. 6, 1961 - Green Bay’s Jim Taylor threatens to take the NFL’s individual rushing title away from Cleveland’s Jim Brown. Taylor made a big move toward overtaking Brown, the top rusher for each of the last 4 years, by collecting 186 yards Sunday when the Packers beat the Giants, 20-17. Brown picked up only 86 in Cleveland’s 38-17 victory over the Cowboys. Brown has 1,244 yards and Taylor 1,107. #NFL #football #footballplayer #footballgame #footballseason #footballislife #fo

Dec. 4, 1961 - Ernie Davis, the Syracuse halfback, today became the first Negro ever drafted by the Washington Redskins, but rumors spread quickly at the 26th NFL player draft meeting that he would be traded to the Cleveland Browns. The rumors were denied by both clubs. Davis was also the first choice of the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League draft Saturday. Davis said today that he would go where he could get the best deal, be happy, and have a promising future an

Dec. 3, 1961 - Pile-driving Jim Taylor hammered into the Giant line for a fourth-quarter touchdown today that clinched the NFL’s Western Conference title for Green Bay. This second score of the game by the Packers’ fullback put Coach Vince Lombardi’s team ahead, 20-17. That became the final score, and 30 minutes later enthusiasts in an overflow crowd of 47,012 at Milwaukee’s County Stadium leveled the goal posts. As a result of the defeat, the Giants fell back into a tie for

Nov. 30, 1961 - Just as the New York Giants had suspected, Paul Hornung (center) will be on the receiving end of a long pass from the Army this weekend. He will carry it from Fort Riley, Kan., to Milwaukee, where he will try to score for the Green Bay Packers in Sunday’s big game with the Giants. Before the Giants worked out yesterday, Coach Al Sherman (left) said his team’s plans had been made in the expectation that Pvts. Hornung, Boyd Dowler, and Ray Nitschke all would get

Nov. 28, 1961 - The NFL championship game will be held on Dec. 31 in the home park of the Western champion. The Green Bay Packers are currently in first place in the Western Conference, and there is little chance that any team can catch them. The New York Giants are now leading the Eastern race. The Philadelphia Eagles are a game back and the Cleveland Browns two games behind. The selection of the site was made in the usual manner — by flipping a coin. #NFL #football #footbal

Nov. 26, 1961 - Some Eagle fans among the 60,127 persons at Franklin Field today booed Sonny Jurgensen (pictured) when he was introduced before the game against the Dallas Cowboys. In the next 60 minutes, however, Jurgensen was cheered as he passed for all 5 Philadelphia touchdowns and the Eagles romped to a 35-13 decision over the Cowboys. Apparently blamed by many for the two recent Eagle defeats, Jurgensen, more than any other member of his team, was responsible today for

Nov. 26, 1961 - Shaky on defense and stalled on the ground in the first half, the Giants pulled themselves together at halftime and walloped the favored Cleveland Browns, 37-21, today before a stunned crowd of 80,455 at Cleveland Stadium. With this victory, Coach Allie Sherman’s New Yorkers maintained their one-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles in the race for the NFL’s Eastern Conference title. By losing, the Browns, who had been tied with the Eagles, dropped to third p