The American Football League All-Star game was the annual game which featured each year's best performers in the American Football League (AFL). The game was first played in 1961 and the final AFL All-Star game occurred in 1969, prior to the league's merger with the National Football League (NFL).
All-League Teams The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969. From 1960 through 1966, the All-League Team was selected by the AFL players, and from 1967 through 1969 it was selected by a consensus of The Sporting News (TSN), the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). The All-League AFL selections usually included one player at each team position on offense and on defense (i.e., one quarterback, two guards, four defensive backs, etc.). Eastern All-Stars wore red uniforms with a white top and red stars, with the colors reversed for away, while Western All-Stars wore blue uniforms with a white top and blue stars and vice versa for away. Each player wore their team's respective helmet, and unlike their regular team uniforms, all star uniforms never featured names on the back.
All-Star teams The AFL did not have an all-star game after its first season in 1960 but from 1961 through 1969, other AFL players were added to the All-League players to form two squads, and the league held All-Star games for those seasons. After every season except 1965, the format consisted of games between All-Star teams from the Eastern and Western divisions. In 1965, the league champion Buffalo Bills played all-stars from the other teams.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL include AFL All-Star games in their statistics for the Pro Bowl. After the AFL–NFL merger of 1970, the name of the NFL's all-star game was changed to the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. Six days after Super Bowl IV, Buffalo Bills rookie running back O.J. Simpson carried the ball on the last play in AFL history in the Astrodome (in Houston, Texas) at the All-Star game on January 17, 1970.
The 1965 boycott
After the 1964 season, the AFL All-Star game had been scheduled for early 1965 in New Orleans' Tulane Stadium. After numerous black players were refused service by a number of New Orleans hotels and businesses, black and white players alike lobbied for a boycott. The black players all left days before the game, saying that it was clear they were not wanted. Under the leadership of Buffalo Bills players including Cookie Gilchrist and other players such as Clem Daniels, the players put up a unified front, and the game was successfully moved to Houston's Jeppesen Stadium.
Game history Season Date Score Series Most Valuable Player(s) Venue AttendanceHead Coaches Television1961January 7, 1962 West 1–0 Cotton Davidson, QB, TexansBalboa Stadium, San Diego20,973 Eastern: Wally Lemm (Houston)Western: Sid Gillman (San Diego) ABC1962January 13, 1963 West 2–0 Offense: Curtis McClinton, RB, Dallas TexansDefense: Earl Faison, DE, ChargersBalboa Stadium, San Diego27,641 Eastern: Frank Ivy (Houston)W:Hank Stram (Dallas) ABC1963January 19, 1964 West 3–0 Offense: Keith Lincoln, RB, ChargersDefense: Archie Matsos, LB, Raiders Balboa Stadium, San Diego20,016 Eastern: Mike Holovak (Boston)Western: Sid Gillman (San Diego) ABC1964January 16, 1965game played on Saturday. West 4–0 Offense: Keith Lincoln, RB, ChargersDefense: Willie Brown, DB, Broncos Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, Texas15,446 Eastern: Lou Saban (Buffalo)Western: Sid Gillman (San Diego) ABC1965January 15, 1966 - Offense: Joe Namath, QB, JetsDefense: Frank Buncom, LB, ChargersRice Stadium, Houston 35,572Buffalo: Lou SabanAll-Stars: Sid Gillman (San Diego) NBC1966January 21, 1967 West 4–1 Offense: Babe Parilli, QB, Boston PatriotsDefense: Verlon Biggs, DE, JetsOakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California18,876 Eastern: Mike Holovak (Boston)Western: John Rauch (Oakland) NBC1967January 21, 1968 West 4–2 Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets; and Don Maynard, F, JetsDefense: Speedy Duncan, DB/KR, Chargers Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida40,103 Eastern: Joe Collier (Buffalo)Western: Lou Saban (Denver) NBC1968January 19, 1969 West 5–2 Offense: Len Dawson, QB, ChiefsDefense: George Webster, LB, Houston Oilers Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida41,058 Eastern: George Wilson (Miami)Western: Lou Saban (Denver) NBC1969January 17, 1970 West 6–2 John Hadl, QB, ChargersAstrodome, Houston30,170 Eastern: George Wilson (Miami)Western: Lou Saban (Denver) NBC
Broadcasters The following is a list of the television networks and announcers that broadcast the American Football League All-Star game during its existence.
SeasonNetworkPlay-by-playColor commentator(s)Sideline reporter(s)19611961 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews ABCJack BuckJim McKayGeorge Ratterman 19621962 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews ABCCurt GowdyPaul Christman and George Ratterman 19631963 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews ABCCurt GowdyPaul Christman19641964 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews ABC Curt GowdyPaul Christman and George Ratterman 19651965 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews NBCCurt Gowdy Paul ChristmanCharlie Jones19661966 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews NBCCurt GowdyPaul ChristmanCharlie Jones19671967 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews NBCCurt GowdyPaul Christman19681968 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews NBCCurt GowdyKyle RoteCharlie Jones 19691969 NFL-AFL Commentator Crews NBCCharlie JonesAl DeRogatis
See also Pro Bowl List of American Football League players
References
External links The African American Registry listing of the 1965 boycott – link Post-1961 season Post-1964 season Post-1969 season