The 1961 American Football League All-League Team was selected after the 1961 American Football League season by five separate entities: current AFL players, the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), New York Daily News (NY), and The Sporting News (SN), and was published by The Sporting News. Each selector chose a first team at each position and second team at select positions.
Return specialist: Larry Garron, Boston Patriots (AFL-2)
Charles Taylor Hennigan, Sr. was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver with the former Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Northwestern State Demons. A five-time AFL All-Star, he was named to the AFL All-Time Team.
Bill Mathis was an American professional football player who was a running back for the New York Titans/Jets in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. He also competed on the Clemson Tigers track and field team. He started his professional career with the Titans, and played his entire career with the AFL's New York franchise. One of four Titans who remained with the New York Jets to play in and win a Super Bowl, Mathis led the AFL in carries in 1961 and was selected by his peers to the Sporting News 1961 AFL All-League team. He was an AFL Eastern Division All-Star in 1961 and 1963. Mathis had a collarbone broken in the third game of 1961, against the Boston Patriots. He played in the next game, and in fact in all the remaining games of the season.
Clemon Daniels Jr. was an American professional football halfback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).
James Efflo Tyrer was an American professional football offensive tackle who played in the American Football League (AFL) for the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs. He also played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chiefs and the Washington Redskins.
Edward Leon Budde was an American football guard. He played his entire career for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).
Clyde Douglas "Bulldog" Turner was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was elected, as a player, to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He was also selected in 1969 to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team.
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).
James Earl Johnson was an American football cornerback who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1961 to 1976. He was named to the first-team on the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, and in 1994, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In each year of its ten-year existence (1960–1969), numerous sports-news services named their choice for the American Football League's best first-year player. UPI selected a rookie for each of the ten seasons, while the Associated Press did selections from 1961 to 1966, which ended up with the same selections that UPI made. In 1967, AP instead selected Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Years for the AFL, with the offensive choices matching the UPI selection.
The 1961 AFL Championship Game was a rematch of the first American Football League title game, between the Houston Oilers and the San Diego Chargers. It was played on December 24 at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California, and the Oilers were three-point favorites.
The Sporting News published an American Football League All-League Team, often referred to as All-AFL, for each season played by the American Football League (AFL), 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 AFL All-League selections usually included one player at each team position on offense and on defense.
The 1960 American Football League All-League Team was selected after the 1960 American Football League season by three separate entities: current AFL players, the Associated Press (AP), and United Press International (UPI), and was published by The Sporting News. Each selector chose a first-team, and the AFL players and UPI also selected second-teams at some positions.
Dave Smith is a former American collegiate and professional football player. A fullback, he attended Greendale High School in Greendale, Wisconsin, before playing collegiately for Ripon College and professionally from 1960 through 1964 for the American Football League (AFL)'s Houston Oilers, where he was a member of the AFL's first two championship teams, in 1960 and 1961. He was selected by Sporting News as the first All-AFL fullback in 1960. The league did not play an All-Star game that first year, but Smith's 154 carries for 643 yards and 5 touchdowns earned him a berth on the All-League Team. Smith later became a scout for the Buffalo Bills.
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list that consists of at least 22 players, one for each offensive and defensive position, plus various special teams players depending on the press organization that compiles the list. All-Pro lists are exclusively limited to the major leagues, usually only the National Football League; in the past, other leagues recognized as major, such as the American Football League of the 1960s or the All-America Football Conference of the 1940s, have been included in All-Pro lists.
This is a list of players named as All-Pros based on their performance in the 1969 AFL and NFL season. These lists provide a perspective into how players were judged against their peers by critics of their time. Players representing both the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) are included.
This is a list of players named as All-Pros based on their performance in the 1968 AFL and NFL season. These lists provide a perspective into how players were judged against their peers by critics of their time. Players representing both the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) are included.
The 1962 American Football League All-League Team was selected after the 1962 American Football League season by three separate entities: current AFL players, the Associated Press (AP), and United Press International (UPI), and was published by The Sporting News. The AFL players only selected a first team, while the AP and UPI also selected second teams at some positions.
The 1967 American Football League All-League Team was selected after the 1967 American Football League season by the Associated Press (AP), the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), the New York Daily News (NYDN), The Sporting News (TSN), and United Press International (UPI) to honor the league's top performers at each position.