The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston. The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft, who purchased the team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994.
Gino Raymond Michael Cappelletti was an American professional football player. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and was an All-Star in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots, winning the 1964 AFL Most Valuable Player Award. Cappelletti is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, and the Patriots' All-1960s Team. He served as the Patriots' radio color commentator until July 2012. His nicknames included "the Duke" and "Mr. Patriot".
Keith Payson Lincoln was an American professional football halfback who played for eight seasons in the American Football League (AFL), primarily with the San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the Washington State Cougars. Lincoln was a two-time All-AFL selection and a five-time AFL All-Star. A member of the Chargers Hall of Fame, he won an AFL championship with the Chargers in 1963, when he was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the championship game. He had a stint with the Buffalo Bills before returning to San Diego and finishing his career.
Vito "Babe" Parilli was an American football quarterback and coach who played professionally for 18 seasons. Parilli spent five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), three in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and 10 in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at the University of Kentucky, where he twice received consensus All-American honors and won two consecutive bowl games.
James Michael Colclough was an American football flanker-split end, member of the original Boston Patriots team in the American Football League (AFL) and later head coach of the Division III Boston State College football team. Known as Coleslaw, a spin off his last name, Colclough played college football at Boston College, one season as a defensive back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes in 1959 and nine more with the Patriots from 1960 to 1968, including the AFL's inaugural 1960 season.
Jon Nicholson Morris is an American former football center who played for fifteen seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the Boston / New England Patriots, the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears.
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti was an American professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Buoniconti played professionally for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins, winning two Super Bowls with the Dolphins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
Andre Bernard Tippett Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1981. A second-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft, Tippett was selected to five Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Since 2007, he has been the Patriots' executive director of community affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance was an American professional football player who was a fullback with the Boston Patriots during their days in the American Football League (AFL). He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2009. He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen.
Jack Ross Lee was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the American Football League (AFL) for all ten of its seasons (1960–1969). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats
Thomas J. Yewcic was an American football quarterback and punter and Major League Baseball player. He attended Michigan State University. In football, he played from 1961 to 1966 with the Boston Patriots of the American Football League (AFL), and is a member of the Patriots All-1960s (AFL) Team. In baseball, he played one game for the Detroit Tigers in 1957.
David Allen Kocourek was an American professional football player in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. A four-time AFL All-Star with the San Diego Chargers, he was named to the second team of the AFL All-Time Team.
Edward F. "Butch" Songin was a quarterback for the Boston College Eagles, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Rugby Union, and for the American Football League (AFL)'s Boston Patriots and the New York Titans. He also was an All-American defenseman for the BC Eagles ice hockey team.
Michael Mercer was an American professional football player who was a kicker and punter for six teams from 1961 to 1970 in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. In the AFL, Mercer played for the Oakland Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. He was a member of the Chiefs' 1966 AFL championship team that played in the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game, now known as the Super Bowl.
Leonard Wayne St. Jean is a former college and professional American football guard. In 1964, he joined the Boston Patriots of the American Football League (AFL). He played there for ten seasons and was a one-time AFL All-Star, and a member of the Patriots' All-1960s (AFL) Team.
The 1963 AFL Championship Game was the fourth American Football League (AFL) title game. The Western Division champion San Diego Chargers won 51–10 over the Eastern Division champion Boston Patriots. The Chargers' Keith Lincoln was named the game's most valuable player (MVP).
Hoyle John Granger is a former collegiate and professional American football player in the United States. He played his college football at Mississippi State. He was the first pick in the fifth round of the 1966 American Football League (AFL) draft by the Houston Oilers. He was an AFL All-Star in 1967 and 1968.
James Francis Whalen, Jr. was a professional American football tight end.
Arthur William Graham III is a former American football player. He played professionally as a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) for six seasons with the Boston Patriots. He was named Patriots player of the year in 1963 after averaging 26.2 yards per catch and scoring five touchdowns. Drafted by both the Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, the Patriots offered him $10,000 to play for them. He played college football at Boston College.
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.
