The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926, 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference.
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 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.
The American Football League draft, the American Football League stocked its teams in two ways:
- Signing free agents.
- Signing players from the previous year's college graduates.
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).
Thomas Marion Addison was a professional American football linebacker (1960–1967) and sports labor leader, and is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
Tony Banfield is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He played for Houston in the AFL from 1960 through 1963 and in 1965. In 1962, he returned a blocked punt 58 yards for a touchdown in the Oilers' 32–17 defeat of the Oakland Raiders. He was All-AFL in 1961 and 1962 and an American Football League Eastern Division All-Star in 1963. Banfield played in the first three AFL Championship games, winning the title in 1960 and 1961.
George Leroy Blair is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back and kicker for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football as a halfback for the Ole Miss Rebels, playing in the 1958 Gator Bowl (Florida), and the 1959 Sugar Bowl (LSU), and the 1960 Sugar Bowl (Rice). He also played in the 1961 Senior Bowl at Mobile and the College All-Star Game in Chicago against the Philadelphia Eagles after his senior year at Ole Miss. Drafted by the AFL's Chargers as a kicker, he played for the four seasons and won an AFL championship with them in 1963.
Robert Harland Reifsnyder is an American former football defensive end who played in the American Football League (AFL) for the New York Titans from 1960 to 1961. He played college football for the Navy Midshipmen, where he was named to the All-American team and won the Maxwell Award in 1957. Reifsnyder was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
Willard Charles Dewveall was an American football end. He was the first player to jump from the National Football League (NFL) to the American Football League (AFL).
Jack Ross "Jacky" Lee was an American quarterback who played professional football in the American Football League (AFL) for all ten of its seasons (1960–1969). After playing football, baseball, and basketball at Ellet High School in Akron, Ohio, he played college football at the University of Cincinnati. In 1958–1959, Jacky Lee was the team MVP and an All Conference Quarterback. In 1960, he was MVP of the Senior Bowl.
Lewis Pate "Bud" McFadin was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Texas and was a unanimous selection at the guard position on the 1950 College Football All-America Team. He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams (1952–1956) and in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos (1960–1963) and Houston Oilers (1964–1965). A versatile player, he played tackle and linebacker on defense, as well as guard on offense. He was a Pro Bowl pick in 1955 and 1956, a Sporting News All-AFL defensive tackle in 1960, 1961 and 1962, and an American Football League West Division All-Star in 1963.
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.
Donald Farris Norton was an American Football League (AFL) end. He played college football at the University of Iowa and was drafted by the newly formed AFL in 1960, playing seven seasons for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960–1966), making the AFL All-Star team in 1961 and 1962. After retiring, Norton began to experience health problems from steroid use, which was widespread in the teams he played on. He suffered a heart attack at the age of 59 and died in 1997 after undergoing open heart surgery.
Richard Paul McCabe was an American football safety who played college football at the University of Pittsburgh. McCabe played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins. He also played in the American Football League (AFL) for the Buffalo Bills, making the Sporting News' AFL All-League team in 1960. He finished his playing career with the Bills in 1961, but he returned to the team in 1966 as defensive backfield coach. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Archie Matsos was an American football linebacker. He played for the Buffalo Bills from 1960 to 1962, the Oakland Raiders from 1963 to 1965 and for the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in 1966.
Alfred George Jamison was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the American Football League (AFL) in the 1960s. Nicknamed "Al the Assassin" during his playing days for his chippy play up to and sometimes after the whistle, Jamison was a star offensive tackle for the Houston Oilers.
Charles Edis McNeil was an American professional football safety who played for the Los Angeles / San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). He played in four of the first five AFL Championship games, and was a member of the Chargers' 1963 AFL Championship team, an All-AFL player in 1961, and an AFL All-Star in 1961. He held the professional football record for 43 years, for the most interception yardage (349) in one season in 1961, and most interception yards (177) in one game, also in 1961. The one-game record still stands.
Laverne Joseph Torczon or LaVerne Joseph Torczon, also known as Tarzan Torczon, was an American football defensive end. He played college football at the University of Nebraska, and played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Buffalo Bills, the New York Titans/Jets, and the Miami Dolphins. He was the Sporting News selection as an AFL All-League defensive end in 1960 and played in the 1961 AFL All-Star game.
Dick Harris is an American former professional football cornerback who played six seasons in the American Football League (AFL) with the Los Angeles / San Diego Chargers from 1960 to 1965. He was selected to the 1960 and 1961 AFL All-League teams. Harris had a total of 25 interceptions in the Chargers' first four seasons.
Michael Francis Dukes was an American collegiate and professional football player who was best known as a linebacker for the original Houston Oilers. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Dukes attended Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia and then played in college for Clemson University. He then played the 1959 season for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). Dukes left the NFL for the upstart American Football League (AFL) where he played eleven seasons for the Oilers, Boston Patriots and New York Jets. He played for the first two championship teams of the American Football League, the 1960 and 1961 Oilers, and was selected to the UPI All-AFL Team in 1961.
