TheAmerican Football League All-Star game was the annual game which featured each year's best performers in theAmerican Football League (AFL). The game was first played in 1961 and the final AFL All-Star game occurred in 1969, prior tothe league's merger with theNational Football League (NFL).
The Sporting News publishedAmerican Football League All-League Teams for each season played by theAmerican 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 ofThe Sporting News (TSN), theAssociated Press (AP),United Press International (UPI), and theNewspaper 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.
The AFL did not have anall-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 championBuffalo Bills played all-stars from the other teams.
ThePro Football Hall of Fame and theNFL include AFL All-Star games in their statistics for thePro Bowl. After theAFL–NFL merger of 1970, the name of the NFL's all-star game was changed to theAFC-NFCPro Bowl. Six days afterSuper Bowl IV,Buffalo Bills rookie running backO.J. Simpson carried the ball on the last play in AFL history in theAstrodome (inHouston, Texas) at the All-Star game on January 17, 1970.
After the1964 season, the AFL All-Star game had been scheduled for early 1965 inNew Orleans'Tulane Stadium. After numerous black players were refused service by a number ofNew Orleans hotels and businesses, black and white players alike lobbied for aboycott. The black players all left days before the game, saying that it was clear they were not wanted.[1] Under the leadership ofBuffalo Bills players includingCookie Gilchrist and other players such asClem Daniels, the players put up a unified front, and the game was successfully moved toHouston'sJeppesen Stadium.[2][3][4]
| Season | Date | Score | Series | Most Valuable Player(s) | Venue | Attendance | Head Coaches | Television |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | January 7, 1962 | West, 47–27 | West 1–0 | Cotton Davidson,QB,Texans | Balboa Stadium,San Diego | 20,973 | Eastern:Wally Lemm (Houston) Western:Sid Gillman (San Diego) | ABC |
| 1962 | January 13, 1963 | West, 21–14 | West 2–0 | Offense:Curtis McClinton,RB,Dallas Texans Defense:Earl Faison,DE,Chargers | Balboa Stadium, San Diego | 27,641 | Eastern:Frank Ivy (Houston) W:Hank Stram (Dallas) | ABC |
| 1963 | January 19, 1964 | West, 27–24 | West 3–0 | Offense:Keith Lincoln,RB,Chargers Defense:Archie Matsos,LB,Raiders | Balboa Stadium, San Diego | 20,016 | Eastern:Mike Holovak (Boston) Western: Sid Gillman (San Diego) | ABC |
| 1964 | January 16, 1965[5] | West, 38–14 | West 4–0 | Offense:Keith Lincoln,RB,Chargers Defense:Willie Brown,DB,Broncos | Jeppesen Stadium,Houston, Texas | 15,446 | Eastern:Lou Saban (Buffalo) Western: Sid Gillman (San Diego) | ABC |
| 1965 | January 15, 1966[5] | AFL All-Stars 30, Buffalo Bills 19 | - | Offense:Joe Namath,QB,Jets Defense:Frank Buncom,LB,Chargers | Rice Stadium, Houston | 35,572 | Buffalo: Lou Saban All-Stars: Sid Gillman (San Diego) | NBC |
| 1966 | January 21, 1967[5] | East, 30–23 | West 4–1 | Offense:Babe Parilli,QB,Boston Patriots Defense:Verlon Biggs,DE,Jets | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum,Oakland, California | 18,876 | Eastern:Mike Holovak (Boston) Western:John Rauch (Oakland) | NBC |
| 1967 | January 21, 1968 | East, 25–24 | West 4–2 | Offense:Joe Namath,QB,Jets; andDon Maynard,F,Jets Defense:Speedy Duncan,DB/KR,Chargers | Gator Bowl,Jacksonville, Florida | 40,103 | Eastern:Joe Collier (Buffalo) Western: Lou Saban (Denver) | NBC |
| 1968 | January 19, 1969 | West, 38–25 | West 5–2 | Offense:Len Dawson,QB,Chiefs Defense:George Webster,LB,Houston Oilers | Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida | 41,058 | Eastern:George Wilson (Miami) Western: Lou Saban (Denver) | NBC |
| 1969 | January 17, 1970[5] | West, 26–3 | West 6–2 | John Hadl,QB,Chargers | Astrodome, Houston | 30,170 | Eastern: George Wilson (Miami) Western: Lou Saban (Denver) | NBC |
The following is a list of thetelevision networks and announcers that broadcast the American Football League All-Star game during its existence.