American Football League All-Star games

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The American Football League did not play an All-star game after its first season in 1960 but did stage All-Star games for the 1961 through 1969 seasons. All-Star teams from the Eastern and Western divisions played each other after every season except 1965. That season, the league champion Buffalo Bills played all-stars from the other teams.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Football League 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."

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[edit] 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. Under the leadership of Buffalo Bills players including Cookie Gilchrist, the players put up a unified front, and the game was successfully moved to Houston's Jeppesen Stadium.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had just recently been passed, likely encouraging the AFL players in their cause, which was the first boycott in history of an entire city by a professional sports event.

[edit] Game history

Season Date Winner Most Valuable Player(s) Site
1961 January 7, 1962
West, 47-27
Cotton Davidson, QB, Raiders Balboa Stadium, San Diego
1962 January 13, 1963
West, 21-14
Offense: Curtis McClinton, RB, Dallas Texans
Defense: Earl Faison, DE, Chargers
Balboa Stadium, San Diego
1963 January 19, 1964
West, 27-24
Offense: Keith Lincoln, RB, Chargers
Defense: Archie Matsos, LB, Raiders
Balboa Stadium, San Diego
1964 January 16, 1965
West, 38-14
Offense: Keith Lincoln, RB, Chargers
Defense: Willie Brown, DB, Broncos
Jeppesen Stadium, Houston, Texas
1965 January 15, 1966
AFL All-Stars 30,
Buffalo Bills 19
Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets
Defense: Frank Buncom, LB, Chargers
Rice Stadium, Houston
1966 January 21, 1967
East, 30-23
Offense: Babe Parilli, QB, Boston Patriots
Defense: Verlon Biggs, DE, Jets
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
1967 January 21, 1968
East, 25-24
Offense: Joe Namath, QB, Jets; and Don Maynard, F, Jets
Defense: Speedy Duncan, DB/KR, Chargers
Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida
1968 January 19, 1969
West, 38-25
Offense: Len Dawson, QB, Chiefs
Defense: George Webster, LB, Houston Oilers
Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida
1969 January 17, 1970
West, 26-3
John Hadl, QB, Chargers Astrodome, Houston

[edit] See also

[edit] External links - AFL All-Star Game Summaries

[edit] Other External Links

The American Football League
Eastern Division
Boston Patriots | Buffalo Bills | Houston Oilers | New York Titans/Jets | Miami Dolphins
Western Division
Denver Broncos | Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs | Oakland Raiders | Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | Cincinnati Bengals
Seasons | Playoffs | All-Star games | AFL Draft | All-Time Team | NFL