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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".

Contents

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 Carlton Chester "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.

Game history

Date Score Most Valuable Players
January 7, 1962 West, 47-27 Cotton Davidson , Quarterback, Oakland Raiders
January 13, 1963 West, 21-14 Offense: Curtis McClinton , Running back, Dallas Texans; Defense: Earl Faison, Defensive end, San Diego Chargers
January 19, 1964 West, 27-24 O: Keith Lincoln, Running back, San Diego Chargers; D: Archie Matsos , Linebacker, Oakland Raiders
January 16, 1965 West, 38-14 O: Keith Lincoln, Running back, San Diego Chargers; D: Willie Brown, Defensive back, Denver Broncos
January 15, 1966 AFL All-Stars 30, Buffalo Bills 19 O: Joe Namath, Quarterback, New York Jets; D: Frank Buncom , Linebacker, San Diego Chargers
January 21, 1967 East, 30-23 O: Babe Parilli, Quarterback, Boston Patriots; D: Verlon Biggs , Defensive end, New York Jets
January 21, 1968 East, 25-24 O: Joe Namath, Quarterback, New York Jets; and Don Maynard, Flanker, New York Jets; D: Speedy Duncan , Defensive back/Returner, San Diego Chargers
January 19, 1969 West, 38-25 O: Len Dawson, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs; D: George Webster , Linebacker, Houston Oilers
January 17, 1970 West, 26-3 John Hadl, Quarterback, San Diego Chargers

Playing sites

External link

African American Registry article.

Last updated: 05-21-2005 05:35:18