1961 American Football Season

The 1961 American football season was a transformative year for both professional and collegiate grids, marked by historic team dynasties, legendary coaching milestones, and shifting league dynamics.

Professional Football: NFL and AFL

In the National Football League (NFL), Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers asserted their dominance, finishing the regular season 11-3. They captured the NFL Championship by shutting out the New York Giants 37-0. This season also marked the expansion of the NFL schedule from 12 to 14 games and the debut of the Minnesota Vikings.

Concurrently, the young American Football League (AFL) was finding its footing in its second season. The Houston Oilers claimed the AFL Championship for the second consecutive year, defeating the San Diego Chargers 10-3, powered by the spectacular play of quarterback George Blanda.

College Football: National Champions and Icons

On the collegiate side, the Alabama Crimson Tide, led by legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, claimed the AP national championship after securing a perfect 11-0 record and defeating Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. Meanwhile, Syracuse running back Ernie Davis made history by becoming the first African American player to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy.

A Deep Dive into 1961 Football History and Highlights

Here is a chronological order of significant gridiron events of 1961:

• January 2, 1961 – The Rose Bowl Game featured the Minnesota Golden Gophers against the Washington Huskies. Washington jumped out to an early lead and coasted to a 17-7 triumph, as for the second straight year, the Player of the Game was Bob Schloredt (QB Washington).
• January 7, 1961 – Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida – The 1st NFL Playoff Bowl was played between the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns. According to the AmericanFootball.Fandom.com website, this game was officially named the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl. It was created to determine the third-place finisher in the NFL, pitting the two losing teams from the Divisional Playoff games. The game was played ten different times from 1960 through the 1969 season. The name was in honor of the late Bert Bell, former NFL commissioner, co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, and former co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was developed to give the NFL more television airtime and help it compete with the AFL. The American Football League had a contract with ABC to air most of its regular-season games and the postseason. The more established NFL was lagging behind its rival league, as very few regular-season games were broadcast nationally at the time, and the NFL Championship was the only postseason contest shown nationwide. This new Playoff Bowl was played the week after the NFL Championship game. In the game itself, in 1961, Detroit beat Cleveland in an exciting one, 17-16, to claim third place in the pecking order for the 1960 NFL season.
• January 14, 1961 – The AFL signed its first player away from the NFL. Former Chicago Bears Willard Dewveall signs with the Houston Oilers, according to a Medium.com story. There were others like the retired former Bear George Blanda, who thought George Halas never gave him a fair shake at the QB position in Chicago.
• January 15, 1961 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – 11th NFL Pro Bowl results are once again brought to us via an American Football Database post. In the game, the Western Conference knocked off the Eastern Conference, 35-31. The coaches selected to guide the Pro Bowlers were Buck Shaw of the Philadelphia Eagles and Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers. It was the final contest for the outstanding Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, who hung up his helmet after the game. The game’s MVPs were Baltimore Colts Johnny Unitas and New York Giants Linebacker Sam Huff.
• March 22, 1961 – The Browns Change Hands. One of the most significant ownership shifts in NFL history occurred when Arthur B. “Art” Modell led a group to purchase the Cleveland Browns from Dave R. Jones. Modell’s tenure would eventually lead to the team’s controversial move to Baltimore in 1996.
• April 27, 1961 – The NFL officially recognized the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Canton area celebrated its place in NFL history as the birthplace of the League on September 17, 1920, in an automobile showroom when the NFL granted the Ohio city the right to host the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A group from Canton placed its bid with the League months earlier and had set aside a 14-acre tract of land should it receive approval. The then-existing high school venue, Fawcett Stadium, would be part of the HOF campus for many decades to come. To learn more about the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, check out our interview with George Bozeka, a football historian who grew up within walking distance of the HOF. (source)
• September 17, 1961– The Minnesota Vikings played their very first regular-season Game in the NFL. Minnesota did it in style, cruising to a 37-13 victory over the Chicago Bears. Rookie quarterback Fran Tarkington made his NFL debut count as he tossed an NFL debut game record four touchdown passes.
• October 28, 1961 – Groundbreaking ceremony for Municipal (Shea) Stadium for the NY Mets and NY Jets.
• November 18, 1961 – Texas Christian and the Texas Longhorns played a memorable contest, known as the “Cockroach Game.”
• December 2, 1961 – Alabama dominated the 26th Iron Bowl in Birmingham, shutting out rival Auburn 34-0.
• December 2, 1961 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers claimed their sixth title, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21-14 in the 49th CFL Grey Cup at CNE Stadium in Toronto.
• December 4, 1961 – The Washington Redskins selected Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis from Syracuse University with the first overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. Davis made history as both the first African-American Heisman winner and the first black player drafted with the NFL’s top pick.
• December 6, 1961 – Ernie Davis, Syracuse’s outstanding halfback, made history by becoming the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy Award. Davis rushed for 823 yards, scored 15 touchdowns, and led Syracuse in pass receiving.
• December 10, 1961 – In the AFL, the Houston Oilers’ great rusher, Billy Cannon, set a single-game all-purpose yards record of 373 against the New York Titans. The Houston Chronicle shares a great video of the event with more details.

• December 24, 1961 – Balboa Stadium, San Diego – The AFL Championship Game took place as the San Diego Chargers entertained the Houston Oilers, per the Medium.com website story. It was the second season in a row that the Stout defense of San Diego would battle the Oilers’ offensive juggernaut. Houston’s high-flying offense was quite subdued by the Charger D for most of the contest. Houston’s defenders were no slouches, though, in the contest as they sacked quarterback Jack Kemp 6 times and intercepted four of his throws. It was a rough game all around, as 13 players were assisted off the field. The Oilers Billy Cannon scored the game’s only touchdown on a 35-yard pass play from George Blanda as the Oilers outlasted the Chargers 10-3.
• December 31,  1961 – New City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin – The NFL Championship of 1961 pitted the Giants against the Packers. The Green Bay Packers won their first of 5 NFL titles in 7 years under head coach Vince Lombardi. shutdown New York Giants 37-0 per the Pro Football Reference website. Paul Hornung scored a TD, kicked three field goals, and three extra points to lead the Packers. As a side note, New City Stadium was renamed Lambeau Field in 1965, after the death of the legendary Packers coach Curly Lambeau, per an interesting story on the stadiumsofprofootball.com website.

For a comprehensive look back at this pivotal year, here is a summary of the major champions and individual milestones that defined the season: