1963 American Football Season

The 1963 American football season was a defining year of transition, dramatic finishes, and historic milestones across both the professional and collegiate landscapes. Set against the backdrop of a grieving nation following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November, football became a unifying force during a turbulent era.

The Professional Landscape

The battle for football supremacy was fiercely contested between two rival leagues: the established National Football League (NFL) and the young, aggressive American Football League (AFL).

• The NFL Championship: The Chicago Bears, anchored by a legendary defense designed by assistant coach George Allen, defeated the powerhouse New York Giants 14-10 in a freezing title game at Wrigley Field. This marked the eighth and final NFL championship for iconic Bears founder and coach George Halas.
• The AFL Championship: The San Diego Chargers put on an offensive clinic, crushing the Boston Patriots 51-10. Led by head coach Sid Gillman’s pioneering vertical passing game and a spectacular five-touchdown performance by running back Keith Lincoln, the Chargers solidified their place in pro football history.

College Football and the National Title

In the collegiate ranks, the 1963 season culminated in a classic showdown of undefeated titans.

• The National Champion: The Texas Longhorns, coached by Darrell Royal, claimed their first consensus national championship. Texas finished the season a perfect 11-0, capping it off with a convincing 28-6 victory over #2 Navy in the Cotton Bowl.
• The Heisman Trophy: Navy’s brilliant quarterback, Roger Staubach, won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide vote, capturing the nation’s attention with his scrambling ability and leadership.

A Deep Dive into 1963 Football History and Highlights

•  January 1, 1963 – Pasadena hosted an especially significant Rose Bowl. For the first time, the national champion was decided using the AP and UPI polls, bringing top-ranked Southern Cal against #2 Wisconsin. USC prevailed in a thrilling 42–37 win after a late Wisconsin rally.
• January 13, 1963 – Balboa Stadium, San Diego – The second AFL All-Star Game was played. In the contest, it was the Western Division All-stars who edged their Eastern Division counterparts 21-14. The MVPs of the game were Dallas Texans running back Curtis McClinton and Chargers defensive end Earl Faison.
• January 13, 1963 – The annual NFL Pro Bowl game was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum once again. The NFL Eastern Conference outscored the  Western Conference Pro Bowlers 30-20. The offensive Most Valuable Player was Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns, while the MVP of the defense was Pittsburgh’s defensive tackle, Eugene Lipscomb.
• January 18, 1963 – Al Davis became the head coach and general manager of the Oakland Raiders.
• January 29, 1963 – The First Inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced. The list is a phenomenal class of legends according to the History and Headlines website. The first class of the enshrined held eleven superstar players of the professional gridiron past, such as Jim Thorpe, Red Grange, Sammy Baugh, Dutch Clark, Don Hutson, Mel Hein, Johnny McNally, Ernie Nevers, Bronko Nagurski, Cal Hubbard, and Pete Henry.  Also inducted on this day were a handful of owners and coaches, including Curly Lambeau, George Marshall, Tim Mara, Bert Bell, and Joe Carr. Then, another special man who got in as a player, a coach, and an owner: George Halas.
• March 28, 1963 – Sonny Werblin leads a group that purchases the AFL’s NewYork Titans from the original owner, Harry Wismer. Werblin and company promptly changed the team name to the New York Jets on April 15.
• April 17, 1963 – Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers & Alex Karras of the Detroit Lions were suspended indefinitely from the NFL for betting on NFL games. 
• October 20, 1963 – Philadelphia. Pennsylvania – Per an NFLFILMS.com article from 2012, Cleveland Browns’ running back Jim Brown became the all-time leading career rusher in the NFL.  “First Down” Jim Brown – as many would call him – accomplished the historic feat on an 8-yard run in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles, propelling his way over Joe “The Jet” Perry’s record of 8,378 yards.  The Browns won the game over the Eagles 37-7.
• November 10, 1963 – Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California – Dandy Don Meredith of the Dallas Cowboys passed for 460 yards and three scores, but his Cowboys team fell short on the scoreboard in a  31-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, per the pro-football-reference.com. Niners quarterback Lamar McHan went 15 of 25 passing for 248 yards and 3 touchdown passes.
• November 23, 1963 – The Notre Dame versus Iowa game was canceled due to the untimely death of President John F. Kennedy.
• November 26, 1963 – New York City – The 29th Heisman Trophy was awarded to Navy’s Junior quarterback, Roger Staubach.
• November 30, 1963 – Empire Stadium, Vancouver – The CFL’s 51st Grey Cup featured the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beating the BC Lions, 21-10. The game featured a very controversial sequence involving American players Angelo Mosca and Willie Fleming.
• November 30, 1963 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Auburn scored their first points in five seasons in the 28th playing of the Iron Bowl. The points weren’t many, but just enough to hold off the Crimson Tide, as Auburn survives Alabama 10-8. 
• December 2, 1963 – The San Francisco 49ers used the first pick of the 1964 NFL Draft to select Texas Tech wide receiver Dave Parks.
• December 7, 1963 – Instant replay is first used on TV at the collegiate level in the Army/Navy Game.
• December 29, 1963 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – The 1963 National Football League Championship took place as the Windy City’s Bears entertained the Football Giants from the Big Apple. At kickoff, the temperature was hovering around 10 °F, according to a story on the American Football Database. Giants QB Y.A. Tittle started the game’s scoring by orchestrating a 41-yard drive completed with a 14-yard strike to Frank Gifford for a touchdown. Bears defender Larry Morris then took center stage as he injured Tittle and then later picked off an errant pass by the veteran QB, returning it to the Giant 6, setting up the Bears’ first TD. Y.A. remained in the game but was forced to throw from his back foot, which led to more crucial mistakes that the Bears capitalized on. The Chicago Bears handed the New York Giants a 14-10 loss, giving Chicago the NFL Title.