1961 Houston Oilers Roster
American Football League (AFL)
Team Record: 10-3-1
Finishing 1st in the AFL's East Division
Postseason: 1-0 Won Championship
Coach: Lou Rymkus (1-3-1)
Coach: Wally Lemm (9-0)
Location: Houston, Texas
1961 Houston Oilers StatisticsTeam Record: 10-3-1
Finishing 1st in the AFL's East Division
Postseason: 1-0 Won Championship
Coach: Lou Rymkus (1-3-1)
Coach: Wally Lemm (9-0)
Location: Houston, Texas
1961 Houston Oilers Results
The Houston Oilers of the American Football League ended the 1961 season with a record of 10 wins and 3 losses and 1 ties, finishing first in the AFL's East Division. The team compiled a postseason mark of 1-0.
Offensively, the Oilers topped the league with 513 points. Meanwhile, the defense allowed 242 points. George Blanda led the charge, passing for 3,330 yards. Charley Hennigan topped pass catchers, hauling in 82 passes for 1,746 yards, while Bill Groman contributed to the receiving game, too.
Billy Cannon ran for a team-leading 948 yards.
Jim Norton picked off 9 errant tosses from the opposition.
Lou Rymkus and Wally Lemm coached the team. The 1961 Houston Oilers won the Championship.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | Dalva Allen | LDE | January 13, 1935 | 6'4" | 245 | Houston | Gonzales, TX USA | 14 | 0 |
| 40 | Tony Banfield | LCB | December 18, 1937 | 6'1" | 185 | Oklahoma St. | Independence, KS USA | 14 | 14 |
| 78 | Byron Beams | T-DT | September 8, 1929 | 6'6" | 248 | Notre Dame | Konowa, OK USA | 7 | 0 |
| 57 | George Belotti | C | November 29, 1934 | 6'4" | 250 | USC | Los Angeles, CA USA | 4 | 0 |
| 16 | George Blanda | K | September 17, 1927 | 6'2" | 215 | Kentucky | Youngwood, PA USA | 14 | 11 |
| 37 | Ron Botchan | LB | February 15, 1935 | 6'1" | 238 | Occidental | Brooklyn, NY USA | 14 | 0 |
| 20 | Billy Cannon | HB | August 2, 1937 | 6'1" | 207 | LSU | Philadelphia, MS USA | 14 | 0 |
| 31 | Doug Cline | LLB | March 22, 1938 | 6'2" | 230 | Clemson | Valdese, NC USA | 14 | 0 |
| 88 | Willard Dewveall | E | April 29, 1936 | 6'4" | 224 | SMU | Springtown, TX USA | 7 | 0 |
| 30 | Mike Dukes | RLB | March 16, 1936 | 6'3" | 235 | Clemson | Louisville, KY USA | 14 | 0 |
| 75 | Don Floyd | RDE | July 10, 1938 | 6'3" | 245 | TCU | Abilene, TX USA | 14 | 0 |
| 62 | Dick Frey | DE | December 17, 1929 | 6'2" | 235 | Texas A&M | 7 | 0 | |
| 27 | Fred Glick | RS | February 25, 1937 | 6'1" | 195 | Colorado St. | Aurora, CO USA | 12 | 0 |
| 89 | Bill Groman | WR | July 17, 1936 | 6'0" | 194 | Heidelberg | Tiffin, OH USA | 14 | 0 |
| 60 | Buzz Guy | G-T-DT | March 20, 1936 | 6'3" | 248 | Duke | New Castle, PA USA | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | John Guzik | LB | July 12, 1936 | 6'3" | 231 | Pittsburgh | Lawrence, PA USA | 3 | 0 |
| 21 | Ken Hall | HB-P | December 13, 1935 | 6'1" | 205 | Texas A&M | Sugar Land, TX USA | 3 | 0 |
| 87 | Charley Hennigan | WR | March 19, 1935 | 6'1" | 187 | LSU | Bienville, LA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 82 | Ed Husmann | RDT | August 6, 1931 | 6'2" | 245 | Nebraska | Schuyler, NE USA | 14 | 0 |
| 70 | Al Jamison | LT | May 11, 1937 | 6'5" | 250 | Colgate | 14 | 0 | |
| 41 | Mark Johnston | RCB | March 4, 1938 | 6'0" | 203 | Northwestern | Sycamore, IL USA | 14 | 0 |
| 25 | Gene Jones | LB | October 18, 1936 | 6'0" | 200 | Rice | Woodson, TX USA | 1 | 0 |
| 73 | Bob Kelly | T-DT | August 18, 1940 | 6'2" | 270 | New Mexico St. | Carlsbad, NM USA | 14 | 0 |
| 46 | Claude King | HB | December 3, 1938 | 5'11" | 185 | Houston | 11 | 0 | |
| 34 | Jack Laraway | LB | September 20, 1935 | 6'1" | 220 | Purdue | Erie, PA USA | 10 | 0 |
| 15 | Jacky Lee | QB | July 11, 1939 | 6'1" | 189 | Cincinnati | Minneapolis, MN USA | 14 | 3 |
| 81 | Bob McLeod | TE | November 10, 1938 | 6'4" | 240 | Abilene Christian | Sweetwater, TX USA | 14 | 0 |
| 77 | Rich Michael | RT | November 15, 1938 | 6'3" | 242 | Ohio St. | Hamilton, OH USA | 14 | 0 |
| 12 | Charlie Milstead | QB-DB | November 21, 1937 | 6'2" | 190 | Texas A&M | Tyler, TX USA | 8 | 0 |
| 50 | Dennit Morris | MLB | April 15, 1936 | 6'1" | 228 | Oklahoma | Hanna, OK USA | 14 | 0 |
| 43 | Jim Norton | LS | October 20, 1938 | 6'3" | 190 | Idaho | Glendale, CA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 64 | Willis Perkins | DE-G | February 14, 1934 | 6'0" | 260 | Texas Southern | Columbus, TX USA | 1 | 0 |
| 66 | Leo Reed | T-G | January 3, 1940 | 6'4" | 240 | Colorado St. | Kahuku, HI USA | 5 | 0 |
| 52 | Bob Schmidt | C | July 9, 1936 | 6'4" | 248 | Minnesota | Rochester, MN USA | 12 | 0 |
| 74 | George Shirkey | DT | August 20, 1936 | 6'4" | 260 | S.F. Austin | Fort Stockton, TX USA | 7 | 0 |
| 32 | Dave Smith | FB | March 23, 1937 | 6'1" | 210 | Ripon | Milwaukee, WI USA | 14 | 0 |
| 24 | Julian Spence | DB-FL | May 5, 1929 | 5'11" | 170 | Sam Houston St. | Austin, TX USA | 10 | 0 |
| 61 | Bob Talamini | LG | January 8, 1939 | 6'1" | 255 | Kentucky | Louisville, KY USA | 14 | 0 |
| 44 | Charley Tolar | FB | September 5, 1937 | 5'6" | 199 | NW State (LA) | Natchitoches, LA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 79 | Orville Trask | LDT | December 3, 1934 | 6'4" | 260 | Rice | Pueblo, CO USA | 14 | 0 |
| 63 | Hogan Wharton | RG | December 13, 1935 | 6'2" | 250 | Houston | Hood County, TX USA | 14 | 0 |
| 86 | John White | TE | October 9, 1935 | 6'3" | 230 | Texas Southern | 14 | 0 | |
| 22 | Gary Wisener | DB | August 24, 1938 | 6'1" | 206 | Baylor | Warren, AR USA | 5 | 0 |
