It was the biggest year ever in Texas football. The football gods, in the guise of the AFL, had bestowed upon the state two – count ’em – two professional football teams. For the first two seasons, the Houston Oilers won the AFL Championship. Then, in ’62, the Dallas Texans under young head coach Hank Stram, stormed to the top of the Western Division to challenge the Oilers, who had again led the Eastern Division. The AFL Championship was going to be a Texas triumph, no matter which team won. Houston, with 35 year-old ace George Blanda throwing 27 touchdowns and the best offense in the league was favored to win.
The Texans, with upstart Len Dawson at the wheel, were up for the challenge, which would be played at the Oilers home field in Houston. The game would end up the longest pro football game that had ever been played. It remains the longest championship game in pro football history. Two overtimes.
At halftime, Dallas was winning 17-0. During the halftime ceremonies, Len Dawson, who had been named AFL Player of the Year, was presented with a brand new Mercury Monterey S-55 convertible. Here is what one of those looks like:
In the second half, Dallas played a conservative game, relying on the run and trying to eat up the clock. Houston started up their passing game, and put up 17 unanswered points to tie the game 17-17 at the end of the 4th quarter.
The first overtime quarter ended scoreless. Finally, in the second overtime, Dallas kicked a field goal and won, 20-17.
Dawson had languished with his first team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. In three full seasons with the team, he only threw 17 passes. He was third string, below Earl Morrall, Jack Kemp, and Bobby Layne. After those 3 unproductive seasons, he was sent to Cleveland, where he played second fiddle to Milt Plum. During two seasons with the Browns, he only threw 28 passes. After the ’61 season, the Browns acquired Frank Ryan, and released Dawson.
During the years Dawson played college football at Purdue, he had worked closely with Purdue assistant head coach Hank Stram. Stram had always been impressed by Dawson, and now he was the Texans Head Coach. When he found out that Cleveland had released Dawson, Hank called team owner Lamar Hunt and told him “we need to get this guy”.
It was a pretty good choice. Dawson went on to prove himself one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Greatly underrated then and now.
Yes, that was a big year for Texas football, but only a few months later they would be heartbroken to find out that their champions were skipping town – moving to Kansas City to become Chiefs.
I really enjoyed making a card of Len Dawson during his season as a Dallas Texan. His wife, Jackie Dawson, drove the hell out of that convertible for the next 10 or 12 years.