Houston Oilers

The Houston Oilers were the AFL’s first success story, appearing in the first 3 AFL Championship games, and winning the first two. This can surely be attributed to their veteran QB George Blanda, and also 1960 rookie Billy Cannon (the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner). 

 

After winning 10, 10, and 11 games in their first 3 seasons, they only posted 6, 4, 4, and 3 wins in their next 4 seasons. What happened to the Oilers’ machine in 1963? After 10 weeks they were 6-4, but after a 2-week layoff (bye, JFK cancellation), they lost their final 4 games to the Chargers (twice), Raiders, and Patriots (all good teams). Cannon also missed 8 games in ’63, and was traded after the season.

 

The Oilers bounced back in 1967 to win the East Division with a 9-4-1 record, but lost to the Raiders in the AFL Championship game. They didn’t have another winning season until 1975. 

 

The 1967 card set includes quarterbacks Jacky Lee and Don Trull, but neither was the Oilers’ regular QB in 1967 (their first season without Blanda at the helm). Lee played in the first 4 games (including 3 starts), then during the Oilers’ bye week, he and Ernie Ladd were traded to the Chiefs for Pete Beathard. Pete played in the remaining 10 games, starting 9 of them. 

 

Trull played in 3 of the first 4 games (no starts), then 6 days after the Lee/Beathard trade, he was traded to the Patriots.

Jacky Lee was drafted by the Oilers in 1960**. After backing up George Blanda for 4 seasons, he was traded to the Broncos, where he was the starter in ’64 and a backup in ’65. He returned to the Oilers for all of 1966 and part of 1967, then finished up with the Chiefs from 1967-69. 

 

Don Trull was the Oilers’ 14th-round pick in 1963. He replaced Lee as Blanda’s backup for 1964-66. Traded to the Patriots in mid-October 1967, he started 3 games there (behind Babe Parilli), then returned to the Oilers for 1968-69. 

 

Sid Blanks – The Oilers’ 5th-round pick in 1964, Blanks was the team’s starting halfback as a rookie, leading the AFL with 6 rushing TDs and making the All-Star team. After missing the 1965 season, he was a backup for the Oilers from 1966-68, and the Patriots from 1969-70. 

 

Ode Burrell was the Oilers’ 4th-round pick in 1964. After riding the bench in his rookie season, he was the starting halfback in 1965 (making the All-Star team) and part of 1966, before moving to flanker in ’67. Burrell missed all but 1 game in 1968, and was a backup in 1969. 

 

*Larry Elkins was the Oilers’ 1st-round pick (2nd overall) in 1965. He missed all of the 1965 season, but was the starting flanker for half the games in 1966 and 2 games in 1967. 

 

Bob Talamini was drafted by the Oilers in 1960**, and played in every game from 1960 to 1968 (the last season with the Jets). He started every game (at left guard) except for 6 games in his rookie season and 7 games in his final season. A 6-time All-Star and 3-time first-team All-Pro, his final game was Super Bowl III. 

 

Walt Suggs was drafted by the Oilers in the 3rd round in 1961. He missed the 1961 season, and after playing every game in 1962 as a backup, he started every game at left tackle for the Oilers from 1963-70. In his final season (1971), he was the Oilers’ starting center. 

 

*Gary Cutsinger – The Oilers’ 4th-round pick in 1962, Cutsinger started every game at left defensive end for 2 seasons. In 1964 he played in every game but only started two. He returned to his starting role for 1965-66. After missing the 1967 season, he started 10 games on the right end in 1968. 

 

Ernie Ladd was drafted by the Chargers in the 15th round in 1961. He was the starting right defensive tackle for the next 2 seasons, and was a first-team All-Pro selection as a rookie, as well as the runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting. He made the All-Star team every season from 1962-65 (despite only starting 2 games in 1963), and had 2 more first-team All-Pro selections in ’64 and ’65. 

After playing all of 1966 and part of 1967 with the Oilers, he was traded to the Chiefs in the Pete Beathard deal, and finished his career in 1968. 

 

*Danny Brabham was the Oilers’ 1st-round pick in 1963. He played for them from 1963-67, but was only a regular starter in 1965. He finished his career with the expansion Bengals in 1968. 

 

Bobby Maples – The Oilers’ 4th-round pick in 1965, Maples started half the games at left linebacker as a rookie, then was the team’s starting center from 1966-70. After spending 1971 with the Steelers, he played for the Broncos from 1972-78. Their starting center from 1973-76, he was used mostly as a long-snapper in ’72 and ’77. 

 

Miller Farr was the first overall pick in the 1965 draft by the Broncos. After 7 games as the starting strong safety, he was traded to the Chargers. He played every game as his team’s left cornerback from 1966 to 1972. After playing for the Chargers in 1966, he was traded to the Oilers for Scott Appleton, and made the All-Star team in his 3 seasons with Houston. 

In January 1970 he was traded to the Cardinals for QB Charley Johnson. After 3 seasons in St. Louis, Farr finished his career as a backup with the Lions in 1973. Besides his brother Mel Farr, his family includes cousins Lem Barney, Jerry LeVias, and Marvin Gaye. 

 

*Bobby Jancik – A 19th-round pick in 1962, Jancik played cornerback and safety for the Oilers from 1962-67. He started most of 1963 and parts of 1964-67. 

 

W.K. Hicks signed with the Oilers in 1964, and was their starting right cornerback from 1964-68, before switching to free safety for ’68 and ’69. He also played for the Jets from 1970-72, the first 2 years as their starting free safety. 

 

Jim Norton was drafted by the Dallas Texans in 1960**, but played for the Oilers from 1960-68. He was a staring safety in all but his rookie season, and was a 3-time All-Star selection. He was also the Oilers’ punter from 1961-68. 

 

 

*Unknown to me before November 2023.

** The 1960 AFL draft consisted of the teams drawing random names out of a hat.