1961 San Diego Chargers season

The 1961 San Diego Chargers season was the team's second in the American Football League. It was the Chargers' first season in San Diego, where the team remained until 2017. The Chargers won their first eleven games and clinched the Western Division by mid-November,[1] but only managed one victory in December. Like the previous season, the Chargers' season ended with a loss to the Houston Oilers in the AFL championship game, this time 10–3 at Balboa Stadium in San Diego.[2][3]

1961 San Diego Chargers season
OwnerBarron Hilton
Head coachSid Gillman
General managerSid Gillman
Home fieldBalboa Stadium
Results
Record12–2
Division place1st Western Division
Playoff finishLost AFL Championship (Houston Oilers, 10–3)

The 1961 Chargers set a modern-era pro football record with 66 takeaways, most in AFL or NFL history.[4] The Chargers also recorded the most interceptions returned for a touchdown in both league histories with nine, with the team recording a total of 49 interceptions for 929 yards, both NFL records.[5]

Roster
1961 San Diego Chargers final roster
Quarterbacks


Running backs


Wide receivers


Tight ends

 Offensive linemen


Defensive linemen

 Linebackers


Defensive backs


Special teams

 Reserve lists



Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Season schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
1 September 10 at Dallas Texans W 26–10 1–0 Cotton Bowl 24,500 Recap
2 September 17 Oakland Raiders W 44–0 2–0 Balboa Stadium 20,216 Recap
3 September 24 Houston Oilers W 34–24 3–0 Balboa Stadium 29,210 Recap
4 September 30 at Buffalo Bills W 19–11 4–0 War Memorial Stadium 20,742 Recap
5 October 7 at Boston Patriots W 38–27 5–0 Boston University Field 17,748 Recap
6 October 15 at New York Titans W 25–10 6–0 Polo Grounds 12,014 Recap
7 October 22 at Oakland Raiders W 41–10 7–0 Candlestick Park 12,014 Recap
8 October 29 Denver Broncos W 37–0 8–0 Balboa Stadium 32,584 Recap
9 November 5 New York Titans W 48–13 9–0 Balboa Stadium 33,391 Recap
10 November 12 at Denver Broncos W 19–16 10–0 Bears Stadium 7,859 Recap
11 November 19 Dallas Texans W 24–14 11–0 Balboa Stadium 33,788 Recap
12 Bye'
13 December 3 at Houston Oilers L 13–33 11–1 Jeppesen Stadium 37,845 Recap
14 December 10 Buffalo Bills W 28–10 12–1 Balboa Stadium 24,486 Recap
15 December 17 Boston Patriots L 0–41 12–2 Balboa Stadium 21,339 Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs
Main article: 1961 American Football League Championship Game
Round Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Recap
Championship December 24 Houston Oilers L 3–10 Balboa Stadium 29,556 Recap

Standings
AFL Western Division
W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
San Diego Chargers 1220.8576–0396219L1
Dallas Texans 680.4294–2334343W2
Denver Broncos 3110.2141–5251432L7
Oakland Raiders 2120.1431–5237458L6

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References
  1. "Keith's caper aids champs". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. November 13, 1961. p. 11.
  2. "Blanda stars as Oilers win AFL title, 10-3". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. December 25, 1961. p. 1S.
  3. "Blanda's arm and toe clear path as Houston takes 2d AFL crown". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 25, 1961. p. 14.
  4. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending Takeaways.
  5. "Bears picking on history". Pro Football Hall of Fame. October 29, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
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