When the AFL and NFL finally merged after the 1969 season, the Pro Football Hall of Fame went about selecting AFL All-Time Team. The announcement of awardees was made through the newspapers on January 14, 1970. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, the ballotting was particularly close at defensive tackle and cornerback. The selection of a head coach was also very close, with Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman and Hank Stram all in the running. The AFL All-Time Team was officially presented at the last game in AFL history, the All-Star Game that was held in Houston on January 17, 1970.
The members of the AFL All-Time First Team are as follows:
Weeb Ewbank | Head Coach |
Joe Namath | Quarterback |
Paul Lowe | Running Back |
Clem Daniels | Running Back |
Lance Alworth | Flanker |
Don Maynard | Wide Receiver |
Fred Arbanas | Tight End |
Ron Mix | Tackle |
Jim Tyrer | Tackle |
Ed Budde | Guard |
Billy Shaw | Guard |
Jim Otto | Center |
George Blanda | Kicker |
Jerrell Wilson | Punter |
Jerry Mays | Defensive End |
Gerry Philbin | Defensive End |
Houston Antwine | Defensive Tackle |
Tom Sestak | Defensive Tackle |
George Webster | Outside Linebacker |
Bobby Bell | Outside Linebacker |
Nick Buoniconti | Inside Linebacker |
Willie Brown | Cornerback |
Dave Grayson | Cornerback |
Johnny Robinson | Safety |
George Saimes | Safety |
To commemorate the honor, players were given a plaque that measures 12″ by 10″, and lists the namesand positions of each team member, along with the 10-year version of the AFL shield.
What a honor to have played with and against these great athletes…….
Thank you for participating, Smokey. I hope you enjoy this site.
While I agree with most of the selections, I have always believed that Len Dawson, not Joe Namath should have been the quarterback chosen. While Namath was instrumental in assuring the survival of the league, I thought Dawson was a much better quarterback. He had much better passer rating, TD to Int. ratio, and he was involved in far more key games during the AFL existence. And it is indeed sad that most of those players are not in the HOF. Surely a travesty.
Good points, Howard. I have also wondered how Gino Cappelletti, the league’s all-time leading scorer and a 10-year player, did not make either the first or second teams.
Always enjoy reading about the best league ever, but I agree with Howard. Also, how does Weeb Ewbank rate over Hank Stram or Sid Gilman ? I imagine one could pick the list apart, but I think it’s a good representation of the talent the AFL had.
Good point, Todd, on Gino…how is he left off ?
Thanks, Scott. That one has me scratching my head…
I note the awards were presented in early to mid-January 1970. I wonder when the votes were cast? I am guessing they were cast prior to Super Bowl IV, other wise, I believe Stram would have been the choice for coach and Dawson, possibly, the coach for QB (hard words for me, a diehard Raiders fan). In fact, if the Jets had lost Super III, I have no doubt that either Stram or Gilman would have been the coach and Dawson easily would have been the QB, with maybe a nod to Jack Kemp. Oh, and you’re right about Gino, but I guess they had to fit George Blanda in somewhere.
Yes, I am thinking that the Jets got an awful lot of run out of the Super Bowl III victory. Most much-deserved, though some probably by beingcaught up in the moment.
As for Gino… I agree that it is hard to leave George Blanda off the list. I thought Gino could have been added as the second team kicker, but that went to the Jets’ Jim Turner, who kicked for 9 of the Jets 16 points in Super Bowl III.
Ewbank and Namath probably benefited from the aftermath of Super Bowl III.
Also, Antwine and Sestak must have been something, to have kept Buck Buchannon off the list!
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