1960 Buffalo Bills season

The 1960 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s first season in the American Football League. Home games were played at War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, New York. Head Coach Buster Ramsey's Bills compiled a 5-8-1 record, placing them third in the AFL Eastern Division.

Unlike most of the offensive-minded AFL, the Bills focused on defense, allowing the third-fewest points in the league (303). Their defensive line boasted LaVerne Torczon and Chuck McMurtry (both of whom were 1st Team All-AFL in 1960),^[1] as well as a mobile, hard-hitting middle linebacker in Archie Matsos, who was AFL All-Star in each of the three seasons he spent in Buffalo. The Bills' defense led the league in fewest passing yards allowed (2,130) and most passes intercepted (33),^[2] with NFL veterans Richie McCabe and Jim Wagstaff in their secondary.^[3]

The Bills' offense, however, was not as competent. The 1960 Bills had the worst passing attack in the AFL, throwing for 2,346 yards.^[4] Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Tommy O'Connell started the season 1-3 before being replaced by Johnny Green. Green would go 3-3 as a starter, despite only completing 39% of his passes.^[5] Richie Lucas, the Bills' first ever draft pick, was a bust, both at quarterback and at halfback,^[6] throwing only 49 passes all season.^[7]

The Bills did show glimmers of hope on offense, however, by showcasing running back Wray Carlton and flanker Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion, who would later go on to be AFL All-Stars for the Bills in the mid-1960s.

Uniforms

In their first season, the Bills wore silver helmets and light blue home jerseys. Their road jerseys were white with light blue letters. The team wore white pants both at home and on the road. The Bills' helmets displayed the player's number in light blue on the side where the logo would normally be (much like the Alabama Crimson Tide's helmets.)^[8]

The uniforms, not coincidentally, resembled those of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. grew up in Detroit, and had once been a minority owner in the Lions.

Offseason

When Lamar Hunt announced formation of the American Football League in the summer of 1959, Harry Wismer, who was to own the Titans of New York franchise, reached out to insurance salesman and automobile heir Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to see if he was interested in joining the upstart league. (Both Wismer and Wilson were minority owners of NFL franchises at the time: Wilson part-owned the Detroit Lions, while Wismer was a small partner in the Washington Redskins but had little power due to majority owner George Preston Marshall's near-iron fist over the team and the league). Wilson agreed to field a team in the new league, with the words "Count me in. I'll take a franchise anywhere you suggest."[1] Hunt gave him the choice of five cities: Miami, Buffalo, Cincinnati and two others; after being turned down in his effort to put a team in Miami, and consulting with Detroit media, he next turned to Buffalo. This effort was successful, and he sent Hunt a telegram with the now-famous words, "Count me in with Buffalo."

The Buffalo Bills were a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. After a public contest, the team adopted the same name as the AAFC Buffalo Bills, the former All-America Football Conference team in Buffalo.

Personnel

Staff

1960 AFL Draft

Two Rounds of draft were held, the first round called "First Selections", the second round "Second Selections".

First Selections

• Charles Bevins, HB, Morris Brown
• Don Black, E, New Mexico
• Bill Burrell, G, Illinois
• Paul Choquette, FB, Brown
• Mike Connelly, C, Utah State
• Jim Conroy, FB, USC
• Bob Coogan, T/G, Utah
• Louis Cordileone, G, Clemson
• Ted Dean, FB, Wichita
• Willie Evans, HB, Buffalo
• Ross Fichtner, QB, Purdue
• Jon Gilliam, C, E. Texas State
• Al Goldstein, E, North Carolina
• James Houston, E, Ohio State
• Ray Jauch, HB, Iowa
• Robert Khayat, T, Mississippi
• Ken Kirk, C, Mississippi
• Jim Leo, E, Cincinnati
• Richie Lucas, QB, Penn State
• Charles McMurtry, T/G, Whittier
• Bubba Meyer, E, TCU
• Ron Miller, E, Vanderbilt
• Gale Oliver, T, Texas A&M
• Harold Olsen, T, Clemson
• Ray Peterson, HB, West Virginia
• Vince Promuto, G, Holy Cross
• Rene Ramirez, HB, Texas
• Len Rohde, T, Utah State
• Joe Schaffer, T, Tennessee
• Wayne Schneider, HB, Colorado State
• Ivan Toncic, QB, Pittsburgh
• Larry Wilson, HB, Utah

Second Selections

• Dwight Baumgartner, E, Duke
• Tom Day, T/G, North Carolina A&T
• Babe Dreymala, T/G, Texas
• Joe Gomes, HB, South Carolina
• Mike Graney, E, Notre Dame
• Pete Hall, QB, Marquette
• Jim Hanna, E, USC
• Ernie Hanson, C, Arizona State
• John Littlejohn, HB, Kansas State
• Marvin Luster, E, UCLA
• Dwight Nichols, HB, Iowa State
• Merlin Priddy, HB, TCU
• Gary Ratkowski, HB, Citadel
• Dale Rems, T/G, Purdue
• Carl Robison, T/G, S. Carolina State
• Bob Sliva, T/G, Stephen F. Austin
• James Sorey, T/G, Texas Southern
• Jerry Thompson, T/G, Oklahoma
• Royce Whittington, T/G, Southwestern
• Darrell Harper, HB, Michigan

1960 Regular Season

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

Season schedule

Preseason

Regular season

1960 Season Standings

References

• Buffalo Bills on Pro Football Reference
• Buffalo Bills on jt-sw.com