The First Game

It was the first game in franchise history.

Saturday evening, September 10, 1960, the Los Angeles Coliseum

The Dallas Texans traveled to Los Angeles to play the Chargers in the first weekend of play in what was the infant American Football League.

Outcome: Chargers 21, Texans 20.

Here was the lead paragraph from a story about the game the next day in the Dallas Times-Herald:

Los Angeles: The Dallas Texans who had mutilated six exhibition opponents with some marvelous pass thievery, paid a dear price here Saturday night. The Los Angeles Chargers overcame a devastating first half whipping, fired for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and edged Dallas 21-20 in the first American Football League game for both teams.

Actually, Ben Agajanian’s extra point was the margin. Jack Spikes missed the first of three tries for Dallas. But the real tale rested in some spectacular passing by Jack Kemp, a refugee from National League wars and some ironic pass interference penalties against the Texans who had intercepted 18 tosses before they flew west.

As the team owned by the man who created the AFL, the Texans were considered a pre-season favorite that rookie season. By going 6-0 in the pre-season, Dallas did nothing to convince observers that they weren’t the class of the AFL.

And then at half-time of that first outing in L.A., the Texans jumped to a 20-7 lead at halftime in front of 17,724 fans.

Several years ago, Lamar Hunt was remembering that first game.

“I was making my way through the stands because I was supposed to go on the air at half-time with one of the radio stations carrying the game,” Hunt said. “I was thinking about what I should say and I was hoping the second half wouldn’t be bad and turn off the fans in Los Angeles.”

In the first half, the Texans defense dominated. Except for a 46-yard TD pass from Kemp to Ralph Anderson, the Chargers couldn’t get closer to the goal line than Dallas’ 47. Los Angeles ran only 21 plays in the first half.

Dallas scored touchdowns on a 12-yard pass from QB Cotton Davidson to WR Chris Burford. RB Jack Spikes scored a TD from the one-yard line and right before the end of the half, the Texans drove 80 yards on 12 plays with RB Abner Haynes catching the TD pass from Davidson.

At half-time, Dallas had 242 yards in offense, to 139 yards and 17 first downs to five for the Chargers.

All that changed after the half. Kemp finally got the L.A. offense moving. With the help of three pass interference calls, the Chargers got in scoring position. Texans DB Don Flynn was called twice for pass interference. The second call set up what proved to be the winning TD. The Chargers faced 4^th-and-six from the Dallas 36. The penalty handed LA a first down and five plays later Kemp delivered a four-yard TD pass to FB Howie Ferguson.

The PAT kick was the final margin.

The Texans were very disturbed by the officiating in the second half, especially the pass interference calls. Sam Blair of the Dallas Morning News wrote:

“They also were pretty disturbed about some officiating which they felt played an important role in their downfall. The play that worried them most was a penalty which erased a fumble recovery that would have chilled the Chargers last touchdown drive before it hardly started. It happened at the Los Angeles 23 when end Paul Miller and tackle Walter Napier smacked Jack Kemp as he tried to pass and the Chargers quarterback lost the ball to end Mel Branch at the 15. But an official had thrown a flag downfield, ruling pass interference against Don Flynn. Since there was no pass, the official then decided to call holding and the Chargers had a first down at their 28 instead of the Texans owning the ball at the 15 and a 20-14 lead with six minutes left in the game. Kemp then guided the Chargers to a touchdown with 2:15 to go and the Texans were finished.

“Such ridiculous calls,” said Texans coach Hank Stram. “It does no good to gripe, I know, but it was unforgivable when we got penalized for bumping a man on a play when the ball never got in the air.”

The Texans were 0-1 to start their life on the football field, but Lamar Hunt acquired something very important.

“I learned a lesson very quickly,” Hunt said with a smile. “I wasn’t going to feel sorry for an opponent again. Game one, lesson learned.”