Undoubtedly, the two most well known players to sign with the Houston Oilers for their inaugural season of 1960 were George Blanda and Billy Cannon. Blanda had retired following the 1958 season after a 10 year career in the NFL; primarily as a Quarterback/Placekicker with the Chicago Bears. His decision to retire was a protest against Coach George Halas’ insistence that Blanda be utilized strictly as a placekicker based on Papa Bear’s opinion that the veteran no longer had the skills to be a quarterback in the NFL. Cannon on the other hand had just completed one of the most successful collegiate football careers ever, leading the LSU Tigers to the 1958 National Title, and then having earned the Heisman Trophy in 1959. The Oilers won a lawsuit against the NFL Los Angeles Rams over the legal rights to Cannon since he initially signed an illegal contract with the Rams before Houston signed him to a valid post collegiate career professional contract following his final game for LSU. The senior Blanda then was regarded as a has been NFL reject; while young Cannon was a Heisman Trophy winner who rejected the NFL in order to play for the newly formed American Football League. Together these two skilled players from contrasting circumstances would prove to be the collective cornerstone of a powerhouse offense that would lead the Oilers to the first two AFL Championships in 1960 and again in 1961.

Neither the allegedly falling star Blanda nor the affirmed rising star Cannon posted overwhelming personal statistics throughout the 1960 regular season. Blanda completed less than half of his passes, and Cannon only rushed for a single touchdown throughout the entire regular season. Blanda’s completions however netted 24 touchdowns, including five to Cannon, who proved himself early on as a quite capable receiver. Cannon did lead the team with over 600 yards rushing, alongside fullback Dave Smith, whose rushing totals were almost identical. Blanda also tossed 12 touchdowns to receiver Bill Groman, whose over 1400 receiving yards still stands as a professional football record for rookies. Even then, Blanda distributed the passes such that receivers Johnny Carson and Charley Hennigan combined for in excess of another 1300 yards and 10 additional touchdowns. At season’s end, the Oilers were AFL Eastern Division Champions, and they squared off against the Western Division Champions Los Angeles Chargers on January 1, 1961 for the first ever AFL Championship contest.

It was in this very contest that Blanda and Cannon connected on the play of the 1960 AFL season. The entire game throughout the first three quarters had been as tight as each team’s identical record of 10–4. In the 4th quarter, clinging to a 17–16 lead, Houston found themselves facing a 3rd and 9 situation while boxed deep in their own territory. The savvy veteran Blanda called for a “down and out” to Cannon, knowing that this would leave the sure handed back in one on one coverage by a Chargers linebacker. The play was designed to net a first down and keep the chains moving. But the outcome was much more. Cannon completely beat the coverage and then he converted the catch and run into an 88 yard touchdown that gave the Oilers the biggest lead in the game up to that point. The Oilers defense held against a late drive by the Chargers and quarterback Jack Kemp; and Houston prevailed as the inaugural AFL Champions by the final score of 24–16.

Having connected on the 88 yard catch and run touchdown that had clinched the 1960 AFL Championship the prior season, Blanda and Cannon each had career seasons in 1961, while leading the Houston offense to historic accomplishments. The 1961 Houston Oilers were the only team in AFL history to score more than 500 points in a single season, and their offense was so potent and overpowering, that they scored at least 100 more points than any other team in the league. As a favorable contrast, the stingy Houston defense gave up more points than only one other team in the entire league. Blanda earned the league MVP by tossing in excess of 3300 yards, while at the same time setting a professional football record with 36 touchdown passes. Although tied a couple of years later, Blanda’s single season TD record would stand unbroken for 23 years. Hennigan was Blanda’s favorite target with 82 receptions and over 1700 yards, and he and Groman combined to catch 29 touchdowns. Cannon himself caught nine TD receptions out of the backfield, and the versatile back likewise won the rushing title with 948 yards on the ground. Between Blanda’s record setting aerial performance and Cannon’s all purpose yards in excess of 2,000 yards; the has been NFL reject and the Heisman Trophy winner who had rejected the NFL led Houston to yet another AFL East Division Title, and a repeat appearance in the 1961 AFL Championship Game against the Western Division Title winning San Diego Chargers.

When the Oilers and the Chargers met on December 24th at San Diego’s Balboa Stadium in the 1961 AFL Championship Game, their gridiron contest marked the fourth time the two teams had played each other that calendar year, dating back to the 1960 AFL Championship Game on New Year’s Day. Having split the regular season performances, the host Chargers were hoping to even the contests at two apiece and thereby claim the league championship. But the duo of Blanda and Cannon once again connected for a game deciding catch and run score that proved to be the sole touchdown in a surprisingly low scoring defensive battle. In fact, Cannon’s 3rd quarter 35 yard touchdown reception from Blanda secured the 10–3 victory, giving the Oilers their second consecutive AFL Title. Once again Cannon was named the MVP of the league championship contest.

Although Houston repeated as AFL East Champions for a third consecutive year, the 1962 season was clouded with mishaps and miscues which resulted in a drop off of productivity of both Blanda and Cannon. Cannon was hampered by a back injury throughout the season, and his all purpose yards were dramatically reduced after his record setting performance the previous season. As for Blanda, his overall productivity dropped dramatically, in particular his accuracy. In fact, just one year removed from setting the single season TD passes record, Blanda tossed an unprecedented 42 Interceptions in the 1962 campaign, a single season mark that remains unmatched almost 60 years later. Although he would continue to produce noteworthy passing yardage and aerial touchdowns for the next few years; from that season on Blanda consistently threw more Interceptions than Touchdowns. Yet in spite of the diminishing skills of the aging quarterback and the notable reduction of productivity of the star running back; nonetheless Blanda and Cannon once again lead the Oilers into a third consecutive AFL Title Game. This time however; the league championship would be a matchup of teams from the Lone Star State, as Houston hosted their North Texas rival Dallas Texans on December 23, 1962 in the third annual AFL Championship Game.

The 1962 AFL Championship Game at Jeppeson Stadium was marred by inclimate weather that produced a half time winter norther with high winds, plummeting temperatures and a tornado warning throughout the afternoon. For the fans who braved the elements and remained for the duration, they were witness to history in the making in the midst of the gusty winds and harsh conditions.

The game itself was a tale of two halves and a historic double overtime. In fact, the marathon gridiron contest remains the longest championship game in professional football history. The first half was Abner Haynes and the Dallas Texans. Haynes, who primarily played flanker in the game to fill in for the injured Chris Burford, scored touchdowns from the receiver position and out of the backfield to lead the Texans to a 17–0 halftime lead. The second half was Blanda and the Oilers as the gritty veteran led a patient rally that culminated in a 17–17 regulation tie, which subsequently resulted in the AFL’s first and only Championship game overtime. In spite of having possession of the ball with the wind at their backs to open the overtime period, Houston was unable to convert any points in the 5th period of play. When the wind advantage reverted to the Texans for the 6th quarter of play, Dallas was able to convert on a game winning 25 yard field goal 2:54 later.

When Brooker’s field goal sailed through the uprights, the era of the Houston Oilers as the sole and dominant AFL champions came to an abrupt end. The passing of the league’s pinnacle position to the Texans likewise entailed a transition in the respective careers of both Blanda and Cannon. For just as the Oilers were never able to reclaim the degree of success that they experienced in ’60 and ’61; likewise the careers of both Blanda and Cannon went into steady decline from that point forward. Blanda continued at the helm of the Houston offense throughout 1966, but he was never able to lead the Oilers to another winning season before he was eventually released in March of 1967. As for Cannon, who was hampered by injuries in 1963, he hardly played another game in an Oilers uniform before being traded to Oakland before the 1964 season. The effects of aging on Blanda and those of ailments on Cannon was such that by 1967 the veteran quarterback was unemployed and the once speedy back was now primarily a blocking tight end for the Raiders who had not carried the football out of the backfield for three years. Yet it was in this unlikely context that the Blanda and Cannon connection was once again rekindled; though with significant changes in the role of each former superstar.

1967 was Cannon’s fourth season with the Oakland Raiders, after four seasons as a star running back for the Houston Oilers. No longer mobile after his injuries that led to an early decline in his productivity as a running back, at Oakland the former Heisman Trophy winner and the original AFL superstar was converted to a tight end who primarily blocked and ran decoy routes. In fact in the previous two seasons Cannon had only caught a total of 21 passes and had been limited to a mere two touchdowns. He had actually been more productive as a receiver when he was a running back in Houston than as a receiver for the Raiders. There were no indications at this point other than an inevitable end to the once promising and briefly productive career of Billy Cannon.

Meanwhile, on March 18, 1967 George Blanda was unceremoniously released by the Houston Oilers. Albeit Blanda had rewritten several major professional football statistics in passing the Oilers to the original back to back AFL Titles in 1960 and again in 1961; his diminishing skills were nonetheless evident. The fact is that during the previous five seasons he had consistently thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, and for four consecutive years the once dominant Oilers lost significantly more games than they won. The once proud performer and organization were each in decline.

And so it was that in the off season of 1967 Billy Cannon and George Blanda each seemed at the end of their formerly productive careers. Ailments had diminished the skills of the once productive running back, and the effects of aging had finally resulted in the decline of the gritty gridiron veteran quarterback. And yet 1967 would prove to be a turn around season for both George Blanda and Billy Cannon; though each embraced new primary roles while once again wearing the same uniforms.

In spite of the limited role that Cannon played in previous seasons, he was reported to have been enthusiastically optimistic about the playoff possibilities of the 1967 Raiders. So much so that he allegedly encouraged Al Davis to sign his former teammate George Blanda to both serve as a mentor to the Raiders recently acquired young quarterback Daryle Lamonica, and to also fill the role of full time place kicker. Although the offer to Blanda entailed the very role that he had rejected nine years earlier as a Chicago Bear, the aged veteran evidently accepted his diminishing skills and indeed did sign with Oakland as a backup quarterback and full time placekicker. The result was a new chapter in the Blanda and Cannon connection.

The newly acquired Blanda led the league in scoring in his new capacity as full time placekicker. His field goal conversions would make the difference in more than one Raider victory during the season, including a four field goal performance in a hostile environment in Houston that proved to be the difference in Oakland’s 19–7 road victory against his former team. This role actually gave new life to his career, and Blanda would go on to be one of the most successful placekickers in the league over the course of the next few years, retiring in 1976 at the age of 48 as professional football’s all time leading scorer and unprecedented senior patriarch. Meanwhile Cannon likewise had a turnaround season as the Raiders tight end, with 32 receptions and 10 touchdowns; his most successful offensive productivity since his days as a running back with the Oilers. Like Blanda, Cannon renewed his productivity and seemingly extended his career as he would go on to catch more than 20 receptions in each of the following season, totals which exceeded his entire receiving tally for the previous two seasons combined. Both Blanda and Cannon were AFL All Stars in 1967; with Cannon earning 2nd team AFL status again in 1968 and 1969. The addition of the two playoff performance savvy veterans was timely as the 1967 Oakland Raiders; whose 13–1 record was the most successful season in AFL history, participated in the first playoff game in franchise history when they hosted Blanda and Cannon’s former team; the East Division Champion Houston Oilers, on December 31, 1967 in the 1967 AFL Championship Game.

The Raiders dominated the game from the outset. Blanda matched his earlier performance against his former club by booting four field goals, and added four successful PAT’s to account for 16 of the Raiders tally of 40 points. The Oilers did not even score until the 4th quarter in the 40–7 blowout. Cannon had two receptions in the game, one for 21 yards. Although neither former superstar contributed to the degree that they had in former years; nonetheless Blanda and Cannon were once again teammates and AFL Champions. Two weeks later, Blanda and Cannon played in the second AFL-NFL Championship game against the Green Bay Packers. The NFL Champions soundly defeated the Raiders, and Cannon was held to just another 2 receptions for 25 yards, while Blanda managed a mere 2 points off converted PAT’s.

For the next two seasons thereafter, Blanda and Cannon were productive teammates for consecutive AFL West Championship Oakland Raiders teams. Blanda kicked three field goals and converted on an additional two PAT’s in Oakland’s 27–23 loss to the Joe Namath lead New York Jets in the 1968 AFL Championship game. Cannon likewise contributed in spite of the loss, catching four passes for 69 yards, including one grab for 36 yards. The 1969 AFL West Championship Oakland team had the league’s best record as they hosted Blanda and Cannon’s former Houston Oilers in the Divisional Round of the final playoffs in the league’s history. The favored Raiders crushed their weaker opponent by the lopsided score of 56–7. Blanda nailed eight PAT’s; and though Cannon was limited to a single reception, his three yard TD reception was his third career playoff TD catch, and his first since his 35 yard game clincher in the 1961 AFL Championship Game as a Houston Oiler. A disappointing 17–7 loss to AFL West rival Kansas City in the following week’s Championship Game was the final contest between any two AFL teams, and likewise closed the curtain on the Blanda and Cannon connection.

The increasingly hobbled Cannon was released by the Raiders, and then he only saw limited action with the Kansas City Chiefs before retiring after a season ending injury in 1970. Blanda continued as the Raiders place kicker and back up quarterback until retiring in 1976 at 48 years of age.

George Blanda and Billy Cannon were teammates for a total of seven seasons during their respective careers. After four seasons together on the Houston Oilers from 1960–1963; they were reunited and played together for the Oakland Raiders from 1967–1969. Of significant note is the fact that during those seven seasons as teammates, they played together in six AFL Championship Games, winning two AFL Titles with the Oilers in 1960 and 1961; and a third with the Raiders in 1967. It is difficult to imagine the Oilers winning either of their two inaugural AFL Championships without either of the two offensive superstars. And though their respective roles in Oakland were limited and specialized; nonetheless Blanda and Cannon each contributed to the success of the Raiders in the latter ‘60s.

The Blanda and Cannon connection then involved the history of two highly successful AFL organizations; the early and the latter history of the league itself; and the tenacious determination of two aging gridiron stars to extend their respective careers by accepting specialized roles in order to adapt to their diminishing skills. Though both Blanda and Cannon have each passed on; nonetheless their legacy lives on in the history of the AFL.

Long live the memory of the Blanda and Cannon connection.

Long live the memory of the AFL.