1962 AFL Championship vs Houston Oilers

Lore & Background

The Texans won the 1962 AFL Championship and relocated to Kansas City, Missouri the following year, becoming the Chiefs. In 1966, the Chiefs won their second AFL title and appeared in the first AFL-NFL World Championship game (later named Super Bowl I) in January 1967, losing to the Green Bay Packers. In 1969, the Chiefs won the final AFL title and went on to defeat the NFL's heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Texans/Chiefs were the most victorious franchise in AFL history, compiling an 87–48–5 record from 1960 to 1969.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled across Jeppesen Stadium, carrying the bite of a December chill that seeped through wool coats and leather pads. On the sideline, Hank Stram paced with a intensity that matched the clock's relentless ticking. The score was deadlocked at 17-17 in the second overtime, a duration no professional football game had ever endured before. Inside the huddle, breaths came in white plumes as players rubbed their numb hands together. 'One play,' Stram barked, his voice cutting through the static of the crowd's roar. 'Just one more play to end this.' The quarterback took the snap, the line held firm against the Oilers' charging front, and for a split second, the world narrowed down to a single rolling football and a running back named Jack Spikes.

Reader's Guide

The 1962 AFL Championship game was won by the Dallas Texans when kicker Tommy Brooker connected on a 25-yard field goal during the second overtime, giving the Texans a 20–17 victory against the Houston Oilers. Spanning an elapsed time of 77:54, the game stands as the third-longest contest in pro football history. Until a Christmas Day playoff game in 1971 between the Chiefs and Dolphins, the game was the longest ever played.

Did You Know?

• The Texans won the 1962 AFL Championship with a 25-yard field goal by Tommy Brooker in double overtime.
• The 1962 game lasted 77 minutes and 54 seconds, making it the longest pro football game until the 1971 Chiefs-Dolphins playoff.
• The decisive turnover did not occur in the second overtime; the Oilers punted and the Texans drove for the winning field goal.