|
 |
| |
Although the Denver Broncos' 39-97-4 record was the worst of any of the original eight
American Football League teams', the franchise had many proud moments and several AFL
superstars, including Gene Mingo, Goose Gonsoulin, Lionel Taylor and Floyd Little. The Broncos won the
first-ever American Football League game, over the Boston Patriots (13-10) on
September 9, 1960. |
|
|
|
In that first game, halfback
Al Carmichael was involved
in the first play, as Bob
McNamara took the Patriots'
opening kickoff and reversed
it to Carmichael, who ran it
to the Broncos' 17-yardline.
Then Carmichael ran the
AFL's first play from
scrimmage, on a handoff from
Bronco quarterback Frank
Tripucka, for a five-yard
gain.
And on the first play of the second quarter,
Carmichael took a
short pass from Tripucka and
scampered for a 59-yard
score, the first-ever
touchdown in the American
Football League. |
|
(click
here for more) |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Denver had the first black place-kicker in U.S. Professional
Football, Gene Mingo. In the league's first season,
they had the leading quarterback, Frank Tripucka (248/478, 3,038
yds, 24 td); receiver, Lionel Taylor (92 for 1,235 yds, 12 td);
interceptor, Goose Gonsoulin (11 for 98 yds); and scorer, Gene
Mingo (123 total points on PAT, FG, td rushes, td receptions,
and kick returns for td). The Broncos were the first AFL
team ever to defeat an NFL team, on August 5, 1967 when they
beat the Lions 13-7. They were the first pro football team
to wear vertically-striped socks (and the first to burn their
socks in a public ceremony!). |
|
The
Denver Broncos were also the first modern pro football team to have a black
quarterback as a starter. Marlin
Briscoe set rookie quarterback records when he took over the starting job in 1968.
Despite their relative lack of early success in the win-loss column, the Broncos produced
some memorable games, like one in 1960 against the Buffalo Bills. Willmer Fowler,
the first Buffalo back to top 100 yards rushing in a game with 120, broke a 61-yard run to
set up Billy Atkins' early field goal. Then Jim Wagstaff's interception and 23-yard return
to the Denver 31 set up a short TD plunge by Wray Carlton for a 10-0 lead. In
the second quarter, Elbert Dubenion (6 for 134) took a flat pass and turned it into a
76-yard TD; but before the half ended, Denver's Gene Mingo scored, shortly after Ted
Wegert ran a Bronco fumble 38 yards to the Bills 17. In a 5:16 span in
the third, Atkins kicked a field goal, Mack Yoho returned a Frank Tripucka interception 15
yards for a score, Fowler ran 19 yards for a TD, and Atkins made another field goal to
make it 38-7. The Bills seemed headed for an easy victory.
But the Broncos
then made their move. On the first play after the kickoff, Lionel Taylor (9 for199) caught
a short pass and sped 80 yards for a score, and in the first 6:39 of the fourth, he caught
two more TD passes from Tripucka covering 24 and 35 yards to make it 38-28.
With the Bills suddenly stagnant on offense and defense, the Broncos' Don Allen
scored on a one-yard run with 4:25 left. Denver's last drive started at their 33
with 1:14 to go. Tripucka (19 for 41, 5 TD, 328 yds) completed three passes, and Bills
linebacker Archie Matsos was flagged for pass interference. The Broncos moved to the 12,
and Mingo came in to kick a 19-yard tying field goal with 12 seconds remaining to cap the
comeback. |
|
|
Early AFL game
ball. Reputed in Al Carmichael's book
106 Yards
to be the ball from the first regular season AFL game, but from the score on
the ball and the signatures of players like Chuck McMahon and Pat O'Donnell,
who were never on an active Broncos roster, the ball appears to be from one
of the first AFL exhibition games in 1960. It does carry the
autographs of Broncos star receiver Lionel Taylor, Al Carmichael and Eldon
Danenhauer, among others.
(Click
here to see other American Football League balls.) |
