1962 American Football League Championship Game
1962 AFL Championship Game: Dallas Texans 20, Houston Oilers 17 (double overtime)
On December 23, 1962, the Western Division champion Dallas Texans and the Eastern Division champion Houston Oilers met at Jeppesen Stadium in Houston. Dallas, coached by Hank Stram, won 20–17 after two overtimes over the Oilers, who were coached by Pop Ivy. Attendance was 37,981, and astronaut Gus Grissom served as honorary referee.
Dallas jumped out to a big lead. Led by quarterback Len Dawson, the Texans scored first when Abner Haynes caught or ran for a touchdown, and Dallas added another Haynes score, taking a 17–0 lead in the first half.
Houston fought back behind George Blanda and a strong running game from Charlie Tolar and Billy Cannon. The Oilers reached the Dallas 1-yard line, but Dallas’s defense stopped them at the goal line. Blanda later kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 17–10. Dallas steadied the ship, and then Houston tied the game in the fourth quarter when Tolar scored from 1 yard out, capping a drive that was helped by Blanda’s passing. The extra point tied the score at 17–17.
In the first overtime, neither team scored. Dallas captain Abner Haynes won the coin toss but said, “We’ll kick to the clock,” a miscue that left his team without the preferred wind or the first possession. In the second overtime, Tommy Brooker, a rookie, kicked a 25-yard field goal with 2:54 left in the sixth period to win the game for Dallas.
This game marked the Texans’ final appearance before their move to Kansas City, where they became the Chiefs. It was the last AFL championship game played in Houston, and the Oilers/Titans franchise would continue to play in the AFL and NFL for years to come.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:35 (CET).