The 1960 Los Angeles Chargers season was the team's inaugural season and also the inaugural season of the American Football League (AFL). Head coach Sid Gillman led the Chargers to the AFL Western Division title with a 10–4 record, winning eight games out of nine after a 2–3 start, and qualifying to play the Houston Oilers in the AFL championship game.
The Chargers had the right to host the championship game at their home venue, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. However, as the team's attendance for home games was falling below 10,000, league and television officials feared showing empty seats in the 100,000+ seat Coliseum, and they persuaded the Chargers to give up the advantage. The game was moved to Houston's Jeppesen Stadium. The teams had split their two games in the regular season, with the home teams winning, and the host Oilers were 6½-point favorites to win the title. Down by a point after three quarters, the Chargers gave up an 88-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and lost, 24–16.
The Chargers' poor attendance figures, due in part to heavy competition from the Los Angeles Rams, soon led to speculation that they might leave Los Angeles. In December, owner Barron Hilton denied that he was planning a move, but in late January he relocated the Chargers down the coast to Balboa Stadium in San Diego for the 1961 season. The team would not return to Los Angeles until 2017 where they would temporarily stay at Dignity Health Sports Park in the suburb of Carson for three seasons until they moved to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood with the Rams in 2020.
Offseason
Formation
The AFL granted a Los Angeles franchise to Barron Hilton on August 14, 1959; the nickname "Chargers" was announced on October 27. Hilton's first major signing was former Notre Dame coach and administrator Frank Leahy, who became the club's first general manager on October 14 and began the search for a head coach. Leahy also employed Don Klosterman as Director of Personnel, to help sign new players.
Coaching staff
Bob McBride, a former assistant of Leahy's at Notre Dame, was named the first Chargers head coach on November 19, but McBride changed his mind within 24 hours of the announcement and pulled out. Subsequently, Leahy had several talks with Los Angeles Rams offensive line coach Lou Rymkus about the vacancy, but Rymkus ultimately joined another AFL team, the Houston Oilers.
On December 12, Sid Gillman left the NFL's Los Angeles Rams after five years as their head coach. The Rams had reached the NFL Championship Game in Gillman's first season in charge, but went 2–10 in 1959. After his exit, Gillman considered retiring from football to become a stockbroker, but was soon lured to the AFL when approached by Hilton, signing a three-year contract on January 7, 1960, having been out of work for just 26 days.
Gillman recruited four assistant coaches in the months that followed. Both Joe Madro and Jack Faulkner had been on Gillman's staff with the Rams; they were installed as offensive line and defensive backfield coaches, respectively. Al Davis was serving as the defensive coordinator at the University of Southern California when Gillman called to offer him a post of his choosing. Davis agreed, taking over the offensive ends, as he wanted to be involved with the passing game. The group was completed on February 1 by the addition of Chuck Noll as defensive line coach. Noll had recently concluded a seven-year career with the Cleveland Browns where he had served as both offensive lineman and linebacker. Three of the coaches on this five-man team are now in the Hall of Fame: Gillman, Davis and Noll.
In July 1960, Leahy resigned as general manager due to ill health, and Gillman took over the role on top of his head coaching duties.
AFL draft
First selections
The AFL owners met on November 22–23, 1959, for the opening stages of the league's inaugural draft. On the first day, a "territorial draft" was conducted, with each team receiving the rights to one local player. This was intended to increase interest in the new teams. Each player in the territorial draft was agreed upon by all eight owners; the Chargers received Monty Stickles, but the Notre Dame end ultimately signed with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers instead.
The following day, thirty-two more rounds took place, with the intent of giving each team three players in each offensive position. The selections are believed to have been decided by a drawing of lots, though the closed-door nature of the meeting leaves the precise details of the process unknown. A contemporary source lists 11 players as "Charger Choices" and a further 22 as "additional selections".
The rival NFL staged their own draft one week later, beginning a bidding war for the services of players. Including Stickles, eight of the Chargers' initial thirty-three selections played for NFL teams in 1960. Only three were with the Chargers on opening day. Linebacker and punter Paul Maguire, who had played for Al Davis at The Citadel in 1956, agreed to an $8,000 contract with a $1,000 bonus on Christmas Day, while Wisconsin safety Bob Zeman signed on January 12, 1960, following a meeting with Gillman. The acquisition of Charlie Flowers was less straightforward. Flowers signed a contract with the New York Giants but asked them to keep the agreement secret until after the 1960 Sugar Bowl, to maintain his eligibility for the game. Flowers then changed his mind and signed with the Chargers after they offered him more money. The Giants obtained an injunction to temporarily block the fullback from joining his chosen team, but the courts ruled in San Diego's favor on June 23.
As the precise order of selection is unknown, the Chargers' draft is presented here in alphabetical order. The players were listed according to their offensive positions, even if they were primarily defensive players.
1960 Los Angeles Chargers draft - First Selections Player Position College Notes Ted Aucreman End Indiana Bob Bercich Halfback Michigan State 179th pick in 1959 NFL draft; signed by Dallas Cowboys Barney Berlinger End Pennsylvania Charles Boone Center Richmond Bobby Boyd * Quarterback Oklahoma 119th pick in NFL draft; signed by Baltimore Colts Byron Bradfute Tackle Southern Mississippi Signed by Dallas Cowboys Rod Breedlove * Guard Maryland 35th pick in NFL draft; signed by Washington Redskins Tom Budrewicz Tackle Brown 140th pick in NFL draft James Cameron Center East Texas State College Jack Crouthamel Halfback Dartmouth Traded to Boston Patriots Pete Davidson Tackle/Guard The Citadel 165th pick in NFL draft Floyd Faucette Halfback Georgia Tech Traded to Houston Oilers Charlie Flowers Fullback Mississippi 142nd pick in NFL draft Bobby Franklin Quarterback Mississippi 127th pick in NFL draft; signed by Cleveland Browns Don Horn Fullback Iowa Bob Jeter * Halfback Iowa 17th pick in NFL draft; signed by BC Lions Bill Linder Tackle Pittsburgh Billy Locklin Tackle New Mexico State Traded to Oakland Raiders William Lopasky Guard West Virginia Paul Maguire * End The Citadel Ed "Wahoo" McDaniel End Oklahoma Traded to Houston Oilers Charlie Milstead Quarterback Texas A&M 160th pick in NFL draft; traded to Houston Oilers Ed Pitts Tackle South Carolina Bob Scholtz Center Notre Dame 27th pick in NFL draft; signed by Detroit Lions Ed Serieka Fullback Xavier, Ohio Russ Sloan End Missouri John Stolte Tackle Kansas State Ron Stehouwer Tackle Colorado 136th pick in NFL draft; signed by Pittsburgh Steelers Wayne Stewart Guard The Citadel Monty Stickles End Notre Dame 11th pick in NFL draft; signed by San Francisco 49ers Andy Stynchula Tackle Penn State 28th pick in NFL draft; signed by Washington Redskins Leonard Wilson Halfback Purdue Bob Zeman * Halfback Wisconsin 179th pick in 1959 NFL draft Made roster Made at least one AFL All-Star game or NFL Pro Bowl during career Played in the NFL in 1960
Second selections
The AFL owners reconvened on December 2, 1959, for a further 20 rounds of picks. The league released no details as to the order of these selections, but the randomized method is believed to have been used again.
None of Los Angeles' 20 selections played for the team in 1960, but George Blair would join them in 1961, after playing for the University of Mississippi in his senior year.
1960 Los Angeles Chargers draft - Second Selections Player Position College Notes Jerry Beabout Tackle / guard Purdue George Blair * Defensive back Mississippi 72nd pick in NFL draft; made Chargers' roster in 1961 Frank Brixius Tackle / guard Minnesota Joe Davis Tackle / guard The Citadel Bob DeMarco * Tackle / guard Dayton 157th pick in NFL draft; signed by St. Louis Cardinals the following year Bob Hain Tackle / guard Iowa 225th pick in NFL draft Chuck Janssen Tackle / guard Tulsa Gorden Kelley End Georgia Signed by San Francisco 49ers Larry Lancaster Tackle / guard Georgia 189th pick in NFL draft; claimed by Oakland in allocation draft Marv Lasater Halfback Texas Christian 58th pick in NFL draft Warren Lashua End Whitworth Perry McGriff End Florida Kirk Phares Tackle / guard South Carolina 77th pick in NFL draft Lamar Rawson Halfback Auburn Ron Ray Tackle / guard Howard Payne 125th pick in NFL draft; signed by Hamilton Tiger Cats Ken Talkington Quarterback Texas Tech John Talley Quarterback Northwestern Bob Waters Halfback Presbyterian 83rd pick in NFL draft; signed by San Francisco 49ers Bob Wehking Center Florida 130th pick in NFL draft Larry Womack Halfback Colorado State Made roster Made at least one AFL All-Star game or NFL Pro Bowl during career Played in the NFL in 1960
Roster building
AFL teams were permitted a squad of 35 players going into the opening week of the regular season. The Chargers stocked their initial roster with numerous rookies, along with a smattering of former NFL players.
One of their most successful acquisitions, Ron Mix, had been drafted by the Boston Patriots, but Los Angeles traded for his rights and beat the NFL's Baltimore Colts to his signature. Mix officially became a Charger on December 16, ten days before his last game for USC. He would become the only man to play for the Chargers in all ten AFL seasons, while being named All-AFL at right tackle every year from 1960 to 1968.
Jack Kemp had been cut by three different NFL teams before signing for the Chargers. When Kemp was signed by the Chargers, he was also offered a job with the Hilton hotel chain to improve his job prospects after his playing career ended. Kemp was soon identified as the leading candidate for the starting quarterback role. He would lead the Chargers to the first two AFL title games, and win a further two with the Buffalo Bills.
Once Al Davis had joined Gillman's coaching team, he became instrumental in persuading several players to join the Chargers. Center Don Rogers had been a late cut of the San Francisco 49ers in 1959. He returned to college at South Carolina, and told Davis he had no further interest in playing pro football. Davis persisted with several telephone calls, and gave Rogers $500 to sign a contract, despite Rogers making it clear he had no intention of reporting to training camp. Rogers eventually drove out to Los Angeles to see California, with little expectation of making the team, but won the starting job and stayed with the Chargers for five years. Others signed by Davis included guards Fred Cole and Sam DeLuca. Like Rogers, running back Paul Lowe had been released by the 49ers in 1959. He took a job with the Carte Blanche credit card organization, owned by the Hilton family. The Chargers management discovered that Lowe was working in the mail room and contacted him about playing for them. Lowe won a spot on the team, and stayed with the Chargers until 1968, rushing for nearly 5,000 yards.