The
1969 AFL All-Star Game was
played in the aftermath of
the most marvelous event in
the history of the young
league. The previous week,
the New York Jets had
defeated the NFL’s Baltimore
Colts for the world
championship. The East squad
was loaded with Jets
players. A record crowd of
43,800 saw the game at the
Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
The coaches were Hank Stram
of Kansas City for the West
and Wally Lemm of Houston
for the East.
In the first quarter, Joe
Namath of the Jets and John
Hadl of the Chargers led
their teams. The scoring was
confined to a field goal per
team as New York’s Jim
Turner connected from 27
yards out for the East and
Jan Stenerud of Kansas City
hit a record 51 yarder for
the West. The East did all
the second quarter scoring
as Jim Kiick of Miami
carried the ball in from the
two and Turner connected on
three more field goals from
16, 19 and 13 yards. The
halftime score was 19-3.
Hadl completed only 4 of 19
passes for 23 yards in the
half and had three
intercepted. Namath,
meanwhile, completed 7 of 18
for 98 yards and had one
intercepted.
In the second half, Bob
Griese of Miami assumed the
quarterbacking duties for
the East, Len Dawson of
Kansas City for the West.
Dawson had not originally
been chosen for the team
(although he had led the
league in average yards
gained during the season),
but Coach Stram exercised
his option and chose Dawson
as a backup. Dawson hit Bob
Trumpy of the Bengals on a 6
yard touchdown route to
bring the West to within
nine at 19-10. Turner booted
his fifth field goal of the
game from 18 yards in the
third quarter and that was
matched
by Stenerud, who hit
from 30. The score at the
end of the third quarter was
22-13. Turner gave the East
some cushion at 25-13 when
his kick from 21 yards out
was good early in the fourth
quarter. It was Turner’s
sixth field goal on the
afternoon. But, then the
floodgates opened. In 6:15,
the West scored 25 points.
It started when Denver’s
Floyd Little took a pass
from Dawson and scampered 81
yards down the sideline to
the East one yard line.
Oakland’s Hewitt Dixon carried it in from there.
The score was 25-20. Jim
Lynch of the Chiefs then
recovered an onside kick at
the East 43, Dawson hit
Warren Wells of Oakland for
37 yards and Cincinnati’s
Paul Robinson (AFL rookie of
the year) carried over on a
one yard run few plays
later. The West had the lead
for the first time. Lynch
then intercepted a Griese
pass and ran 37 yards to the
West one where Robinson
again carried it in.
Stenerud added a 32 yard
field goal, his third on the
afternoon, in the closing
minutes and the final was
38-25.
Dawson was selected as the
offensive player of the
game. He was 4 of 9 for 158
yards in the second half.
Houston’s George Webster was
selected as defensive player
of the game.
The
1969 AFL All-Star Game was
played in the aftermath of
the most marvelous event in
the history of the young
league. The previous week,
the New York Jets had
defeated the NFL’s Baltimore
Colts for the world
championship. The East squad
was loaded with Jets
players. A record crowd of
43,800 saw the game at the
Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
The coaches were Hank Stram
of Kansas City for the West
and Wally Lemm of Houston
for the East.
by Stenerud, who hit
from 30. The score at the
end of the third quarter was
22-13. Turner gave the East
some cushion at 25-13 when
his kick from 21 yards out
was good early in the fourth
quarter. It was Turner’s
sixth field goal on the
afternoon. But, then the
floodgates opened. In 6:15,
the West scored 25 points.
It started when Denver’s
Floyd Little took a pass
from Dawson and scampered 81
yards down the sideline to
the East one yard line.
Oakland’s Hewitt Dixon carried it in from there.
The score was 25-20. Jim
Lynch of the Chiefs then
recovered an onside kick at
the East 43, Dawson hit
Warren Wells of Oakland for
37 yards and Cincinnati’s
Paul Robinson (AFL rookie of
the year) carried over on a
one yard run few plays
later. The West had the lead
for the first time. Lynch
then intercepted a Griese
pass and ran 37 yards to the
West one where Robinson
again carried it in.
Stenerud added a 32 yard
field goal, his third on the
afternoon, in the closing
minutes and the final was
38-25.
