1963 San Diego Chargers season

The 1963 San Diego Chargers season was the team's fourth in the American Football League. The team had gone 4–10 in 1962. They won their only AFL Championship with a 51–10 win over the Boston Patriots in Balboa Stadium.[1][2][3][4] Receiver Lance Alworth was named the league M.V.P.

1963 San Diego Chargers season
Head coach	Sid Gillman
General manager	Sid Gillman
Owner	Barron Hilton
Home field	Balboa Stadium
Results
Record	11–3
Division place	1st Western Division
Playoff finish	Won AFL Championship (Boston Patriots, 51–10)

Through 2019, this is the Chargers' only league championship season in the AFL or NFL, although they did win the 1994 AFC Championship before losing in Super Bowl XXIX to the San Francisco 49ers. [5] This is also the most recent world championship ever won by a major league sports team in the city and county of San Diego. In 2003, the team was inducted into the Chargers Ring of Honor.[6]

The Chargers were the only AFL team to go undefeated against four teams in the regular season that would go on to make the postseason.[7] The 1963 San Diego Chargers were one of the best.[8]

Roster

1963 San Diego Chargers final roster

	Quarterbacks 18 Tobin Rote 21 John Hadl Running backs 23 Paul Lowe Wide receivers 19 Lance Alworth Tight ends		Offensive linemen 74 Ron Mix Defensive linemen 77 Ernie Ladd 86 Earl Faison		Linebackers Defensive backs Special teams		Reserve lists Practice squad Rookies in italics active, inactive, practice squad

Season schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance
1	September 8	Buffalo Bills	W, 14–10	1–0	22,344
2	September 14	Boston Patriots	W, 17–13	2–0	26,097
3	Bye
4	September 29	Kansas City Chiefs	W, 24–10	3–0	22,654
5	October 6	at Denver Broncos	L, 34–50	3–1	18,428
6	October 13	New York Jets	W, 24–20	4–1	27,189
7	October 20	at Kansas City Chiefs	W, 38–17	5–1	30,107
8	October 27	Oakland Raiders	L, 33–34	5–2	30,182
9	November 2	at New York Jets	W, 53–7	6–2	18,336
10	November 10	at Boston Patriots	W, 7–6	7–2	28,402
11	November 17	at Buffalo Bills	W, 23–13	8–2	38,592
	Scheduled AFL games postponed to December 22
12	December 1	Houston Oilers	W. 27–0	9–2	31,713
13	December 8	at Oakland Raiders	L, 27–41	9–3	20,249
14	December 15	at Houston Oilers	W, 20–14	10–3	18,540
15	December 22	Denver Broncos	W, 58–20	11–3	31,312

Game summaries

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 3 0 7 10 • Chargers 0 7 7 0 14 Date: September 8 Location: Balboa Stadium Game weather: 74°F; wind 11

Scoring summary Q2 SD Jackson 1 yard run (Blair kick) SD 7–0 Q2 BUF Yoho 17 yard field goal SD 7–3 Q3 SD Lowe 48 yard run (Blair kick) SD 14–3 Q4 BUF Brown 4 yard run (Yoho kick) SD 14–10

[9]

Week 2

1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 3 7 0 3 13 • Chargers 0 14 0 3 17 Date: September 14 Location: Balboa Stadium Game weather: 71°F; wind 8

Scoring summary Q1 BOS Cappelletti 35 yard field goal BOS 3–0 Q2 SD Alworth 43 yard pass from Rote (Blair kick) SD 7–3 Q2 SD Robinson 71 yard pass from Lowe (Blair kick) SD 14–3 Q2 BOS Yewcic 1 yard run (Cappelletti kick) SD 14–10 Q4 BOS Cappelletti 36 yard field goal SD 14–13 Q4 SD Blair 31 yard field goal SD 17–13

[10]

Week 8

1 2 3 4 Total • Chargers 7 17 14 15 53 Jets 0 0 0 7 7 Date: November 2 Location: Polo Grounds Game weather: 48°F; wind 16

Scoring summary Q1 SD Lowe 11 yard pass from Rote (Blair kick) SD 7–0 Q2 SD Kocourek 14 yard pass from Rote (Blair kick) SD 14–0 Q2 SD Lowe 11 yard run (Blair kick) SD 21–0 Q2 SD Blair 18 yard field goal SD 24–0 Q3 SD Alworth 28 yard pass from Rote (Blair kick) SD 31–0 Q3 SD Rote 1 yard run (Blair kick) SD 38–0 Q4 SD McDougall 3 yard run (Blair kick) SD 45–0 Q4 NYJ Wood 4 yard run (Guesman kick) SD 45–7 Q4 SD Robinson 8 yard pass from Hadl (pass good) SD 53–7

• Tobin Rote 21/29, 369 Yds
• Lance Alworth 5 Rec, 180 Yds

[11]

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 10 3 0 20 • Chargers 10 16 10 22 58 Date: December 22 Location: Balboa Stadium Game weather: 56°F; wind 5

Scoring summary Q1 SD Lowe 10 yard run (Blair kick) SD 7–0 Q1 DEN Joe 1 yard run (Mingo kick) Tie 7–7 Q1 SD Blair 17 yard field goal SD 10–7 Q2 SD Jackson 2 yard run (Blair kick) SD 17–7 Q2 DEN Stone 10 yard pass from Breaux (Mingo kick) SD 17–14 Q2 SD Kocourek 26 yard pass from Rote (kick failed) SD 23–14 Q2 DEN Mingo 12 yard field goal SD 23–17 Q2 SD Blair 28 yard field goal SD 26–17 Q3 SD Lowe 66 yard run (Blair kick) SD 33–17 Q3 DEN Mingo 15 yard field goal SD 33–20 Q3 SD Blair 13 yard field goal SD 36–20 Q4 SD Lincoln 29 yard run (Blair kick) SD 43–20 Q4 SD Allen 42 yard fumble return (Blair kick) SD 50–20 Q4 SD MacKinnon 6 yard pass from Hadl (pass good) SD 58–20

[12]

Standings

AFL Western Division
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
San Diego Chargers	11	3	0	.786	3–3	399	255	W2
Oakland Raiders	10	4	0	.714	6–0	363	282	W8
Kansas City Chiefs	5	7	2	.417	2–4	347	263	W3
Denver Broncos	2	11	1	.154	1–5	301	473	L7

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Playoffs

Main article: 1963 American Football League Championship Game

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Championship	January 5, 1964	Boston Patriots	Balboa Stadium	W 51–10	30,127

References

1. "Chargers roll over Boston in AFL final". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 6, 1964. p. 27.
2. "Chargers rout Boston, 51-10; compared with NFL teams". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. January 6, 1964. p. 11, part 2.
3. "Are Chargers good enough for NFL opponents?". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. January 6, 1964. p. 3B.
4. "Charger win Lincolnesque; Palouse Moose gains 349". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. January 6, 1964. p. 12.
5. As of 2011
6. Gehlken, Michael (October 28, 2013). "Chargers to honor their title team". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on December 23, 2013.
7. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the AFL, in the regular season, team won game, in games against playoff teams only, only in games against teams with winning record for season, sorted by most games in season matching criteria.
8. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=3866837
9. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-Nov-04.
10. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-Nov-04.
11. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Dec-29.
12. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Aug-16.