Surf Wiki
Save to docs
sports

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

1961 Boston Patriots season

Season of American Football League team the Boston Patriots

Season of American Football League team the Boston Patriots

FieldValue
teamBoston Patriots
year1961
record9–4–1
division_place2nd AFL Eastern
coachLou Saban (fired: 2–3)
Mike Holovak (interim: 7–1–1)
ownerBilly Sullivan
general managerEdward McKeever
stadiumBoston University Field
playoffs*Did not qualify*
AFL allstarsLB Tom Addison
DB Fred Bruney
WR Gino Cappelletti
DE Bob Dee
RB Larry Garron
DT Jim Lee Hunt
G Chuck Leo
uniformImage:AFC-1961-1964-Uniform-NE.PNG
shortnavlinkPatriots seasons

Patriots}} Mike Holovak (interim: 7–1–1) DB Fred Bruney WR Gino Cappelletti DE Bob Dee RB Larry Garron DT Jim Lee Hunt G Chuck Leo The 1961 Boston Patriots season was the franchise's second season in the American Football League They finished with nine wins, four losses, and one tie, in second place in the AFL's Eastern Division. This was the first season that the now famous "Pat Patriot" logo appeared on the helmets. The logo itself would see minor updates throughout the years before it was finally retired after the 1992 season, after 32 years.

Staff

  • President – Billy Sullivan
  • General Manager – Edward McKeever
  • Head Coach – Lou Saban (fired, 2–3)
  • Mike Holovak (interim, 7–1–1)
  • Offensive backfield – Mike Holovak
  • Offensive line – Red Miller
  • Defensive line – Jerry Smith
  • Defensive backfield – Joe Collier

Season summary

In the off-season, the team acquired quarterback Babe Parilli from the Oakland Raiders, himself a former starter for the NFL's Green Bay Packers. After a 2–3 start and two consecutive losses, the team fired head coach Lou Saban on the night of Tuesday, October 10, and replaced him with offensive backfield coach Mike Holovak, formerly the head coach at Boston College. The change was a positive one, as the team was 7–1–1 under Holovak and finished on a four-game winning streak, capped with a road shutout of the Western Division champion San Diego Chargers in the season finale, the team which scored 38 points on them in Boston in Saban's last game.

The Patriots' 9–4–1 record put them in second place in the Eastern Division, one game behind Houston; the Oilers went on to win the league championship with a 10–3 win over the Chargers. This was the first season in which Boston used their "Pat the Patriot" logo on their helmets.

Draft picks

RoundPlayerPositionCollege
1Tommy MasonTommy MasonHalf backTulane
2Rip HawkinsRip HawkinsCenterNorth Carolina
3Danny LaRoseDanny LaRoseTight endMissouri
4Mike ZenoMike ZenoGuardVirginia Tech
5Fran TarkentonFran TarkentonQuarterbackGeorgia
6Larry EisenhauerLarry Eisenhauer 1TackleBoston College
7Paul TerhesPaul TerhesQuarterbackBucknell
8Charles Long]] 1GuardTennessee-Chattanooga
9Roland LakesRoland LakesCenterWichita
10Richard Mueller]]Offensive endKentucky
11Mel WestMel WestCenterMissouri
12Wayne HarrisWayne HarrisCenterArkansas
13Dan UnderwoodDan UnderwoodTackleMcNeese State
14James Wright]]QuarterbackMemphis State
16George BalthazarGeorge BalthazarTackleTennessee A&I
17Ray RatkowskiRay RatkowskiHalfbackNotre Dame
18Tom Rodgers]]HalfbackKentucky
19Joe BellinoJoe BellinoHalfbackNavy
20Clarence Childs]]HalfbackFlorida A&M
21Don Oakes]]GuardVirginia Tech
22Bob JohnsonBob JohnsonOffensive endMichigan
23Darrell DeDeckerDarrell DeDeckerCenterIllinois
24Don Webb]]HalfbackIowa State
25Bob MinihaneBob MinihaneTackleBoston
26Charley GrangerCharley GrangerTackleSouthern
27Terry HuxholdTerry HuxholdTackleWisconsin
28Bryant HarvardBryant HarvardQuarterbackAuburn
29Ernie McMillanErnie McMillanTackleIllinois
30George HultzGeorge HultzTackleMississippi Southern

Schedule

Regular season

Boston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"WeekBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"DateBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"OpponentBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"ResultBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"RecordBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"VenueBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"AttendanceBoston Patriotsyear=1961border=2}}"Recap123456789101112131415
**[New York Titans](1961-new-york-titans-season)****L** 20–210–1Boston University Field16,683[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196109090nwe.htm)
[Denver Broncos](1961-denver-broncos-season)**W** 45–171–1Boston University Field14,479[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196109160nwe.htm)
at [Buffalo Bills](1961-buffalo-bills-season)**W** 23–212–1War Memorial Stadium21,504[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196109230buf.htm)
October 1at **[New York Titans](1961-new-york-titans-season)****L** 30–372–2Polo Grounds15,189[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196110010nyj.htm)
[San Diego Chargers](1961-san-diego-chargers-season)**L** 27–382–3Boston University Field17,748[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196110070nwe.htm)
**[Houston Oilers](1961-houston-oilers-season)****T** 31–312–3–1Boston University Field15,070[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196110130nwe.htm)
October 22**[Buffalo Bills](1961-buffalo-bills-season)****W** 52–213–3–1Boston University Field9,398[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196110220nwe.htm)
October 29at [Dallas Texans](1961-dallas-texans-season)**W** 18–174–3–1Cotton Bowl20,500[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196110290kan.htm)
[Dallas Texans](1961-dallas-texans-season)**W** 28–215–3–1Boston University Field25,063[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196111030nwe.htm)
November 12at **[Houston Oilers](1961-houston-oilers-season)****L** 15–275–4–1Jeppesen Stadium35,649[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196111120oti.htm)
[Oakland Raiders](1961-oakland-raiders-season)**W** 20–176–4–1Boston University Field17,169[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196111170nwe.htm)
*Bye*
December 3at [Denver Broncos](1961-denver-broncos-season)**W** 28–247–4–1Bears Stadium9,303[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196112030den.htm)
at [Oakland Raiders](1961-oakland-raiders-season)**W** 35–218–4–1Candlestick Park6,500[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196112090rai.htm)
December 17at [San Diego Chargers](1961-san-diego-chargers-season)**W** 41–09–4–1Balboa Stadium21,339[Recap](https://aws.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196112170sdg.htm)
**Note:** Intra-division opponents are in **bold** text.

Standings

Roster

Boston Patriots 1961 roster
**Quarterbacks**

References

  1. (October 11, 1961). "Holovak shocked". The Telegraph.
  2. (December 18, 1961). "Pats toast of Boston". The Telegraph.
  3. (2007). "AFC east helmets". The Helmet Project.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1961-american-football-league-season-by-team new-england-patriots-seasons 1961-in-sports-in-massachusetts 1961-in-boston
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 1961 Boston Patriots season — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report