1963 NFL season (Jayverse)

The 1963 NFL Season was the 4th Regular Season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers CB Herb Adderley and Chicago Bears DE Doug Atkins for gambling on their own teams in the 1962 NFL Season, as well as other NFL games; Adderley and Atkins would miss the entire season. In addition, five other Chicago players are fined $2,000 each for placing bets on game in which they didn't participate.

Notable Draft Choices
Philadelphia Eagles draft Ed Budde (G)

Washington Capitals draft Pat Richter (TE)

Cleveland Browns draft Tom Hutchinson (TE)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Hewritt Dixon (RB)

Los Angeles Rams draft Terry Baker (QB)

Chicago Bears draft Dave Behrman (C)

San Francisco 49ers draft Kermit Alexander (CB)

Oakland Raiders draft Butch Wilson (TE)

Denver Broncos draft Ray Poage (TE)

New York Titans draft Jerry Stovall (FS)

Boston Patriots draft Art Graham (WR)

Baltimore Colts draft Bob Vogel (T)

Buffalo Bills draft Jim Dunaway (DT)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Willie Brown (SS)

Dallas Texans draft Lee Roy Jordan (LB)

Detroit Lions draft Daryl Sanders (T)

Green Bay Packers draft Dave Robinson (LB)

New York Giants draft Dave Hill (T)

Toronto Huskies draft John Wydareny (CB)

Los Angeles Chargers draft Walt Sweeney (G)

Kansas City Kings draft Buck Buchanan (DT)

Montreal Beavers draft Rick Black (FB)

St. Louis Gunners draft Don Brumm (DE)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Lee Roy Caffey (LB)

Washington Capitals draft Billy Joe (RB)

Cleveland Browns draft Bill Munsey (CB)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Andy Russell (LB)

Los Angeles Rams draft Dave Costa (DT)

Chicago Bears draft Steve Barnett (T)

San Francisco 49ers draft Walt Rock (T)

Oakland Raiders draft Jerry Logan (SS)

Denver Broncos draft Tom Janik (FS)

New York Titans draft Willie Richardson (WR)

Boston Patriots draft Bob Reynolds (T)

Baltimore Colts draft John Mackey (TE)

Buffalo Bills draft Tom Woodeshick (RB)

Dallas Texans draft Jackie Smith (TE)

Detroit Lions draft Karl Kassulke (FS)

Green Bay Packers draft Bobby Bell (LB)

Kansas City Kings draft John Campbell (LB)

St. Louis Gunners draft Larry Stallings (LB)

Oakland Raiders draft Winston Hill (T)

JFK assassination
In Week 11 on November 24, just two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the NFL played it's normal schedule of games. League commissioner Rozelle said about playing the games: "It has been traditional in sports for athletes to perform in times of great personal tragedy. Football was Mr. Kennedy's game. He thrived on competition. Attendance at games went unaffected despite the assassination. Although the choice to play the games was protested, and Rozelle had also eventually regretted the decision, he stated that Kennedy's secretary, Pierre Salinger, had urged him to allow the games to be played.

No NFL games were telecast in the United States, since on the afternoon of the 22nd, just after the president had been pronounced dead, CBS President Frank Stanton ordered that all regular programming be pre-empted until after Mr. Kennedy was buried. Normal programming, including the NFL, was replaced by non-stop news coverage, broadcast without commercials.

Standings
National Football League

Capital - New York Giants (13-1), Montreal Beavers (10-4), Washington Capitals (6-8), Philadelphia Eagles (4-10)

Century - Toronto Huskies (9-5), Detroit Lions (7-7), Green Bay Packers (7-7), Chicago Bears (6-8)

Coastal - St. Louis Gunners (10-4), San Francisco 49ers (7-7), Baltimore Colts (5-9), Los Angeles Rams (2-12)

Central - Dallas Texans (8-6), Denver Broncos (7-7), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8), Cleveland Browns (5-9)

American Football League

East - New York Titans (9-5), Atlanta Falcons (9-5), Boston Patriots (8-6), Buffalo Bills (8-6), Miami Dolphins (4-10)

West - Los Angeles Chargers (10-4), Kansas City Kings (8-6), Calgary Stampeders (6-8), Vancouver Lumberjacks (4-10), Oakland Raiders (4-10)

Playoffs
NFL Semi-FInals: Toronto def. NY Giants 37-17, Montreal def. St. Louis 14-13

AFL Semi-Finals: LA Chargers def. Buffalo 26-24, Atlanta def. NY Titans 31-27

NFL Championship: Montreal def. Toronto 38-31

AFL Championship: LA Chargers def. Atlanta 41-14

AFL-NFL World Championship: LA Chargers def. Montreal 38-31

Pro Bowl: NFL def. AFL 34-13

League Leaders
Passing Yards - Brandon Howe (NY Giants) 4178

Passing TD's - Robert Bravo (NY Titans) 38

Passing Rating - Brandon Howe (NY Giants) 119.2

Rushing Yards - Ernie Davis (Washington) 1342

Receiving Yards - Johnny Hicks (Atlanta) 1561

Total Points - Bill Mitchell (Toronto) 138

Tackles - David Leonard (Cleveland) 107

Sacks - Walter Straub (Toronto) 19

Interceptions - Freddy Moore (Denver) & Johnny Robinson (Detroit) 7