1963 NFL season (Jayverse)

The 1963 NAFL Season was the 4th Regular Season of the North American Football League. On April 17, NAFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers RB Dan Lewis and Chicago Bears FS Erich Barnes for gambling on their own teams in the 1962 NAFL Season, as well as other NAFL games; Lewis and Barnes 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.

Draft
The 1963 NAFL Draft was held at Chicago's Sheraton Hotel & Towers with the First Pick the Detroit Lions Select CB John Wydareny from Western Ontario University other players chosen include Penn State LB Dave Robinson to the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota LB Bobby Bell to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Missouri LB Andy Russell to the Washington Redskins, Texas Southern T Winston Hill to the Cleveland Browns, Alabama LB Lee Roy Jordan to the Ottawa Northmen, LSU CB Jerry Stovall to the New York Giants, UCLA SS Kermit Alexander to the San Francisco 49ers, Grambling State CB Willie Brown to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Syracuse G Walt Sweeney to the Buffalo Bills, Michigan State T Ed Budde to the Denver Broncos, Grambling DT Buck Buchanan to the Edmonton Eskimos, Ohio State T Bob Vogel to the Baltimore Colts, Syracuse TE John Mackey to the Philadelphia Eagles and Michigan State C Dave Behrman to the Chicago Bears

JFK assassination
In Week 11 on November 24, just two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the NAFL 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 NAFL 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 NAFL, was replaced by non-stop news coverage, broadcast without commercials.

Standings
National Conference

East: Philadelphia Eagles (9-5), Baltimore Colts (6-8), New York Giants (6-8), Washington Redskins (5-9)

Central: Green Bay Packers (10-4), Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5), Cleveland Browns (7-7), Chicago Bears (3-11)

West: San Francisco 49ers (10-4), Los Angeles Rams (10-4), Denver Broncos (7-7), Dallas Cowboys (2-12)

Continental Conference

East: Montreal Alouettes (10-4), Ottawa Northmen (8-6), Boston Patriots (7-7), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-8)

Central: Buffalo Bills (9-5), Toronto Argonauts (8-6), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-10), Detroit Lions (3-11)

West: Edmonton Eskimos (10-4), Calgary Stampeders (9-5), Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-8), British Columbia Cardinals (4-10)

Playoffs
Halas Cup Semi-Finals

San Francisco 49ers 34, Los Angeles Rams 21

Philadelphia Eagles 24, Green Bay Packers 13

Grey Cup Semi-Finals

Edmonton Eskimos 16, Calgary Stampeders 14

Montreal Alouettes 24, Buffalo Bills 12

Halas Cup Final

San Francisco 49ers 41, Philadelphia Eagles 27

Grey Cup Final

Edmonton Eskimos 23, Montreal Alouettes 3

4th World Series of Pro Football (at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, CA)

Edmonton Eskimos 20, San Francisco 49ers 17

NAFL All-Star Game (at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA)

Continental All-Stars 17, National All-Stars 10

End of Season Awards
MVP: Fran Tarkenton (QB - Montreal Alouettes)

Playoff MVP: John Brodie (QB - Edmonton Eskimos)

Offensive MVP: Fran Tarkenton (QB - Montreal Alouettes)

Defensive MVP: Dave Robinson (LB - Green Bay Packers)