This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/21/2017
It took double overtime to keep George Blanda and the Houston Oilers from winning their third consecutive AFL Championship. Playing with essentially the same roster as the previous championships, the Oilers lost an 11-3 heart-breaker to the Dallas Texans. This brown and white leather Spalding AFL football has been signed by 42 members of the defending Champion 1962 Houston Oilers team. Among the signatures are Coach Frank “Pop” Ivy, Charley Bennigan, Willard Dewveall, Charley Tolar, Fred Glick, Jim Norton, Don Floyd, Tony Canfield, and of course, George Blanda. The dark blue ball point signatures are very bold on the white leather ball.
The football is cradled in a yellow plastic stand mounted to the wood base of Blanda’s 1961 Spalding NEA Most Valuable Player on the Houston Oilers Award trophy. NEA Service was a news outlet along the same lines as UPI and Associated Press and awarded trophies each year to outstanding professional athletes - in this case the 1961 AFL MVP. The 8” x 8” x 5 1/2” wooden base has two silver eagles, one of which has a wing broken off. The wood base shows light scuffs and wear from age and the football shows light toning. At some point,
Blanda had customized his NEA trophy by replacing the missing platform
feature with a yellow tee for displaying this game ball.
LOA from the Blanda Family. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.