The Denver Broncos had weathered an ownership change after their first year

The Bills had taken a major step forward in 1963. Though their record of 7-6-1 was identical to the record buy fifa 15 coins posted the previous year, the team made its first post-season appearance and were favored by many experts to win the division crown in 1964. As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place—defensive end Ron McDole, safety George Saimes and middle linebacker Harry Jacobs on defense; tackle Dick Hudson and backup quarterback Daryle Lamonica on offense—the team’s final image began to come into focus. There were just a few of pieces left, and most those pieces would be found in the college draft held November 1963.
The Boston Patriots had the top pick in the afl, and selected Boston College quarterback Jack Concannon. With their first pick—fifth overall—the Bills selected tackle Carl Eller from the University of Minnesota. Tennessee defensive end Dick Evey was drafted number two, and defensive back George Rose of Auburn number three. With two selections in the fourth round, the Bills selected halfbacks George “Butch” Byrd from Boston University and Paul Warfield of Ohio State. Tom Keating, defensive tackle from the University of Michigan was chosen in the fifth round. With their 12th pick, the Bills made a daring move by choosing Cornell kicker Pete Gogolak, who made a name for himself by kicking the ball “soccer” style—approaching it from the side rather than straight on. Other choices included Michigan guard Joe O’Donnell (13th),
lsu tackle Remi Prudhomme (14th) and Florida halfback Hagood Clarke (18th). In the 20th round, the Bills tapped a local boy in Mississippi State tackle Bob Dugan. Dugan grew up on Buffalo’s West Side and played scholastically at Lafayette High in the city.
Though four of the first five picks eluded them (Eller signed with the home- town Minnesota Vikings and Warfield with the Cleveland Browns), the Bills made the most of the draftees they were able to sign. Byrd became an imme- diate starter, while Clarke, O’Donnell and Keating made major contributions in reserve roles and on special teams. Pete Gogolak, for his part, would revolu- tionize the art of placekicking.

With four seasons now in the books, the afl was still a fiscally disparate collec- tion of franchises facing an uncertain future. While the league’s original televi- sion contract of $8.5 million had helped some franchises keep the wolves at bay while they struggled just to gain a foothold and build a reliable fan base, the $100,000 per year it afforded each of those teams wasn’t enough to allow some to compete for top college talent. At least half of the franchises had, at one time or another, either changed ownership or moved from their original cities. The Chargers had started in Los Angeles, but moved to San Diego in 1961. The Kansas City Chiefs had been the Dallas Texans for their first three years. The New York Titans became the Jets when Sonny Werblin rescued the franchise prior to the 1963 season. The Denver Broncos had weathered an ownership change after their first year.