Like many in the early '60s, Fred Arbanas was drafted by both the NFL and the AFL, but usually, those who chose the AFL were drafted higher by the new organization.  This wasn't the case with Arbanas, who was a 7^th Round Selection by the Dallas Texans, where the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2^nd Round.

E.J. Holub was an All-American at Texas Tech, where he was such a great player that the Red Raiders would later retire his number.  Drafted 6^th Overall by the Dallas Texans in 1961, Holub played at Linebacker, and in the first five of his six years, he was an AFL All-Star and was named a First Team All-Pro in both 1962 and 1963.  In those two seasons, he finished sixth and third respectively, in Approximate Value, a testament to his skill.

From SMU's football factory, Jerry Mays chose to stay in his home state with the Dallas Texans, who drafted him in the 5^th Round of the 1961 Draft.  The Minnesota Vikings of the NFL chose him in the 11^th Round.

The defensive tackle helped Dallas win the AFL Championship in 1962, and after the team relocated to Kansas City, he again helped his squad win two more AFL titles and their first-ever Super Bowl.  Mays was named to the All-AFL Team and was a six-time AFL All-Star, as well as a Pro Bowl Selection in 1970.  Mays was also a two-time First Team All-Pro and one of the most agile defensive linemen in the AFL.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will likely elude him, but he earned a place years ago in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

It may seem like a lifetime ago, but when Hall of Fame Quarterback Len Dawson was looking for a serious threat, it was Otis Taylor who was the target.  In fact, it was Taylor who caught half of the passes for the Kansas City Chiefs in their Super Bowl IV victory.

From Prairie View A&M, Taylor was a star in the AFL and a major reason the Chiefs were so good.  He was their top receiver and rewarded them with a 1,297-yard season in 1966.  He was still productive after the NFL/AFL merger and led the league in receiving yards with 1,110 in 1971. 

Unfortunately, for Otis Taylor and other great Wide Receivers of his generation, today’s wideouts put up much higher numbers in the open NFL, which makes Taylor’s numbers seem average (7,306 with 57 TDs).  As Len Dawson will tell you, Otis Taylor was anything but average.

Len Dawson was one of the great quarterbacks in the American Football League, but a big reason he could do what he did was that Ed Budde helped him stay upright.

As the Left Guard during the first good run of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ed Budde was a punishing blocker who captained the Chiefs’ O-line.  He was a multiple-time AFL All-Star and later earned two Pro Bowl selections.  Powerful and agile, Budde helped Dawson and company win Super Bowl IV and was considered one of the best linemen in the AFL.  He has a spot in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, but without a previous nomination to the Football Hall of Fame, the trip from Kansas City to Canton seems long.