Keith Lincoln came out of Washington State and chose the Chargers over the Buffalo Bills, who had also drafted him in 1961, signing with San Diego as a second-round AFL pick. He saw limited action as a rookie, then became a regular the following year and earned AFL All-Star honors for the next four seasons. He was a tough, versatile back who could run between the tackles, catch passes out of the backfield, and even throw the occasional option pass, giving Sid Gillman’s offense another weapon who could move the chains or break a big play.

His peak arrived in 1963, when he rushed for 826 yards and earned First-Team All-AFL honors. That year the Chargers won the AFL championship, and Lincoln was named the game’s MVP after a dominant performance against the Boston Patriots. He carried 13 times for 206 yards (including a 67-yard touchdown), caught seven passes for 123 yards and a score, and even completed a 20-yard pass, finishing with a then-record 329 yards from scrimmage in the 51-10 rout. He repeated as a First-Team All-AFL selection in 1964 and remained a productive dual-threat through the mid-1960s, mixing power runs with receiving production that kept defenses from focusing solely on halfback Paul Lowe or the serious threats outside.

Lincoln stayed with the Chargers until he joined the Bills in 1967. Across his primary stretch in San Diego, he accumulated roughly 7,000 all-purpose yards, making him one of the more complete offensive contributors of the early Chargers era.In 1980, the franchise enshrined him in its Hall of Fame, recognizing the multi-purpose back whose championship-game performance remains one of the most memorable individual efforts in the franchise’s history.