American Football Database
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Born (1936-09-27) September 27, 1936 (age 87)
Homer, Louisiana
Position(s)Halfback
CollegeOregon State
AFL Draft1960 / Round : Free Agent
Jersey #(s)23
Career highlights
TSN All-AFL1960, 1965
AFL All-Star1960, 1963, 1965
Awards1965 UPI, TSN AFL MVP
Honors*American Football League
Champion, 1963
RecordsAFL All-time Rushing Avg,
4.89 yd/carry
Statistics
* Pro Football Reference
  • DatabaseFootball
  • Teams
    1960
    1961–1968
    1968–1969
    AFL Los Angeles Chargers
    AFL San Diego Chargers
    AFL Kansas City Chiefs

    Paul Edward Lowe (born September 27, 1936 in Homer, Louisiana) is a retired American football running back who played for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League from 1960 to 1969.

    College career[]

    Lowe attend Oregon State University and played football for the Beavers under legendary coach Tommy Prothro.

    Professional career[]

    After graduating from Oregon State University, Lowe played for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1959 pre-season. However, Lowe was unable to make the team and was released before the regular season began. He returned to Los Angeles, California to get a job to support his wife. He took a job in the mailroom for the Carte Blanche Credit Card Corporation, owned by the Hilton family.[1]

    In 1960, Barron Hilton, son of famed hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, was the owner of the Los Angeles Chargers, a start-up team in the newly formed American Football League. The Chargers General Manager, Frank Leahy, asked Lowe to come out to the Chargers training camp on the basis of his talents at Oregon State a few years back. Lowe joined the Chargers as a free agent. He returned his first touch of the football in the AFL for a 105-yard touchdown in the Chargers' first-ever exhibition game and led the team in rushing with 855 yards on 136 carries (6.3 yard average) and also had 23 receptions for 377 yards. In 1961, Lowe had the Chargers' longest run from scrimmage with an 87-yard run, a record that still stands today.[1]

    Lowe was the UPI and Sporting News American Football League MVP in 1965 with 1,121 yards rushing (14-game schedule). He was also a three-time all-American Football League selection. Lowe set a pro football record with six games in which he gained 100 or more yards on 14 or fewer carries. He has the AFL's all-time highest rushing average, at 4.89 yd/carry, and his career rushing total of 4,995 yards is second best all-time in the AFL. He is also one of only twenty players who were in the AFL for its entire ten-year existence.

    Legacy[]

    In 1970, the Pro Football Hall of Fame named Lowe as a halfback on the All-Time All-AFL Team. In 1979, the Chargers inducted him into the Chargers Hall of Fame. Lowe remains in San Diego to this day and supports his team as a season ticket holder.[1]

    See also[]

    External links[]

    References[]

    Preceded by
    Gino Cappelletti
    American Football League MVP
    1965
    with Jack Kemp
    Succeeded by
    Jim Nance
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