Paul Lowe

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For the American politician, see Paul A. Lowe Jr.

Paul Lowe
refer to caption
Lowe c. 1961
No. 23, 26
Position:Halfback
Personal information
Born: (1935-09-27) September 27, 1935 (age 88)
Homer, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Centennial (Compton, California)
College:Oregon State
Undrafted:1959
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career AFL statistics
Rushing yards:4,995
Rushing average:4.9
Rushing touchdowns:38
Receptions:111
Receiving yards:1,045
Receiving touchdowns:7
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Paul Edward Lowe (born September 27, 1936) is an American retired professional

AFL All-Time Team
.

Lowe played

AFL Player of the Year. Lowe finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, receiving a Super Bowl ring after they won Super Bowl IV. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame and named to their 40th and 50th anniversary teams
.

Early life

Lowe was born in Homer, Louisiana, and grew up in the Los Angeles area.[1] A native of Compton, California, he jumped the fence of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a child to watch Los Angeles Rams games.[2] He attended Centennial High School, where he was a standout in football, track, and basketball.[1]

College career

Lowe attended

Iowa for the second time in the season.[9][10][11]

Shortly after the Rose Bowl, Oregon State suspended Lowe due to low grades.[4][12] After raising his grades in junior college, he returned to Oregon State the following year in 1958.[12] He failed to meet expectations and was primarily a backup to Grimm Mason and Dainard Paulson,[12] finishing with 62 rushes for 162 yards and two touchdowns along with 100 yards on 6 of 17 passing.[6] After the season, Lowe withdrew from school due to financial and academic difficulties.[12]

Professional career

After leaving Oregon State University, Lowe was undrafted in the

Hilton family.[13]

In 1960,

All-AFL honors as a halfback.[15] In the 1960 AFL championship game, Lowe ran for 165 yards.[1]

In the season opener of

Boston.[3] Limited by a muscle injury in 1964,[17] his production fell to 496 yards.[15]

In

AFL Player of the Year by The Sporting News after a then-league-record 1,121 yards rushing and six touchdowns (14-game schedule).[1][18] He became the first AFL player to rush for 1,000 yards twice after gaining 99 yards in a 37–26 win over the Houston Oilers, clinching the Chargers' fifth Western Division title in six years.[19] In the regular season finale against the Oakland Raiders, he broke Clem Daniels' AFL single-season record of 1,099 rushing yards, set by the Raider in 1963.[20] Again named the AFL's comeback player of the year,[17] Lowe was also tied for second with teammate Lance Alworth in voting by United Press International for their AFL player of the year award, won by Jack Kemp.[21]

Lowe rushed for 643 yards the following season in 1966, and his output fell to 71 yards on 2.5 yards per carry in 1967. After running for nine yards on his only carry in the 1968 season-opener win over Cincinnati, he was waived by San Diego. He was 28 yards shy of the 5,000-yard career milestone.[22] Lowe joined the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent after all six of their running backs were injured.[23] On his first running play with the Chiefs, he separated his shoulder,[24] and missed the rest of the season. In his final season in 1969, he passed 5,000 yards against Boston on September 21 after rushing eight times for 40 yards, surpassing the mark on the final play after a sweep for eight yards.[25] He joined Daniels as the only AFL players to reach the milestone.[26] However, Lowe fell below the mark after losing yards against the Chargers on the final carry of his career.[1][27] Shortly after, he was hospitalized to treat a bleeding ulcer.[28] Lowe retired and left the team with one game remaining in the regular season.[29] Kansas City defeated Minnesota 23–7 in Super Bowl IV that season, and he received a Super Bowl ring.[3]

Legacy

Lowe was a four-time

AFL All-Star.[30] He averaged 4.9 yards per carry during his career, which is the highest in Chargers franchise history and tops in the AFL.[31] He set a pro football record with six games gaining 100+ yards on 14 carries or less. Lowe's career rushing total of 4,995 yards are the second-most in AFL history.[14] He led the Chargers in rushing five times, including two 1,000 yard seasons.[1] His 4,972 yards with the Chargers remained a team career record until 2004, when he was surpassed by LaDainian Tomlinson.[32] Lowe was the AFL leader or runner-up in rushing touchdowns four times.[32] He is also one of only twenty players who were in the AFL for its entire ten-year existence.[14]

In 1970, the Pro Football Hall of Fame named Lowe as a running back on the All-Time All-AFL Team. In 1979, the Chargers inducted him into the Chargers Hall of Fame.[30] As of 2006, Lowe was living in San Diego and supports his team as a season ticket holder.[13]

NFL career statistics

Legend
AFL MVP
Won the AFL Championship
Super Bowl champion
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Y/G Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum
1960 LAC 14 12 136 855 6.3 61.1 76 8 23 377 16.4 63 2 2
1961 SD 14 14 175 767 4.4 54.8 87 9 17 103 6.1 17 0 6
1962 SD Missed season due to injury
1963 SD 14 12 177 1,010 5.7 72.1 66 8 26 191 7.3 31 2 7
1964 SD 12 9 130 496 3.8 41.3 50 3 14 182 13.0 41 2 2
1965 SD 14 14 222 1,121 5.0 80.1 59 6 17 126 7.4 45 1 2
1966 SD 14 11 146 643 4.4 45.9 57 3 12 41 3.4 11 0 3
1967 SD 7 2 28 71 2.5 10.1 21 1 2 25 12.5 13 0 0
1968 SD 1 0 1 9 9.0 9.0 9 0 – – – – – 0
KC 1 0 1 -10 -10.0 -10.0 -10 0 – – – – – 0
1969 KC 7 0 10 33 3.3 4.7 18 0 – – – – – 0
Career 98 74 1,026 4,995 4.9 51.0 87 38 111 1,045 9.4 63 7 23

Health

Lowe has experienced ringing in his ears since 1965. In 2017, a

NFL concussion settlement.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wolf, Bob (August 1, 1990). "REMEMBER WHEN : Many of the Highs Were Lowe's With the Original Chargers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  2. ^ Kartje, Ryan (January 31, 2017). "Chargers' genesis in L.A. a forgotten footnote". Orange County Register. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Ortman, Bob (October 2, 1979). "Lowe makes Charger Hall of Fame". The Evening Tribune. pp. C-1, C-5. Retrieved January 16, 2024 – via NewsBank.
  4. ^
    Newspapers.com
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  5. Newspapers.com
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  6. ^ a b "Paul Lowe". Sports Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  7. Newspapers.com
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  10. Newspapers.com
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  11. Newspapers.com
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  12. ^
    Newspapers.com
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  13. ^ a b c d "FIVE DAYS 'TIL KICKOFF". chargers.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
  14. ^ a b c Piascik, Andy; Gill, Bob; Lahman, Sean; Crippen, Ken (2009). "Hall of Very Good" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Vol. 31, no. 5. p. 6. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d "Shining Light on Paul Lowe's Forgotten AFL Legacy". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  16. Newspapers.com
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  22. ^ Magee, Jerry (September 16, 1968). "Lowe, Charger Vet, Placed On Waivers". The San Diego Union. pp. D1, D6. Retrieved January 13, 2024 – via NewsBank.
  23. Newspapers.com
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  24. Newspapers.com
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  25. Newspapers.com
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  26. Newspapers.com
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  27. ^ "Paul Lowe 1969 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  28. Newspapers.com
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  29. Newspapers.com
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  30. ^ a b "All-Time AFL Team - OFFENSE". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 1, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  31. ^ Miller, Bryce (September 29, 2017). "Ex-Charger Paul Lowe: 'Are they waiting for me to die?'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  32. ^ a b Sullivan, Tim (October 9, 2004). "Recognition elusive for Paul Lowe". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D-1. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via NewsBank.
  33. ^ Miller, Bryce (November 30, 2018). "Column: Chargers legend Paul Lowe feeling effects of dementia, deaths, cancer". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
Preceded by
American Football League MVP
1965
with Jack Kemp
 Succeeded by
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