Paul Lowe
Teams
Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960-1968)
Kansas City Chiefs (1968-1969)
Playoffs
Appearances - 7 (1960,1961,1963,1964,1965,1968,1969)
Conf Champ Games - 6 (1960,1961,1963,1964,1965,1969)
Championship Games/Super Bowls - 6 (1960,1961,1963,1964,1965,1969)
Championships - 2 (1963,1969)
Awards and Honors
All-Pro First Team - 2 (1960,1965)
All-Pro Second Team - 1 (1963)
Pro Bowl - 2 (1963,1965)
AFL Player of the Year - 1 (1965)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #16
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#1-1965, #2-1960,1963, #4-1961, #7-1966)
Rushing Touchdowns (#1-1961,1965, #2-1960,1963)
Yards per Rush (#1-1960,1965, #2-1963, #4-1961, #6-1966, #8-1964)
Rushing Yards per Game (#1-1965, #2-1960,1963, #4-1961, #7-1966, #9-1964)
Total Touchdowns (#4-1963, #6-1960,1961, #7-1965)
Scrimmage Yards (#4-1960,1963,1965, #10-1961)
Yards per Touch (#2-1960, #5-1963, #8-1965, #9-1961)
Paul Lowe was a backup quarterback at Oregon State as a sophomore, but had to sit out his junior year due to grades, then was moved to running back as a senior, but gained only 162 yards on the season and went undrafted in the 1959 NFL Draft. When the AFL started in 1960, he tried out and made the Los Angeles Chargers roster.
As a rookie, he gained 855 rushing yards, #2 in the league, and led the league with 6.3 yards per carry, which earned him All-AFL First Team honors. The Chargers played in the initial AFL Championship Game, and Lowe rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in their 24-16 loss to the Oilers.
He ended up rushing for only 767 yards in his second season, but he did lead the league with 9 rushing touchdowns on the season. The Chargers had a rematch with Houston in the championship game, but Lowe was held to 30 yards, and the Oilers won 10-3.
A broken arm caused him to miss the entire 1962 season, but he came back strong in 1963, rushing for 1010 yards with 8 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry, which earned him the Comeback Player of the Year Award. After the Chargers missed the playoffs with Lowe out, they made the championship game again in 1963, and Lowe's 94 yards and a touchdown contributed to a blowout 51-10 victory over the Patriots.
He played through injuries in 1964, but was limited to only 496 yards. When healthy again in 1965, he was named AFL Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year as he led the league with 1121 yards, breaking the league record, and also led the league with 5.0 yards per carry and 6 touchdowns.
His production dropped to 643 yards in 1966, then 71 in 1967, and the Chargers released him after the first game of the 1968 season. He signed with Kansas City, but separated his shoulder on his first carry for the team. He came back in 1969, but gained only 33 yards before being forced to retire by an ulcer. The Chiefs went on to win that season's Super Bowl, and the team awarded him a ring.
Lowe played in the AFL for his entire career, and ended up #2 in the league's history in rushing yards, and his 4.9 yards per carry are the AFL record, and #16 among all players in AFL or NFL history. He helped the Chargers reach 5 AFL Championship games, and was a big part of the one they won. He was always among the league leaders in multiple rushing categories when he was healthy, and he should be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
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