Houston’s All-Time Team: Bob Talamini 
Bob Talamini
Position: Offensive Guard
Team: Houston Oilers
Years: 1960-1967
Career: In some ways, the fledgling American Football League was meant for guys like Bob Talamini. The stout, 6’1", 250-lb. lineman earned third-team All-SEC honors at the University of Kentucky but his chances of landing a job in the established NFL were not good. He caught on with the new Houston Oilers in the new circuit and personally saw the league develop from the first training camp in 1960 to the day they knocked off the NFL’s "unbeatable" Baltimore Colts in 1969.
It took some time to get noticed but it helped to have stars like George Blanda and Billy Cannon having big days in back of him. After winning the first two league championships, Talamini made first-team All-AFL in 1962 and was a regular at AFL All-Star games thereafter. He anchored an offensive line that gave Blanda time to set passing records that would last for decades and opened holes for the likes of Cannon, Charley Tolar, Sid Blanks and Hoyle Granger to run through.
As names, faces and even home fields changed around him, #61 was a constant in the Houston lineup, as were Don Floyd and Jim Norton, the last of the original Oilers. After two AFL crowns and three Eastern Division titles, Talamini watched the club rebuild and win the division again in 1967.
By then, the dream of playing the NFL head-to-head was becoming reality in the pre-merger NFL-AFL Championship Game we now call the Super Bowl. The Oilers fell one game short in 1967, but Talamini got to realize his dream the following year when he was released and picked up by the New York Jets. Opening holes for Matt Snell and blocking defenders away from Joe Namath, Bob played a vital role in the 16-7 shocker over the Colts in Super Bowl III that changed pro football forever.
After retiring, Bob returned to Houston and still makes his home in the area. His son, Bob Talamini, Jr., is one of the world’s best Hi-Tec Adventure racers. He has been publicly supportive of the new Texan franchise, lending his presence to several of their functions.
Houston Highlight: The 1961 Oilers faced the 11-0 Los Angeles Chargers in a late-season preview of the AFL Championship Game. Terrorizing the league was DT Ernie Ladd, a 6′-9" mammoth who was making life miserable for quarterbacks. Giving away eight inches and 30 pounds, Talamini held back Ladd as the Oilers posted a 33-13 upset. While Ladd dominated again in the title game a month later, the Oilers held on for a 10-3 victory for their second AFL crown.
Bob Talamini 
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