On January 15, 1967, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted a game that had never been played before. The NFL and the AFL, two rival professional football leagues, agreed to pit their best teams against each other. The NFL sent the Green Bay Packers, who had gone 12-2 and beaten the Dallas Cowboys for the league title. The AFL sent the Kansas City Chiefs, who finished 11-2-1 and defeated the Buffalo Bills to claim their championship. Tension between the leagues ran high. Most football fans expected the established NFL to dominate.
Green Bay’s offense was led by quarterback Bart Starr, who controlled the game from the start. His most surprising weapon was wide receiver Max McGee, a backup who stepped up and delivered one of the finest performances of the day — seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Elijah Pitts also punched in a touchdown for the Packers, breaking through a Kansas City defense that found itself overmatched. Green Bay built a lead and never let up.
Head coach Vince Lombardi had Green Bay prepared at every level. The Packers’ defense smothered Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, keeping Kansas City from finding any offensive rhythm.
Inside the Kansas City locker room, the mood before kickoff had been confident. Tight end Reggie Carolan and defensive lineman Jerry Mays were among those who believed the AFL could compete with the older league.
On the field, Green Bay’s receivers continued to take punishment from the Kansas City secondary. Carroll Dale absorbed a hard hit from Chiefs defensive back Willie Mitchell — but the Packers never slowed down.
Green Bay fullback Jim Taylor was another physical force throughout the game, grinding out yards against the Chiefs’ front seven. Taylor was repeatedly met by Kansas City tacklers but kept the Packers’ ground attack churning.
Kansas City’s Fred “The Hammer” Williamson entered the game boasting he would punish Green Bay receivers. Instead, he was carried off the field with a broken arm late in the game.
Green Bay’s Paul Hornung, a Hall of Fame halfback, watched from the sideline after an injury kept him out of the game entirely. His absence barely mattered — the Packers had more than enough firepower.
As the final whistle approached, the Kansas City sideline went quiet. The Chiefs had been competitive early but were ultimately overwhelmed in every phase of the game.
The final score was 35-10. Bart Starr was named the game’s MVP. When it was over, players from both teams made the walk back to the locker rooms — Green Bay’s men as champions of professional football’s first true inter-league title game.
