One of the best running backs in Chargers history has passed.
Keith Lincoln, a five-time AFL all-star who set a postseason records for yards from scrimmage, died Saturday in Pullman, Washington, the team announced. He was 80.
Lincoln was a key member of the San Diego Chargers' AFL teams in the 1960s, playing seven seasons with the organization. He twice earned All-AFL honors (1963-64) and is a member of the Chargers' Hall of Fame. In the 1963 AFL Championship game, the versatile was recognized as the most outstanding player after amassing a record 329 yards from scrimmage (206 rushing, 123 receiving) in leading San Diego to a 51-10 win over the Boston Patriots. It remains the city's lone title in a major team sport.
Lincoln averaged 6.5 yards per carry in 1963 while collecting 1,151 yards from scrimmage in the regular season. In 1964, he was the MVP of the AFL All-Star Game. Lincoln was traded to the Buffalo Bills in 1967 and made his final all-star team. He then spent part of the 1968 campaign with the Bills before returning to San Diego for the final appearance of his eight-year career.
The Chargers drafted Lincoln in 1961 out of Washington State, where he was an All-American and was nicknamed "Moose of the Palouse." The Michigan native served as an assistant coach for Idaho and the Cougars following his playing days as well as many years as director of alumni relations at WSU.
