Game ball from the Houston Oilers' first preseason game in 1961 against the Oakland Raiders. This ball originates from the personal collection of Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame wide receiver Mac Speedie and has been consigned to this auction directly by a family member. It is one of twenty lots from the Mac Speedie Collection offered in this auction, all of which were just recently on public display at the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Spalding official American Football League (AFL) ball, which features the stamped facsimile signature of league president Joe Foxx, is lettered "1961 Hawaii Houston 48 Oakland 7" in gold paint on a side panel. Houston, the defending AFL champions, trained in Hawaii prior to opening the 1961 season and the Raiders were their first opponent. Mac Speedie joined the Oilers staff as a receivers coach in 1960, but he left the club in mid-season of 1961 after head coach and former teammate Lou Rymkus was fired (Speedie resigned out of loyalty to Rymkus). The ball is slightly deflated and displays wear commensurate with game use, including soiling and abrasions.