From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bob Talamini (born 1939), a stout, 6'1", 250-lb. lineman, earned third-team All-SEC honors at the University of Kentucky and was drafted by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League. He 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.
Hall of Famers George Blanda and Billy Cannon benefited from his blocking as the Oilers won the first two AFL Championships. Talamini made first-team All-AFL in 1962 and was a regular at American Football League All-Star games, selected to six straight, through 1967. 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, Charlie Tolar, Sid Blanks and Hoyle Granger to run through. Talamini, Don Floyd and Jim Norton were the last of the original Oilers.
