This article was originally published on WHerMoments
There's nothing quite like the Super Bowl, which sees roughly 100 million people tune in for high-octane football, dazzling halftime performances, and cameo-studded commercials. But of course, the big game wasn't always this way. The first edition of the Super Bowl took place in 1967, and though many of the hallmarks of the championship were there, it's startling to see just how different it was compared to our modern spectacle. Fortunately, plenty of sharp-eyed photographers were on hand to capture all of the most memorable moments.
1. A full head of steam
Stopping fullback Jim Taylor was no easy feat. With 56 yards under his belt, the Packers star had the most rushing success of any player in Super Bowl I, plus he tacked on a touchdown for good measure.
The tough-as-nails Hall of Fame inductee explained, "You got to enjoy punishment because you are going to deliver so much of it, and you are going to get so much of it."
2. Building up hype
More recent Super Bowls feature a flood of slick advertisements, but in 1967, these promos were a little more quaint.
This poster shows four key figures — Len Dawson and Coach Hank Stram of the Chiefs and Bart Starr and Coach Vince Lombardi of the Packers — superimposed over the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
3. Hut, hut, hike!
This snapshot shows quarterback Bart Starr, who threw for 250 yards that day, shouting out the play to his team. Oddly enough, his squad could probably hear him just fine, as there were well over 30,000 empty seats at the arena.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum charged up to $12 for tickets, which back then was enough to drive away many fans.
4. Old-school cheerleaders
Well, cheerleading outfits have certainly come a long way! The ones featured in this photo look more like school uniforms, though there's no denying the enthusiasm that these women brought to the field.
Here, they're pumping up Chiefs running back Mike Garrett as he prepares to play the biggest game of his young life.
5. The Hammer gets nailed
Just like today, the NFL field saw its fair share of injuries in Super Bowl I. But for Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, it might have been due to bad karma.
He taunted the Chiefs' players and claimed he was going to take their best players out of commission. However, a head injury saw him being the one who was carted off in the middle of the game.
6. Halftime Extravaganza
What you're looking at here is the very first Super Bowl Halftime Show! Instead of featuring a headlining musical artist onstage, the game brought out three different marching bands and an arsenal of aerial effects that must've been cutting-edge for their day.
These sights included two men zipping around on jet packs, hundreds of pigeons being released, and 10,000 balloons of every color soaring above the musicians.
7. Starr of the show
Here, we can see NFL great Bart Starr warming up just minutes before the first Super Bowl got underway.
The quarterback would win two Super Bowls in his career, along with an MVP performance in both, and go on to become the head coach of the Green Bay Packers following his retirement as a player.
8. Put on ice
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson had a middling performance in this epic game. He threw one touchdown pass, along with one interception, but it was being sacked four times that really hurt.
This photo shows him on the sideline with his hand plunged into a bucket of ice. That couldn't have been comfortable!
9. Hanging in the balance
It's hard to tell from this photo alone whether Packers star Max McGee was able to reel in this red zone pass or not. But fate was on Green Bay's side that day, and McGee turned that slightly awkward catch into six points.
He scored two touchdowns that day, having one of the best performances of anyone on the field.
10. Go deep!
Oddly, when Bart Starr heaved a deep pass downfield, he was using a different ball than his Chiefs counterpart. That's because the championship was between the newly merged National Football League and American Football League, which each had slightly different equipment in their games.
Apparently, the longer AFL ball was easier to throw — not that it helped the Chiefs.
11. "We got to win"
Vince Lombardi was exuberant after his team's victory, and it turned out he had a lot riding on the win. Specifically, he felt pressure to prove that the more newly established American Football League couldn't hold a candle to the organization it had just merged with.
"We got to win by 21 points to prove that the National Football League is superior to the AFL," the coach said.
12. Breaking through the line
Elijah Pitts of the Green Bay Packers had himself a day during the first Super Bowl. He rushed for two second-half touchdowns, and here we can see him making mincemeat of the Kansas City defense.
A dynamic runner, Pitts got his big chance after Paul Hornung suffered his season-ending injury. That next-man-up philosophy served the Packers well.
13. Broadcasting live and in person
Modern NFL broadcasters have an entire army of sports personalities chatting it up on a sleek set, but the 1967 Super Bowl was a little simpler. CBS lugged out a TV camera onto the field and assigned commentator Frank Gifford to cover the action.
Fun fact: he was the longtime husband of talk show host Kathy Lee Gifford!
14. Zero gravity
While the Kansas City Chiefs fell considerably short in the first Super Bowl, you can't fault their effort. Here, linebacker Sherrill Headrick put his entire body on the line as he dives over a blocking Packer in an effort to stop the relentless Green Bay offense.
Headrick's coach, Hank Stram, said, "He has the highest pain threshold of any athlete I ever saw."
15. You're a grand old flag
Football games have often included big patriotic displays, though the 1967 Super Bowl put an interesting spin on that. At one point, a flag team of dozens of women dressed as founding fathers — complete with faux-powdered wigs — entertained the crowd.
There's no doubt that the big game has never been short on pageantry.
16. With the whole season on the line
Even the greats can get nervous. Here, the Packers' Vince Lombardi looks like he's struggling to keep his cool on the sideline, but the good news was that he would be celebrating before too long.
The coach was so esteemed, in fact, that the NFL ended up naming the Super Bowl trophy after him. That ensured that the Lombardi name would forever be associated with excellence.
17. Heads or tails?
Even with all of the technological innovations of today's NFL, so much rides on the single flip of a coin. That was the same back in 1967, when captains from both teams met to shake hands and determine who got the opening possession.
The Packers ended up with that first drive, though they were forced to punt.
18. Kicking in sync
Few players back in the '60s had a leg that could match Don Chandler's.
The Packer (seen here on the left) handled punting, kickoff, and extra point duties in the very first Super Bowl, and besides turning in a flawless performance, he also put in the time to mentor the team's younger kicker, Donny Anderson.
19. Kramer takes a breather
In this pic, we see Hall-of-Famer Jerry Kramer surveying the arena. A talented offensive guard like him was probably dissecting the defense with surgical accuracy.
In his decorated career with the Green Bay Packers, Kramer helped the team win five NFL championships (a sort of precursor to the Super Bowl) as well as two Super Bowl titles.
20. Air time
At least for the first half, the defensive unit for the Chiefs did a commendable job of keeping the opposing offense in check. Case in point, we can see free safety Johnny Robinson making a diving tackle that sent Elijah Pitts careening into the air.
Sadly for Kansas City, they couldn't keep up their herculean effort in the second half.
21. Warm-ups for the "AFL-NFL World Championship Game"
You can feel the tension in the air in this photograph, which shows the Packers warming up right before the big game. If you can believe it, the NFL wasn't so keen on the "Super Bowl" name at first.
Commissioner Pete Rozelle dubbed it the "AFL-NFL World Championship Game," and it's easy to see why that term never caught on. Most everyone else called the game by the Super Bowl nickname, and that became the official designation two years later.
22. Going down for the count
Hall-of-Famer Len Dawson is considered one of the most precise passers in NFL history, but that only got him so far in the very first big game. Fortunately for this Chiefs quarterback, he had a shot at redemption just a few years later.
In Super Bowl IV, his team obliterated the Minnesota Vikings. And Dawson took the MVP honor for that game.
23. Fourth quarter frenzy
One talented photographer captured Coach Lombardi's reaction to a fourth-quarter touchdown, a one-yard rush from deep in the red zone. This play all but clinched the championship for Green Bay.
His Packers dominated the second half, putting up 21 points of their own on the scoreboard while shutting out the Kansas City Chiefs. The final few minutes were all a matter of running out the clock.
24. The bitter taste of defeat
With more than a few grimaces, these Chiefs supporters watched their team fall short in the first Super Bowl, with a score of 35-10. You won't see any Native American-style headdresses in Kansas City's stadium these days, however.
The team banned fans from bringing them to games in 2020 out of concerns for cultural appropriation.
25. The celebrity guest
Trumpet player and bandleader Al Hirt was the biggest name to grace the entertainment side of Super Bowl I. Besides a guest appearance during the Halftime Show, Hirt also opened the event with the National Anthem.
And setting a precedent for all Halftime performers to come, Hirt agreed to do the show for free. That's right, none of those star performers have ever gotten paid!
26. The final whistle
This wide shot shows both teams walking off the field moments after the referee blew the final whistle. You might notice a couple of key differences in this early Super Bowl.
For one thing, it was a day game, with plenty of sunshine filtering through Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum's signature arches. Additionally, the scoreboards back then were downright small. Many fans would have to squint to read the final score of 35 to 10.
27. Postgame celebration
Lombardi reveled in the first-ever Super Bowl victory, and here we see him holding the game ball aloft while fielding questions from a sea of journalists.
It's funny that a few of the reporters, aware of the fact that they were present for a historic milestone, also smiled for the camera.
28. Paul Hornung sits on the sideline
Vince Lombardi said, "Paul Hornung [pictured here] is the greatest player I've ever coached, and the greatest I've ever seen on the football field within the 20-yard line." Too bad he could only watch the first Super Bowl.
An injury confined him to the sideline, but he enjoyed no shortage of success otherwise. The star halfback later made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
29. Listen to the music
Recent Halftime Shows have included colossal, moving stages with all kinds of special effects. But in 1967, the University of Arizona marching band and other featured musicians simply performed right on the grass.
Still, the college students put on quite the display, constantly shifting their formation to take on various shapes — including a boat and musical notes.
30. Taking a knee
There aren't many quiet moments in the raucous sport of football, but here we see Len Dawson taking a moment to regroup and watch a play unfold downfield. But even when they were down, the quarterback rarely panic.
That levelheadedness earned him the nickname "Lenny the Cool" from coaches and teammates.