In
1960, he was the first quarterback ever drafted by the
American Football League's
Houston Oilers, where he split time with
George Blanda in the Oilers'
1960 and
1961 AFL Championship seasons. In 1961, Lee threw for 457 yards against the Boston Patriots, then an AFL record, and set another league record with a 98-yard touchdown to
Willard Dewveall against the Chargers. Lee and Blanda combined to throw 38 touchdowns for the Oilers in 1961. Lee played in every game for the Oilers from 1961 to 1963. In 1964, he was the first and only player to ever be "lend-leased" to another team. He was loaned to the
Denver Broncos and returned to the Oilers two years later. While in Denver, Lee threw for 370 yards in one half against the Oakland Raiders. In 1967, Lee was traded to the
Kansas City Chiefs after four games. He spent most of his last three years as the back-up to
Len Dawson with the Chiefs. He was part of the
1969 AFL and
World Championship (Super Bowl IV) winning team. He was one of only twenty men who played in each of the ten years of the AFL's existence. ==After football==