American Football League

The American Football League (AFL) was an American Professional Football league which fielded teams from 1960-69, before the NFL merged with it in 1966, effective in 1970. Present-day Pro Football is essentially the American Football League with another name. On-field game elements, including the two-point conversion, names on players' jerseys, official time shown on stadium scoreboards (instead of on a stopwatch in the NFL referee's pocket), and wide-open offensive play were all characteristics of the AFL, which the NFL later adopted. At a time when the NFL was just getting past about fifteen years of intentional exclusion of black players, the AFL revolutionized the Pros' method of stocking teams, by scouting and signing players from small and predominantly black colleges. The first black head scout, the first black starting quarterbacks of the modern era, and the first black middle line-backer were to be found in the American Football League. Off the field, national television of all league games, with all teams sharing in the TV revenue, as well as sharing of gate revenue with visiting teams, was initiated by the American Football League. The AFL was the first Pro Football league to have its players "miked" for television, and the first to have more than one announcer in the booth, and several moving sideline cameras at field level, as opposed to the NFL's single camera fixed at the fifty-yard line.

In 1959, Lamar Hunt was refused when he wanted to buy an existing NFL team, or an expansion team for Dallas. He formed the AFL, and the prevously complacent anti-expansion NFL immediately co-opted the Minnesota franchise intended for the AFL. Though it had told Hunt it did not want a team in Dallas, it reversed itself and put the Cowboys there with the express purpose of driving out the AFL Texans. It offered Rankin Smith a franchise in Atlanta to lure him from joining the AFL with the Miami franchise, and it gave New Orleans a team when Louisiana congressmen helped push through the merger with the AFL that the NFL accepted when it tired of competing for fans and for star players. Thus, four NFL teams came to be, because of the American Football League.

Finaly, the American Football League gave the sport the AFL-NFL World Championship game, whch evolved into the "Super Bowl", which never would have existed had not the AFL challenged the NFL monopoly.

=Remarkable Players= Some of the greatest Pro Football stars of the 1960s played in the American Football League, including (only primary teams given):

Quarterbacks

 * Daryle Lamonica, Oakland Raiders
 * John Hadl, San Diego Chargers
 * Jack Kemp, Buffalo Bills

Running Backs

 * Abner Haynes, Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Paul Lowe, Los Angeles Chargers, San Diego Chargers
 * Clem Daniels, Oakland Raiders
 * Jim Nance, Boston Patriots
 * Cookie Gilchrist, Buffalo Bills
 * Floyd Little, Denver Broncos

Receivers

 * Lionel Taylor, Denver Broncos
 * Charlie Hennigan, Houston Oilers
 * Otis Taylor, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Art Powell, New York Titans
 * Chris Burford, Kansas City Chiefs

Tight Ends

 * Fred Arbanas, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Billy Cannon, Oakland Raiders

Offensive Linemen

 * Jim Tyrer, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Bob Talamini, New York Jets
 * Walt Sweeney, San Diego Chargers
 * Winston Hill, New York Jets
 * Ed Budde, Kansas City Chiefs

Defensive Backs

 * Johnny Robinson, Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Dave Grayson, Oakland Raiders
 * George Saimes, Buffalo Bills
 * Jim Norton, Houston Oilers

Linebackers

 * Larry Grantham, New York Titans, New York Jets
 * E.J.Holub, Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Mike Stratton, Buffalo Bills
 * John Tracey, Buffalo Bills
 * Tommy Addison, Boston Patriots
 * George Webster, Houston Oilers

Defensive Linemen

 * Houston Antwine, Boston Patriots
 * Ron McDole, Buffalo Bills
 * Larry Eisenhauer, Boston Patriots
 * Earl Faison, San Diego Chargers
 * Tom Sestak, Buffalo Bills

Punters/Kickers/'Utility Men'

 * Gino Cappelletti, Boston Patriots
 * Gene Mingo, Denver Broncos
 * Jerrel Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs

Although the above list contains the names of outstanding stars, many of whom were Rookies of the Year, Most Valuable Players, perennial All-League players, League and World Champions, All-Time All-League players, and all-time Pro Football record holders, not one of them has been selected to the "pro football" Hall of Fame.

=Hall of Famers= American Football League members who are in the Hall of Fame include:

Quarterbacks

 * George Blanda, Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders
 * Len Dawson, Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins
 * Joe Namath, New York Jets

Running Backs

 * Larry Csonka, Miami Dolphins
 * O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills

Receivers

 * Lance Alworth, San Diego Chargers
 * Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland Raiders
 * Charlie Joiner, Houston Oilers
 * Don Maynard, New York Titans, New York Jets

Tight Ends

 * None!

Offensive Linemen

 * Larry Little, Miami Dolphins
 * Ron Mix, Los Angeles Chargers, San Diego Chargers
 * Jim Otto, Oakland Raiders
 * Billy Shaw, Buffalo Bills
 * Art Shell, Oakland Raiders
 * Gene Upshaw, Oakland Raiders

Defensive Backs

 * Willie Brown, Oakland Raiders
 * Ken Houston, Houston Oilers
 * Emmitt Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs

Linebackers

 * Bobby Bell, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Nick Buoniconti, Boston Patriots
 * Willie Lanier, Kansas City Chiefs

Defensive Linemen

 * Elvin Bethea, Houston Oilers
 * Buck Buchanan, Kansas City Chiefs

Punters/Kickers/'Utility Men'

 * Jan Stenerud, Kansas City Chiefs

Coaches and Contributors

 * Sid Gillman, Head Coach Los Angeles Chargers, San Diego Chargers
 * Hank Stram, Head Coach, Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Paul Brown, Head Coach, Owner, Cincinnati Bengals
 * Al Davis, Head Coach, Owner, Oakland Raiders
 * Lamar Hunt, Founder, American Football League, Owner, Dallas Texans, Kansas City Chiefs

Prominent Exclusions

 * Weeb Ewbank, Head Coach of the AFL New York Jets' World Championship Game victory over the overrated NFL Baltimore Colts, and the only man to lead teams to NFL, American Football League, and World Championships, is not in the "pro football" Hall of Fame.
 * Daryle Lamonica, quarterback of the Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders, who still holds the record for best winning percentage (80.1%) in the history of Pro Football, is not in the "pro football" Hall of Fame.
 * Johnny Robinson, defensive back for the Dallas Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs, player on three AFL Championship teams and a World Champinship team, with an interception and a fumble recovery while playing with broken ribs in the World Championship game, is not in the "pro football" Hall of Fame.
 * Tom Sestak, defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills and one of the most feared players of the 1960s, two-time AFL champion and member of the All-Time All-AFL Team, is not in the "pro football" Hall of Fame.