NFL Celebrates 50th Anniversary of AFL

It all began with a three-page outline furiously scribbled on an airplane notepad.

The late LAMAR HUNT, then 26 years old, had been desperately trying to buy an NFL franchise for several years when a once-in-a-lifetime idea struck him during a flight from Miami to Dallas.

The concept of the American Football League (AFL) was born.

"I just remember thinking if there were these people interested in buying a team, why not bring them together and start another league," said Hunt.

The furious notes Hunt scribbled on that stationery so many years ago ultimately were the roots of the Super Bowl -- a phrase also coined by the ever-innovative Hunt -- and the unprecedented growth and prosperity of the NFL as we know it.

The AFL, which merged with the NFL in 1970, played its first season in 1960. The original eight AFL teams were the BUFFALO BILLS, DENVER BRONCOS, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (played as the Dallas Texans), NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (played as the Boston Patriots), NEW YORK JETS (played as the Titans of New York), OAKLAND RAIDERS, SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (played as the Los Angeles Chargers) and TENNESSEE TITANS (played as the Houston Oilers).

Knowing full well that a rival league like the AFL would have a tough road ahead if it hoped to not just compete with the NFL, but survive at all, the group of original owners playfully referred to themselves as members of the "Foolish Club."

"WAYNE VALLEY came up with that," Hunt said of the man who led the Oakland ownership group. "He said something about how we had to be fools to keep losing the money we were at that time."

Fifty years after those eight men took a "foolish" gamble on a fledgling football league, it has paid off in spades. In 2009, the original eight AFL teams will be celebrating their 50th seasons of professional football. Some of the original eight have moved cities or changed nicknames, but each remains an integral part of the NFL landscape.

In 1960, the NFL consisted of just 12 teams, all based in the north and east. The AFL, with franchises in places like Oakland and Denver, brought teams to new parts of the country and expanded the footprint of professional football.

Partly because of the AFL's growing presence in the south and west, the NFL followed suit by placing franchises in areas with growing populations in other parts of the country, including Atlanta (1966) and New Orleans (1967).

"The AFL pushed the NFL to think forward, to expand, and then to merge, and the growth of the league came with that," said Buffalo Bills owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer RALPH WILSON.

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With droves of talented players and coaches itching to get a break in football, the AFL provided another launching pad to a career at the professional level. Numerous Pro Football Hall of Fame players and coaches were a part of the AFL during its 10-year run prior to the merger, including all-time greats like JOE NAMATH (during Super Bowl III victory over NFL's Baltimore Colts), JIM OTTO, LANCE ALWORTH, RON MIX, BOB GRIESE and GENE UPSHAW.

"It was a league that provided opportunity, not only for players but also coaches," said the late BILL WALSH, who began his Hall of Fame coaching career with the Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals before going on to win three Super Bowls as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. "Doors opened and a lot of talented people were given the opportunity to do something they loved."

For those involved, all are proud of the AFL's special place in professional football history and remember fondly the modest and uncertain beginnings of the league.

"We were part of something special," said BARRON HILTON, the original owner of the Chargers and a charter member of the Foolish Club. "Lamar's idea was pretty darn good."

2009 AFL LEGACY GAMES

The NFL highlights the AFL's 50th anniversary during "Legacy Games" throughout 2009.

During one home and one road game, the eight original AFL teams will meet head-to-head while wearing their chosen historic uniforms.

On Monday night, September 14, ESPN will host a Monday Night Football doubleheader that will be part of the NFL's celebration of the 50th anniversary season of the AFL. The four clubs competing that night began playing in the inaugural 1960 AFL season. The first game (7:00 PM ET) will send the Buffalo Bills to Foxboro to visit the New England Patriots, the decade's winningest team (102-42 since 2000). The MNF nightcap (10:15 PM ET) will be an AFC West battle as the Oakland Raiders host the three-time defending division champion San Diego Chargers.

2009 AFL Legacy Games Schedule

(All times Eastern)

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