AFL 50th Anniversary - NO LONGER IN USE

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Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the American Football League

NFL.com
Published: June 22, 2009 at 06:17 p.m.
Updated: May 15, 2013 at 12:52 p.m.

By NFL.com

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AFL had profound impact on game

If not for the visionary innovations of Lamar Hunt, without the creation of the American Football League, America's de facto national holiday -- Super Sunday -- would not have come to fruition.

The game fans now know as the Super Bowl was just one of a number of profound changes the AFL helped bring to the game of football. That begs the question: Without Hunt, where would pro football be today?

» Hunt's vision | 'For the good of pro football' | Opening doors | Call to the Hall
» Rivalries developed quickly | Innovative coaches made their mark | Cast of characters

Video:
AFL-NFL feud simmers | The merger | How it changed the game

AFL "Legacy Games"

The 16 AFL Legacy Games that will be played this season (all times ET):

Aug. 9: Hall of Fame Game, Titans 21, Bills 18
Sept. 14: Patriots 25, Bills 24
Sept. 14: Chargers 24, Raiders 20
Sept. 27: Jets 24, Titans 17
Oct. 11: Cowboys 26, Chiefs 20 (OT)
Oct. 11: Broncos 20, Patriots 17 (OT)
Oct. 18: Patriots 59, Titans 0
Oct. 19: Broncos 34, Chargers 23
Oct. 25: Chargers 37, Chiefs 7
Oct. 25: Jets 38, Raiders 0
Nov. 1: Dolphins 30, Jets 25
Nov. 15: Titans 41, Bills 17
Nov. 15: Chiefs 16, Raiders 10
Nov. 26: Cowboys 24, Raiders 7
Nov. 29: Bills 31, Dolphins 14
Dec. 6: Dolphins 22, Patriots 21

» More on 'Legacy Games' | 2009 NFL schedule

Then and Now

Then and Now: Bills
Buffalo fans can only hope that current QB Trent Edwards attains similar success as Jack Kemp.

Then and Now: Broncos
Long before Brian Dawkins joined the Broncos, Goose Gonsoulin was the team's original ball hawk.

Then and Now: Chargers
Keith Lincoln, the AFL's most dynamic multi-purpose threat, is similar to Darren Sproles.

Then and Now: Chiefs
It took Len Dawson five seasons before he saw regular action; Matt Cassel is on a faster track.

Then and Now: Jets
As soon as the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, the Joe Namath comparisons had begun.

Then and Now: Patriots
Like Nick Buoniconti before him, Jerod Mayo aims to be the cornerstone of the defense.

Then and Now: Raiders
Nnamdi Asomugha and Willie Brown are considered the top corners of their respective eras.

Then and Now: Titans/Oilers
The Chris Johnson-LenDale White duo is a throwback to their Houston Oilers ancestors.

Video

AFL vs. NFL feud
The AFL forced a merger with the NFL, resulting in the Super Bowl and forever changing the game.

AFL-NFL merger
When two competing leagues merged into one, the result was the greatest innovation in NFL history.

Super Bowl III
Joe Namath and the Jets give the AFL its first Super Bowl win by shocking the favored Colts.

Super Bowl IV
The Chiefs cap the AFL's final season with a second straight Super Bowl victory for the league.

Hadl and Alworth
The 1960s Chargers boasted one of the greatest pass combos in pro football history.

Chiefs' 'backers
Hank Stram's team featured one of the all-time best LB corps in pro football history.

Remembering the AFL

True character
The upstart AFL, most of all, should be memorialized for its wild and fun cast of characters.
» Innovative, memorable coaches made their mark

50 years after
Almost every element that makes pro football such a popular sport can be traced to the AFL.
» The 'Foolish Club' | AFL statistical leaders

Best of the AFL
Take a photographic look at the colorful decade of play in the American Football League.

AFL championship games
Take an in-depth look at each of the championship games played in the AFL's 10-year history.

AFL's all-time team
Chargers great Lance Alworth is one of many Hall of Famers on the all-AFL team.
» All-offensive team | All-defensive team

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Gear up

AFL 50th Anniversary gear

Relive a colorful era in pro football history with the AFL collection on NFLShop.com.

NFL Films chronicles the AFL

The AFL unearthed
NFL Films unveils some never-before-seen game footage from the AFL's first seasons.

Playing fields
Relive the unique homes of AFL teams, including War Memorial Stadium and Frank Yuell Field.

Hidden gems
Take a look at the multitude of wild personalities and talented players who played in the AFL.

AFL's gimmicks
The innovative AFL started a lot of things that are commonplace in the game to this day.

AFL-NFL feud simmers
NFL Films recalls its first seasons covering AFL games as newly minted AFL Films.

AFL coaches wired
The animated Hank Stram and inventive Sid Gillman -- both Hall of Famers -- are wired for sound.

The merger
Not everybody favored the historic decision, but the AFL-NFL merger helped pro football flourish.

The original eight

The American Football League, circa 1960:

BOSTON PATRIOTS
Home: Nickerson Field
Coach: Lou Saban
1960 finish: 5-9
» Team history | Team gear

BUFFALO BILLS
Home: War Memorial Stadium
Coach: Buster Ramsey
1960 finish: 5-8-1
» Team history | Team gear

DALLAS TEXANS
Home: Cotton Bowl
Coach: Hank Stram
1960 finish: 8-6
» Team history | Team gear

DENVER BRONCOS
Home: Mile High Stadium
Coach: Frank Filchock
1960 finish: 4-9-1
» Team history | Team gear

HOUSTON OILERS
Home: Jeppesen Stadium
Coach: Lou Rymkus
1960 finish: 10-4, AFL champions
» Team history | Team gear

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Home: L.A. Memorial Coliseum
Coach: Sid Gillman
1960 finish: 10-4, AFL runners-up
» Team history | Team gear

NEW YORK TITANS
Home: Polo Grounds
Coach: Sammy Baugh
1960 finish: 7-7
» Team history | Team gear

OAKLAND RAIDERS
Home: Kezar Stadium
Candlestick Park
Coach: Eddie Erdelatz
1960 finish: 6-8
» Team history | Team gear

» American Football League history | Photo gallery