The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926, 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference.
Sidney Gillman was an American football player, coach and executive. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, was instrumental in making football into the modern game that it is today. He was inducted as a coach into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
Lionel Thomas Taylor is an American former football player and coach. He played as a wide receiver primarily with the Denver Broncos of American Football League (AFL), he led the league in receptions for five of the first six years of the league's existence. The second player to lead a league in receptions for at least five seasons, Taylor is currently the last to do so. He was the third wide receiver to reach 500 receptions in pro football history. He was also a longtime assistant coach in the league, winning two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2024, he was given the Award of Excellence by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work as an assistant. However, despite all of his accomplishments as a player and coach, he has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Charles Taylor Hennigan Sr. was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver with the former Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Northwestern State Demons. A five-time AFL All-Star, he was named to the AFL All-Time Team.
Charles Joiner Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He played 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he earned all three of his Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 1980. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
For its first nine seasons, 1960 through 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions.
Charle Edward Young is an American former football tight end who played for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1973–1976), the Los Angeles Rams (1977–1979), the San Francisco 49ers (1980–1982), and the Seattle Seahawks (1983–1985). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft.
Dalva Ray Allen was an American football defensive end player who played professionally in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at the University of Houston. After being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 23rd round of the 1957 NFL draft, Allen played three games for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL) during the 1957 season. He played for the Houston Oilers on their AFL championship teams in 1960 and 1961, and for the Oakland Raiders from 1962 through 1964.
Ronald Leslie Botchan was an American football player, coach, and official. He played professionally as a linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) from 1960 to 1962. As an official, Botchan worked as an umpire for nearly his entire NFL career and wore the number 110. Regarded as the "NFL's best umpire" by the media, Botchan was assigned to a record-number five Super Bowls: XX in 1986, XXVII in 1993, XXIX in 1995, XXXI in 1997, and XXXIV in 2000. He was also an alternate in Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, and Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. He ascended to the NFL ranks after nine years of officiating high school and college games.
William Frederick Groman was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Heidelberg Student Princes, and played professionally for the Houston Oilers from 1960 through 1962 and was on the first two AFL championship teams. He played for the Denver Broncos in 1963, and for the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and 1965, playing on the Bills' two league championship teams. In his six years of professional football, he played on four AFL championship teams, the only man ever to do so.
Charlie Jones was an American sportscaster for NBC and ABC.
The 1960 AFL season was the inaugural regular season of the American Football League. It consisted of 8 franchises split into two divisions: the East Division and the West Division.
The 1960 American Football League Championship Game was the first AFL title game, played on New Year's Day 1961 at Jeppesen Stadium in Houston, Texas. With New Year's on Sunday, the major college bowl games were played on Monday, January 2. This was the first time that a major professional football league's playoff game was played in January rather than December.
The 1961 San Diego Chargers season was the team's second in the American Football League. Following a move from Los Angeles, it was the Chargers' first season in San Diego, where the team remained until returning to Los Angeles in 2017.
The 1960 Los Angeles Chargers season was the team's inaugural season and also the inaugural season of the American Football League (AFL). Head coach Sid Gillman led the Chargers to the AFL Western Division title with a 10–4 record, winning eight games out of nine after a 2–3 start, and qualifying to play the Houston Oilers in the AFL championship game.
The 1960 Houston Oilers season was the first season for the Houston Oilers as a professional American football franchise; Head Coach Lou Rymkus led the Oilers to the AFL Eastern Division title, with a 10–4 record. It was also the first American Football League season. It ended with a 24–16 victory in the AFL championship game at home over the Los Angeles Chargers (10–4).
Donald Clement Klosterman was an American professional football player and executive. Klosterman was known for building teams in three different leagues after his career as a professional quarterback was cut short by a serious accident.
Charles John Diamond Jr. was an American professional football tackle who played four seasons in the American Football League (AFL) with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at the University of Miami. Diamond was also a member of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a member of the Texans team that won the 1962 AFL championship.
John Paul Guzik III was an American professional football player who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) with the Los Angeles Rams and Houston Oilers. He was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL draft after playing college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a consensus All-American in 1958. He was a member of the Oilers team that won the 1961 AFL championship.
Joseph Charles Madro was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Chargers. He played offensive guard at Ohio State.
