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The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference (NFC), each contain 16 teams with 4 divisions. Both conferences were created as part of the 1970 merger between the National Football League, and the American Football League (AFL). All ten of the AFL teams, and three NFL teams, became members of the new AFC, with the remaining thirteen NFL teams forming the NFC. A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger, thus making the current total of 16 teams in each conference. The current AFC champions are the Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 season's AFC Championship Game for their fourth conference championship and went on to win Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers.
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.
James Edward Finks was an American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive.
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 hall of fame.
Dale Lavelle Carter is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 1992 NFL draft with the 20th overall pick. He played in the NFL for the Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and Baltimore Ravens.
Walter Andrew "Bubby" Brister III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and Northeast Louisiana Indians before being selected in the third round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Steelers.
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is an American former professional football player who was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos.
Donald Glenn Horn is a former American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego Chargers.
William Lee Austin was an American football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a lineman for the New York Giants for seven seasons and was the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1966 to 1968. Austin also served as the interim coach of the Washington Redskins in 1970 following Vince Lombardi's death.
Robert Lee Grim is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1967 to 1977.
Robert Chadwick "Bob" Berry Jr. was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was selected to one Pro Bowl in 1969 as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Berry was a member of three Super Bowl teams with the Minnesota Vikings in the mid-1970s.
Christopher James Miller is an American football coach and former player. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft with the 13th overall pick. He also played in the NFL for the Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams and Denver Broncos.
Robert Ross Lurtsema is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks. He played in two Super Bowls with the Vikings.
Eugene Washington is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Minnesota Vikings (1967–1972) and the Denver Broncos (1973). He was one of two wide receivers in the NFL with the same name during the last five year of his career as an active player, but neither were ever teammates.
Dale Leonard Hackbart is a former American football defensive back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Cardinals, and Denver Broncos from 1960 to 1973. He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1964 and 1965.
William Edward Roehnelt(Pronounced: RAY-nelt) was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins; and in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos. He played college football at Bradley University.
Stevan Todd Ridley is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. Ridley was also a member of the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Patriots, he won Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks.
Rollin William Putzier was an American football player. He played defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1988 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, winning Super Bowl XXIV with the 49ers, and played in the World League of American Football (WLAF) with the Montreal Machine and London Monarchs.
Marcus Darrell Lester was an American football player who played as a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1966. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he attended Lake Charles High School and Louisiana State University before moving to McNeese State. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1964 NFL draft, where he would join up with fellow Lake Charles native Tommy Mason, who had been the Vikings' first pick in the 1961 Expansion Draft. Lester played six games for the Vikings in 1964, making four rushing attempts for a total of 18 yards, with a long of 7 yards. He moved to the Denver Broncos for the 1965 season, but did not register a statistic in any of his 12 games that year. The following season, he played 11 times, making 34 rushing attempts for 84 yards, two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown, and two kick returns for a total of 12 yards. However, he did not play again in the NFL after 1966.
Jeffery Flynn Jordan was an American professional football player who was a defensive back for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.