The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations to the game. However, the AAFC was ultimately unable to sustain itself in competition with the NFL. After it folded, three of its teams were admitted to the NFL: the San Francisco 49ers, the Cleveland Browns and the original Baltimore Colts.
Robert Lawrence Layne was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the third overall pick of the 1948 NFL draft and traded to the Chicago Bears. Layne played one season with the Bears, and then with the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1958, and the Steelers from 1958 to 1962.
Ewell Doak Walker II was an American professional football halfback and kicker who played with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons from 1950 to 1955. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1948.
Clarence McKay "Ace" Parker was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played professional football as a quarterback, tailback and safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–1941) and the Boston Yanks (1945) and in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the New York Yankees. He was an All-American selection at Duke University in 1936. Parker also played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) during 1936 and 1937 with the Philadelphia Athletics. He served as the head baseball coach at Duke from 1953 to 1966. Parker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1955 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972.
Claude Henry K. "Buddy" Young was an American professional football player and executive in the National Football League (NFL). A native of Chicago, he was Illinois state champ in track and field in the 100-yard dash. The 5'4" Young, also known as the "Bronze Bullet", had exceptional quickness and acceleration. He is one of the shortest men ever to play in the NFL, he was drafted in the 1947 AAFC Draft in the Special Draft by the New York Yankees. As a track star at the University of Illinois, he won the National Collegiate Championships in the 100 and 220-yard dash, tied the world record for the 45 and 60-yard dashes, and was the Amateur Athletic Union's 100-meter champion.
Malcolm James "Mal" Kutner was an American football end in the National Football League (NFL).
The SMU Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas, United States. SMU was founded in 1911 and joined the Southwest Conference, competing against Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma A&M. They have been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since 2024.
Martin Owen Ruby was an offensive tackle and defensive tackle for the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), New York Yanks of the National Football League (NFL), and the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). He lived in Waco, Texas, while he was a professional player.
The SMU Mustangs football team is a college football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park in Dallas County, Texas. The Mustangs compete in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). SMU joined the ACC in July 2024 after eleven years as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
John Joseph "Bo" Molenda was an American football player and coach. He played primarily a fullback, in college at the for the University of Michigan and for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Yankees, the Green Bay Packers. and the New York Giants. Moldena played for two Big Ten Conference championship teams at Michigan and four NFL championship teams, three with the Packers and one with the Giants. Molenda was the backfield coach for the Packers in 1947 and 1948, as has the same with the Chicago Hornets of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1949. He served as the head football coach at Menlo College, then a junior college, located in Atherton, California, from 1950 to 1969.
Harvey Nual "Rusty" Russell was an American football coach at the high school, junior college, and college level in the state of Texas. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1950 to 1952 and Howard Payne University from 1962 to 1963, compiling career college football coaching record of 17–30–3. Russell was also head football coach at an orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas, the Masonic Home and School, from 1929 to 1941. He co-authored the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Code of Ethics in 1952 along with fellow coaches William D. Murray, Lloyd Jordan, and Bud Wilkinson. He is known for developing the spread offense.
Derrell Palmer was an American football tackle who played eight seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and in the National Football League (NFL), mainly with the Cleveland Browns.
The 1948 college football season finished with SMU halfback Doak Walker as the Heisman Trophy winner and six teams in contention for the national championship:
- Bennie Oosterbaan's Michigan compiled a 9–0 record, defeated six ranked opponents, and was the consensus national champion, receiving 192 of 333 first-place votes in the final AP Poll. It was Michigan's second consecutive undefeated season, extending the program's winning streak to 23 games.
- Frank Leahy's Notre Dame Fighting Irish compiled a 9–0–1 record and had a 21-game winning streak dating back to the 1946 season before playing a 14–14 tie with USC in the final game of the 1948 season. Notre Dame was ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll, receiving 97 of 333 first-place votes, with the same record as Michigan due to the final poll being taken prior to their season-ending tie.
- Carl Snavely's No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Charlie Justice, were undefeated in the regular season (9–0–1) but lost to Oklahoma in the 1949 Sugar Bowl.
- Pappy Waldorf's No. 4 California Golden Bears, led by Jackie Jensen who finished fourth in the 1948 Heisman Trophy voting, were undefeated in the regular season (10–0), but lost to Northwestern in the 1949 Rose Bowl.
- Bud Wilkinson's No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners compiled a 10–1 record, including a victory over No. 3 North Carolina in the 1949 Sugar Bowl.
- Earl Blaik's No. 6 Army Cadets finished the season undefeated (8–0–1). They won the first eight games of the season and were ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll before playing Navy to a tie in the annual Army–Navy Game.
The 1947 college football season finished with Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State all unbeaten and untied, but the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were the first place choice for 107 of the 142 voters in the final AP Poll in early December, and repeated as national champions. Michigan was selected for the top spot by six contemporary math systems.
Wilson Rutherford "Bud" Schwenk Jr. was a professional American football quarterback who played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Joseph Magliolo Jr. was an American college and professional football player. He was a two-time All-American honorable mention, once as a "blocking back" and once as a guard, who played in Texas' first two bowl games and then played a season for the New York Yankees of the AAFC.
Howard Edward "Red" Maley, was an American football back and punter in the National Football League (NFL). Drafted in 1944, Maley played for two seasons from 1946 to 1947 for the Boston Yanks. Maley played college football at Texas–Arlington and Southern Methodist University.
Gilbert Johnson was an American professional football quarterback who played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Marion Vaughn Shirley was an American football player who played at the tackle position. He played college football for Oklahoma City University and professional football for the New York Yankees.
Richard George Ottele was an American football player who played at the blocking back and defensive back positions. He played college football for Washington and professional football for the Los Angeles Dons.
