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.
John Willard Hadl was an American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 16 years. He won an AFL championship with the San Diego Chargers in 1963. Hadl was named an AFL All-Star four times and was selected to two Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.
Daryle Pasquale Lamonica was an American professional football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Lamonica was drafted by the NFL Green Bay Packers in round 12 with the 168th overall pick. He spent his first four seasons mostly as a backup for the Buffalo Bills, who selected him in the 24th round of the 1963 AFL Draft. Lamonica played his next eight seasons as the primary starter of the Raiders, including after they joined the NFL through the AFL–NFL merger.
George Frederick Blanda was an American professional football player who was a placekicker and quarterback in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). Blanda played 26 seasons of professional football, the most in the sport's history, and had scored more points than anyone in history at the time of his retirement.
Abner Haynes is an American former professional football halfback and return specialist who played in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the North Texas State Eagles and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1960 AFL Draft. He was also drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1960 NFL Draft.
James Charles Norton was an American professional football safety and punter who played for the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). An original member of the Oilers franchise, he played in their first nine seasons from 1960 to 1968. Norton was an AFL All-Star for three seasons and holds the league's record for career interceptions. His jersey No. 43 was the first of eight retired by the Oilers/Titans franchise.
Kenneth Ray Houston is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
Robert Craig Svihus is a former American football offensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets. He played college football at the University of Southern California
David Wilcox was an American professional football player who was a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1974. He was selected to play in seven Pro Bowls and was named All-NFL five times during his career. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Jerry LeVias is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the SMU Mustangs. He played professionally in the AFL with the Houston Oilers and in the NFL with the Oilers and the San Diego Chargers. LeVias was the first African American scholarship athlete and second African American football player in the Southwest Conference.
Gordon Scott Appleton was an American football defensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) for the Houston Oilers, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. He played college football at the University of Texas, which won the national championship in 1963. Appleton was a consensus 1963 All-American and won the Outland Trophy.
Loyie Nawlin "Buddy" Humphrey was an American American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and St. Louis Cardinals. He also was a member of the Houston Oilers in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at Baylor University and was drafted in the second round of the 1959 NFL Draft.
The Oil Bowl is a high school football all-star game in Wichita Falls, Texas. The game began in 1938, originally between East and West Texas high school football all-stars. In 1945, the game began pitting teams from Oklahoma and Texas, and continued in that format until 2012. In 2013, a dispute concerning the disposition of Oklahoma's share of the game's charitable proceeds led the Oklahoma Coaches Association to withdraw from the game, and the 2013 game matched two Texas teams. For the years in which Texas and Oklahoma teams played, the overall record was 46–19–1 in favor of Texas.
Francis Marion "Cotton" Davidson was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL).
Randolph Klaus Johnson was an American football player. He was the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in their inaugural season of 1966. He also had brief stints with the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers. In 1974, he played with The Hawaiians of the World Football League (WFL).
Jerry Byron Rhome is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers and Los Angeles Rams. He closed out his professional career with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at the University of Tulsa.
Frederick Couture Glick is an American former gridiron football player and coach. Glick played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Oilers.
Hagood Clarke, III is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive back in the American Football League (AFL) for five seasons during the 1960s. Clarke played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Buffalo Bills of the AFL.
Walter William Fondren III was an all-conference football player and conservation activist. He played halfback, quarterback and punter for the Texas Longhorns from 1955 to 1957 and was the first starting quarterback for Darrell Royal. He was later a founding member of the Coastal Conservation Association.
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996. The Oilers began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The team won two AFL championships before joining the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in the late 1960s.
