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.
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America after the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) until the AFL closed in 2019.
Paul Leo Maguire is an American former professional football player and television sportscaster. He played as a punter and linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).
Gerald John Philbin is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the American Football League (NFL) and National Football League (NFL). He was a four-year starter playing college football for the Buffalo Bulls, earning several honors including second-team All-American, Little All-American, and All-American Academic team. Drafted by both the Detroit Lions of the NFL and the New York Jets of the AFL in the third round of their respective 1964 drafts, he joined the Jets and became an immediate starter and perennial All-AFL selection at defensive end. He played stellar defense for them for nine seasons.
The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, which retained the "National Football League" name and logo, to become the most popular sports league in the United States. The merger was announced on the evening of June 8, 1966. Under the merger agreement, the leagues maintained separate regular-season schedules for the next four seasons—from 1966 through 1969 with a final championship game which would become known as the Super Bowl—and then officially merged before the 1970 season to form one league with two conferences.
Edward Leon Budde was an American football guard. He played his entire career for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).
James Edwin Otto was an American professional football player who was a center for 15 seasons with the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes.
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti was an American professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Buoniconti played professionally for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins, winning two Super Bowls with the Dolphins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
The American Football League draft, the American Football League stocked its teams in two ways:
- Signing free agents.
- Signing players from the previous year's college graduates.
The American Football League All-Star game was the annual game which featured each year's best performers in the American Football League (AFL). The game was first played in 1961 and the final AFL All-Star game occurred in 1969, prior to the league's merger with the National Football League (NFL).
Willie Edward Lanier, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the AFL All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975.
Larry Chatmon Little is an American former football guard who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats. He signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 1967. After two years in San Diego, he was then traded to the Miami Dolphins where he played for the rest of his career, establishing himself as one of the best guards in the NFL.
Ernest Henry Wright was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 13 seasons, from 1960 to 1969 in the American Football League (AFL), and from 1970 to 1972 in the National Football League (NFL).
David Allen Kocourek was an American professional football player in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. A four-time AFL All-Star with the San Diego Chargers, he was named to the second team of the AFL All-Time Team.
Norman Earl Evans is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 14 seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). Evans is the only player in NFL history to be chosen in two expansion drafts. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs. The Miami Dolphins took Evans from the Houston Oilers in the 1966 AFL Expansion draft. He played 10 seasons with Miami. Evans was also chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft and played three seasons there. He was selected to two Pro Bowls and played in three Super Bowls, all with the Dolphins.
Maurice "Mo" Moorman is an American professional football player who was a Guard for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played collegiately for the Texas A&M Aggies, and went to the AFL's Chiefs as a first-round pick in [the [1968 American Football League draft|1968 AFL draft]]. After winning the AFL championship with the Chiefs in 1969, he started for them in their victory over the National Football League (NFL)'s Minnesota Vikings in the fourth and last AFL-NFL World Championship Game. He wore jersey number 76. He threw the key "trap" block on the famous touchdown play in the game, "65 Toss Power Trap."
The American Football League (AFL) was a professional American football league that operated in 1936 and 1937. The AFL operated in direct competition with the more established National Football League (NFL) throughout its existence. While the American media generally ignored its operation, this second AFL was the first "home" of the Cleveland Rams, which joined the National Football League after one year in the AFL.
In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country. Currently, there are multiple professional football leagues in North America: the two longest-running leagues are the National Football League (NFL) in the U.S, and the Canadian Football League (CFL) in Canada. American football leagues have existed in Europe since the late 1970s, with competitive leagues all over Europe hiring American Imports to strengthen rosters. The Austrian Football League and German Football League top division are known as the best leagues in Europe. The Japan X-League is also a strong league that has a long history since 1971. The NFL has existed continuously since being so named in 1922.
