The American Football League (AFL) was a brash, bold, and innovative league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) during the 1960s. Founded by Lamar Hunt in 1959, the AFL featured pass oriented offenses, west coast teams, broadcasting innovations, and offered more opportunities to black players. The AFL successfully merged all their teams with the NFL in 1966 and began inter-league play after the 1970 season, creating the league we know and love today. The following series of weekly articles will shine a light on the important people and moments that built the AFL into the cultural icon that propelled football into popular culture and making it America’s game.

Son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, Lamar Hunt was born in Arkansas and raised in Dallas, TX. Despite his immense wealth, Hunt was a modest man known for wearing beat-up shoes and flying coach rather than first class. Hunt was a proud Texan and wanted to bring a football team to his beloved city Dallas. At 29 years old, Hunt saw an opportunity to create an NFL franchise in Dallas after the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. The Colts won, beating the Giants in the first-ever sudden-death overtime, skyrocketing football’s popularity with the American public. 

In 1959, Hunt approached NFL commissioner Bert Bell with a proposal for an NFL franchise in Dallas. Commissioner Bell turned down Hunt’s proposal, citing that the NFL had no plans for expansion. The NFL was experiencing a post-war boom and was content with the league’s state. Next, Hunt attempted to purchase the Chicago Cardinals from the Wolfner family (yup, the Arizona Cardinals originated in Chicago). The Cardinals were struggling and looking to sell the franchise; however, Hunt was turned down because of disagreements over the percentage of ownership stock that he would hold. Plus, the Wolfner’s would not allow relocation of the team. On his flight back from negotiations, Hunt had a light bulb moment. If the NFL will not expand, why not start a whole new league. 

Hunt knew he needed support for his new league, so he approached fellow Houston oilman K.S. Bud Adams. Adams shared the same enthusiasm for football, loved Hunt’s ideas, and had considerable wealth. Adams would own the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans). Young and ambitious, Hunt began recruiting like-minded owners for his new league like wealthy hotel executive Barron Hilton (Los Angeles Chargers), sports broadcaster and media mogul Harry Wismer (New York Titans), California construction tycoon Wayne Valley (Oakland Raiders), Boston sportswriter Billy Sullivan (Boston Patriots), baseball franchise owner Cal Kunz (Denver Broncos), and manufacturing entrepreneur Ralph Wilson (Buffalo Bills). Wismer and Wilson already owned shares of NFL teams, while Sullivan was denied a Boston NFL franchise. The AFL formally announced itself on July 2nd, 1959, and was laughed at for challenging the NFL. The former led to the AFL owners referring to themselves as “The Foolish Club.”

Lamar Hunt’s Dallas Texans won the 1962 AFL championship over the Houston Oilers. They moved to Kansas City the following year, renaming themselves the Chiefs. However, founding the AFL and creating the Chiefs is not Hunt’s most significant accomplishment. The Super Bowl was Lamar Hunt’s brainchild. America’s most iconic and highly viewed television event. Since the AFL’s inception, Hunt kept mentioning an inter-league championship game so the public could see the two leagues compete. Hunt’s desire for an inter-league championship did not become serious until the merger talks between the AFL and NFL began. Hunt’s league forced a merger with the NFL due to the ridiculously high rookie salaries and the AFL’s new financial stability granted by their new television deal with NBC. Hunt was a member of the AFL’s merger committee, including Billy Sullivan and Ralph Wilson. The NFL’s committee consisted of Art Modell, Tex Schramm, and Dan Reeves. In their meetings, the two sides frequently discussed an inter-league championship game, much like the World Series.

At the time, the game was referred to as the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game.” It was not even called the Super Bowl in official press guides. Shortly before the January 15th, 1967, AFL-NFL World Championship Game, Hunt blurted out: “When we get to the final game, the last game, the Super Bowl….” Hunt later said he got the idea from a child’s toy called “the Super Ball,” simply a bouncy ball. Despite the loss, It was fitting that Hunt’s Chiefs represented the AFL against Lombardi’s Packers in “Super Bowl I.” The media did not adopt the term Super Bowl until 1969’s AFL-NFL World Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Jets. The AFL’s Jets were victorious, securing the league’s first victory over the NFL. 

Lamar Hunt’s legacy continued to expand beyond the Kansas City Chiefs. He played a significant role in bringing professional tennis and soccer to the United States. In 1972, Lamar Hunt was the first person associated with the AFL inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of his contributions to making the NFL and football America’s most popular sport.