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Creating Football
1869
Rutgers and Princeton played a college soccer football game, the first ever, November 6. The game used modified London Football Association rules. During the next seven years, rugby gained favor with the major eastern schools over soccer, and modern football began to develop from rugby. -
First NFL Team
The Green Bay Packers became the first NFL team. -
Expansion teams
The league had 18 franchises, including new ones in Kansas City, Kenosha, and Frankford -
First Player limit/ More Teams
Five new franchises were admitted to the NFL-the New York Giants, who were awarded to Tim Mara and Billy Gibson for $500; the Detroit Panthers, featuring Jimmy Conzelman as owner, coach, and tailback; the Providence Steam Roller; a new Canton Bulldogs team; and the Pottsville Maroons, who had been perhaps the most successful independent pro team. The NFL established its first player limit, at 16 players. -
Last Original Team purchased
Dayton, the last of the NFL's original franchises, was purchased by William B. Dwyer and John C. Depler, moved to Brooklyn, and renamed the Dodgers. -
10 Less Teams
The NFL decreased to 10 teams, and halfway through the season the Frankford franchise folded. Carr fined the Bears, Packers, and Portsmouth $1,000 each for using players whose college classes had not graduated. The Packers won an unprecedented third consecutive title, beating out the Spartans, who were led by rookie backs Earl (Dutch) Clark and Glenn Presnell. -
NFL Draft
National Football League draft, First event date -
WWII
Players departing for service in World War II depleted the rosters of NFL teams. Halas left the Bears in midseason to join the Navy, and Luke Johnsos and Heartley (Hunk) Anderson served as co-coaches as the Bears went 11-0 in the regular season. The Redskins defeated the Bears 14-6 in the NFL Championship Game, December 13. -
First Logo on Helmet
Halfback Fred Gehrke of the Los Angeles Rams painted horns on the Rams' helmets, the first modern helmet emblems in pro football. The Cleveland Browns won their third straight championship in the AAFC, going 14-0 and then defeating the Buffalo Bills 49-7. In a blizzard, the Eagles defeated the Cardinals 7-0 in the NFL Championship Game, December 19. -
NBC Takes Over
NBC replaced DuMont as the network for the title game, paying a rights fee of $100,000. -
NFLPA
The NFL Players Association was founded. -
CBS
CBS became the first network to broadcast some NFL regular-season games to selected television markets across the nation. -
The Begginning of the Lombardi era
Vince Lombardi was named head coach of the Green Bay Packers, January 28. -
Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio opened. -
AFL-NFL Merger
On the evening of June 8, 1966, the collaborators announced a merger agreement in New York -
First AFL-NFL Championship Game
Green Bay earned the right to represent the NFL in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game by defeating Dallas 34-27, January 1. The same day, Kansas City defeated Buffalo 31-7 to represent the AFL. The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10 before 61,946 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the first game between AFL and NFL teams, January 15. The winning players' share for the Packers was $15,000 each, and the losing players' share for the Chiefs was $7,500 each. The game was televised by -
Superbowl I and II
The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10 before 61,946 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the first game between AFL and NFL teams, January 15 Green Bay defeated Oakland 33-14 in Super Bowl II at Miami, January 14. The game had the first $3-million gate in pro football history. Vince Lombardi resigned as head coach of the Packers, but remained as general manager, January 28. -
The Ice Bowl
Green Bay defeated Dallas 21-17 for the NFL championship on a last-minute 1-yard quarterback sneak by Bart Starr in 13-below-zero temperature at Green Bay, December 31. -
50 year anniverssary
The NFL marked its fiftieth year by the wearing of a special patch by each of the 16 teams. -
Rule Changes and Expansion Teams
The merged 26-team league adopted rules changes putting names on the backs of players' jerseys, making a point after touchdown worth only one point, and making the scoreboard clock the official timing device of the game, March 18. -
The end of an era
Lombardi died of cancer at 57, September 3.
The Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi trophy, September 10. -
First ever Undefeated Season
The Miami Dolphins completed the first ever NFL undefeated season in 1972. -
Numbering System
A jersey numbering system was adopted, April 5: 1-19 for quarterbacks and specialists, 20-49 for running backs and defensive backs, 50-59 for centers and linebackers, 60-79 for defensive linemen and interior offensive linemen other than centers, and 80-89 for wide receivers and tight ends. Players who had been in the NFL in 1972 could continue to use old numbers. -
Rozzelle Retires
Long-time NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle retired in 1989. -
Houston Texans
In 2002 the Houston texans became the last expansion team. -
The NFL sidelines Reebok for Nike
For decades Reebok held the rights to create all NFL teams uniforms that each team would wear on gameday. That all changed on April 1, 2012 as the NFL signed with Nike.
