1960
- A new organization, the American Football League (AFL), launches with 8 franchises.
- Alvin Ray (Pete) Rozelle, 33, named new commissioner of the NFL (serves to 1989).
- (Jan) NFL admits Dallas team for 1960; Twin Cities for 1961.
- Tom Landry begins his record 29 seasons of coaching (to 1988) as Dallas’ first Head Coach.
- Vincent Thomas Lombardi completes his first year as coach of the Green Bay Packers.
- (March) The Chicago Cardinals move to St. Louis. The Bears stay put !
Championship: Philadelphia Eagles 17, Green Bay Packers 13 (December)
1961
Championship: Green Bay Packers 37, New York Giants 0
1962
Championship: Green Bay Packers 16, New York Giants 7
1963
- Roger Staubach wins the second (and last) Heisman Trophy for the Naval Academy, serves a tour in Vietnam, then plays for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 to 1979; plays six Pro Bowls, won Super Bowls VI and XII.
Championship: Chicago Bears 14, New York Giants 10
1964
- Fullback Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns sets rushing record as the first NFL player to break 10,000 yards.
- Dallas Head Coach Tom Landry implements his “Flex Defense.”
Championship: Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Colts 0
1965
- Gayle Sayers scores six touchdowns in a single game (Chicago 61, SF 20), tying record set in 1929.
Championship:
1966
- The average payroll of a pro team exceeds 1 million dollars for the first time; TV network contracts & the signing of the rookie Joe Namath for $400K in the 1965 draft thought to have contributed to ballooning of budgets.
- Miami Dolphins & Atlanta Falcons formed.
- June 8: spokesmen for the AFL (est. 1959) and NFL (est. 1920) announce a merger agreement made up of 24 teams with expansion plans for 26 teams by 1969; and 28 by 1970 when the merger is expected to take full effect.
Championship:
1967
- Green Bay defeats Dallas 21-17 at Lambeau Field on New Year’s Eve to notch its third consecutive NFL title in a heroic game known as the “Ice Bowl” where temperatures hovered at minus 13 degrees, with colder wind chills.
- Quarterback Len Dawson set a pro football record of 15 consecutive pass completions as the Chiefs defeated the Oilers in Houston in the season opener for both teams.
- New Orleans Saints created as a new NFL team.
SUPER BOWL I – Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10 (MVP, Bryan Bartlett “Bart” Starr) at Los Angeles, January 15.
Most expensive American sports event: the 40 Packer players got $15K; Chiefs half this; Gate receipts, $750K; CBS and NBC each paid 1 million dollars to broadcast.
1968
- Cincinnati Bengals created.
- NFL players vote to unionize.
- 21 of 36 starting QBs in the two Leagues incapacitated with various injuries from concussions to broken arms, legs, and collarbones, etc.
SUPER BOWL II – Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14 (Bart Starr) in Miami.
1969
SUPER BOWL III – New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7 (Joe Namath) in Miami; first time called “super bowl;” first time AFL won.
1970
- First broadcast of Monday Night Football: New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns.
- Johnny Unitas voted top pro football player of 1960s by the Associated Press, at the time the leading passer in football history.
- Tom Dempsey kicks the longest field goal – 63 yards (surpassed only once at 64 yds in 2013) – to give the New Orleans Saints the win over the Detroit Lions, 19-17.
SUPER BOWL IV – Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7 (Len Dawson)
1971
- Alan Page of the Minnesota Vikings wins MVP in the NFL Championship game against conventional wisdom that said that defensive players don’t win MVP awards.
- Chicago Bears move from Wrigley Stadium to Soldier Field.
SUPER BOWL V – Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 7 (Chuck Howley) in Miami.
1972
- Gallop Poll shows football as America’s number one spectator sport, 36 to 21 over baseball; numbers reversed since 1961.
- Miami finishes perfect season – goes to Super Bowl VII to snag 17th win in a row against the Redskins. Undefeated record never equalled before or since.
SUPER BOWL VI – Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3 (Roger Staubach)
1973
- Congress votes (!) to forbid TV blackouts of sporting events sold out 72 hours in advance.
- Buffalo Bills’ O.J. Simpson sets NFL rushing record of 250 yards in a game: “It looked like Grant going through Richmond” (NE coach); “He had more yardage than Secretariat” (Patriot linebacker).
- The World Football Team proposed to start in 1974 with 12 teams – international as the name implies.
SUPER BOWL VII – Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7 (Jake Scott) in Los Angeles.
1974
- Nine ruled changed: e.g., goalposts moved back; sudden death periods to avoid ties; kickoffs back to 35 yd line from 40; rules governing forward passes and receivers, etc.
Larry Csonka scores against three Viking defenders in 1974 Super Bowl
SUPER BOWL VIII – Miami Dolphins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7 (Larry Csonka) in Houston.
Csonka, Paul Warfield, and Jim Kiick sign with the Toronto Northmen of the WFL; stun NFL; paid million each!
- NFL adopts a 15-minute sudden death overtime period for regular season games.
1975
- WFL goes out of business !
- Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to join League in 1976.
SUPER BOWL IX – Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota 6 (Franco Harris)