American football in Texas

American football is the most popular sport in Texas. The state of Texas has produced the most professional football players and most pro football players of all time.[1]

History

American football has a long history in Texas, but its modern popularity can be traced back to 1959, when Lamar Hunt, the son of Texas Oil magnate H.L. Hunt established the American Football League.[2] Lamar Hunt had shown previous interest in owning a professional football team in Dallas having shown interest in buying the Chicago Cardinals and relocating them to his hometown of Dallas.[3] After being rejected by the National Football League, Hunt (Who founded the Dallas Texans started the American Football League with 7 other owners, including Bud Adams (The founder of the Houston Oilers), another Texas Oilman. In response to this, the National Football League created the Dallas Cowboys, owned by Clint Murchison Jr., son of Clint Murchison Sr., also an Oil Tycoon . In the 1962 American Football League Championship Game, the Dallas Texans faced off against the Houston Oilers in which Dallas won 20-17. This would end up being the final game of the franchise in Dallas. The franchise was losing money despite putting up better records than the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Owner Lamar Hunt, after considering Atlanta and Miami to relocate to. Kansas City, Missouri mayor H. Roe Bartle made an offer for team owner Lamar Hunt which he accepted and the franchise officially relocated to Kansas City on May 22, 1963 and the team was renamed the Kansas City Chiefs 4 Days later.[4]

Professional teams

Current

Former

Notable people

Players

Coaches

Owners

References

  1. ^ "Why does Texas produce so many amazing football players?". khou.com. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  2. ^ "1959 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  3. ^ "Lamar Hunt, Class of 1972 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  4. ^ "Inside the Stacks: Exploring Important Documents in Chiefs and AFL history". Kansas City Chiefs. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
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