Professional Football in Texas

Professional Football in Texas
Professional football first arrived in Texas in the
fall of 1952 when a 16-member syndicate purchased
the National Football League franchise that had been
known as the New York Yanks. The team, coached by
Jim Phelan, enjoyed little success playing in the Cot-
ton Bowl as the Dallas Texans. By the end of the season, after the league had bought back the franchise,
the Texans were playing “home” games elsewhere,
including Akron, Ohio, where they had their only victory, 27-23, over the Chicago Bears of George Halas.
Dallas Texans (NFL)
Year
Win
Loss
Tie
– 1951 played as the New York Yanks
1952
1
11
0
1953 — remnants of the team became the new Baltimore Colts, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Art Donovan
and Gino Marchetti.
The coin toss at the AFL championship game in 1962 between the Dallas Texans and the Houston Oilers.
Big-time professional football returned to Texas
when Bud Adams of Houston and Lamar Hunt of Dallas started the American Football League in 1959. In
October 1959, Adams announced the Houston team
would be known as the Oilers. Hunt’s team was named
the Texans and played in the Cotton Bowl. AFL play
began in 1960.
The Oilers were an immediate success, winning the
first AFL championship by defeating the Los Angeles
Chargers in January 1961.
The Dallas Texans, meanwhile, had difficulties.
They found themselves battling for ticket sales with
the new National Football League expansion team
owned by Clint Murchison Jr., the Dallas Cowboys.
In May of 1963 the Cowboys had their first major
victory when Hunt announced he was moving his team
to Kansas City, where it would be renamed the Chiefs.
When the city of Houston declined to build a new
stadium for the Oilers, who had been playing in the
Astrodome, Adams moved his team in 1997 to Nashville, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans.
Dallas Texans (AFL)
Year
Win
Loss
Tie
Playoffs
1960
8
6
0
1961
6
8
0
1962
11
3
0
won AFL championship over Houston Oilers
1963 — team moved to Kansas City to become the Chiefs
Houston Oilers (AFL–NFL)
Year
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
Win
10
10
11
6
4
4
3
9
7
6
Loss
4
3
3
8
10
10
11
4
7
6
Tie
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
Playoffs
won AFL championship over Los Angeles Chargers
won AFL championship over San Diego Chargers
lost AFL championship to Dallas Texans
lost AFL championship to Oakland Raiders
lost divisional playoff to Oakland Raiders
AFL, NFL merge
1970
3
10
1
1971
4
9
1
1972
1
13
0
1973
1
13
0
1974
7
7
0
1975
10
4
0
1976
5
9
0
1977
8
6
0
1978
10
6
0
2nd AFC Central; lost AFC championship to Pittsburgh Steelers
1979
11
5
0
2nd AFC Central; lost AFC championship to Pittsburgh Steelers
1980
11
5
0
2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Oakland Raiders
1981
7
9
0
1982
1
8
0
(players’ strike)
1983
2
13
0
1984
3
13
0
1985
5
11
0
1986
5
11
0
1987
9
6
0
2nd AFC Central; lost divisional playoff to Denver Broncos
1988
10
6
0
3rd AFC Central; lost divisional playoff to Buffalo Bills
1989
9
7
0
2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Pittsburgh Steelers
1990
9
7
0
2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Cincinnati Bengals
1991
11
5
0
1st AFC Central; lost divisonal playoff to Denver Broncos
1992
10
6
0
2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Buffalo Bills
1993
12
4
0
1st AFC Central; lost divisional playoff to Kansas City Chiefs
1994
2
14
0
1995
7
9
0
1996
8
8
0
1997 — moved to Tennessee, renamed the Titans in 1999.
Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
The National Football League expanded to 13
teams in January 1960 when Dallas businessman Clint
Murchison Jr. was granted a franchise.
His Dallas Cowboys (originally to be called the
Dallas Rangers) were organized too late to take part
in the college draft that year and did not win a single
game in the 1960 season.
Year
1960
1961
1962
1963
Win
0
4
5
4
Loss
11
9
8
10
Tie
1
1
1
0
Since that first year, the Cowboys have developed
into one of the most popular teams in the NFL.
Under head coaches Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson
and Barry Switzer, the Cowboys have gone to the Super Bowl eight times, winning five times, and have advanced to the playoffs 31 times. The team now plays
at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Playoffs
Chuck Howley intercepts a Bob Griese pass during the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl victory in January 1972. Dallas beat
the Miami Dolphins 24–3. Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach (12) stands on the sidelines.
Year
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Win
5
7
10
9
12
11
10
11
10
10
8
10
11
12
12
11
12
12
6
12
9
10
7
7
3
1
7
11
13
13
12
12
10
6
Loss
8
7
3
5
2
2
4
3
4
4
6
4
3
2
4
5
4
4
3
4
7
6
9
8
13
15
9
5
3
3
4
4
6
10
Tie
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Playoffs
1st Eastern Conf.; lost NFL championship to Green Bay Packers
1st Capitol Div.; lost NFL championship to Green Bay Packers
1st Capitol Div.; lost divisional playoff to Cleveland Browns
1st Capitol Div.; lost divisional playoff to Cleveland Browns
AFL, NFL merge
1st NFC East; lost Super Bowl to Baltimore Colts
1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Miami Dolphins
2nd NFC East; lost NFC championship to Washington Redskins
1st NFC East; lost NFC championship to Minnesota Vikings
2nd NFC East; lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams
1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Denver Broncos
1st NFC East; lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams
2nd NFC East; lost NFC championship to Philadelphia Eagles
1st NFC East; lost NFC championship to San Francisco 49ers
(players’ strike); lost NFC championship to Washington Redskins
2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Los Angeles Rams
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams
2nd NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Detroit Lions
1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Buffalo Bills
1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Buffalo Bills
1st NFC East; lost NFC championship to San Francisco 49ers
1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Pittsburgh Steelers
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Carolina Panthers
Year
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Win
10
8
5
5
5
10
6
9
9
13
9
11
6
8
8
8
12
4
Loss
6
8
11
11
11
6
10
7
7
3
7
5
10
8
8
8
4
12
Tie
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Playoffs
1st NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Arizona Cardinals
2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Minnesota Vikings
2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Carolina Panthers
2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Seattle Seahawks
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to New York Giants
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Minnesota Vikings
1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Green Bay Packers
NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, has a retractable roof.
Houston Texans (NFL)
After Bud Adams moved to Tennessee, Houston decided to build a new football stadium in order to get a
National Football League expansion franchise.
On Oct. 6, 1999, the NFL team owners voted 29-0
to award their 32nd franchise to Houston and businessman Bob McNair.
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Win
4
5
7
2
6
8
8
9
6
10
12
2
9
8
Loss
12
11
9
14
10
8
8
7
10
6
4
14
7
7
Tie
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
In September 2002, the Texans became the first
NFL team in 41 years to win their expansion debut,
stunning the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 before 69,604 at
Reliant (now NRG) Stadium in Houston.
The Texans have made the playoffs three times.
Playoffs
1st AFC South; lost divisional playoff to Baltimore Ravens
1st AFC South; lost divisonal playoff to New England Patriots
1st AFC South; lost wild card playoff to Kansas City Chiefs
Other professional football leagues
The United States Football League played for three
seasons, 1983-85, with teams in San Antonio and
Houston after the initial season.
The Gamblers, who played in the Astrodome, were
coached by former NFL head coach Jack Pardee. The
most notable player was future Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.
The San Antonio Gunslingers, owned by oilman
Clint Manges, were quarterbacked by Rick Neuheisel.
Their home games were in Alamo Stadium.
Houston Gamblers (USFL)
Year
1984
1985
Win
13
10
Loss
5
8
Tie
0
0
Playoffs
lost quarterfinal to Arizona Wranglers
lost quarterfinal to Birmingham Stallions
San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL)
Year
1984
1985
Win
7
10
Loss
11
13
Tie
0
0
Playoffs
San Antonio Wings and Houston Texans (WFL)
The World Football League played in 1974 and
part of 1975, with teams briefly in Houston and San
Antonio.
In 1974, the Texans played in the Houston Astrodome for eleven games, going 3-7-1, before the
franchise moved to northern Louisiana to become the
Shreveport Steamer. The team finished the year with a
7-12-1 record overall.
In 1975, the San Antonio Wings were the brief,
last incarnation of the Washington-Baltimore Ambassadors, Virginia Ambassadors, Florida Blazers. The
Wings played home games in 23,000-seat Alamo Stadium and finished with a 7-6 record before the league
disbanded in October 1975.
San Antonio Riders (WLAF)
The World League of American Football was
founded in 1990 with the support of the National Football League. The San Antonio Riders played in 1991
in Alamo Stadium with a 4-6 record and in 1992 in
Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos with a 7-3 record.
When the NFL suspended the league after the 1992
Houston Outlaws (RFL)
The Regional Football League existed for one season in 1999. The Houston Outlaws played most of
their home games at Memorial Stadium in Pasadena
season, the San Antonio and Sacramento teams were
accepted into the Canadian Football League, but the
San Antonio franchise folded before the beginning of
the 1993 season.
The NFL revived the WLAF with European teams
in 1995. It existed as NFL Europe until 2007.
and went 7-2. They were defeated 14-12 by the Mobile Admirals before 5,500 fans in Mobile in the only
championship game.
San Antonio Matadors and Houston Marshals (SFL)
The Spring Football League played for less than a
month in 2000. Besides the teams in San Antonio and
Houston, there were teams in Los Angeles and Miami.
The San Antonio Matadors and the Houston Marshals, both with 2-0 records, were declared league cochampions before the league folded.