Who Were the First NFL Teams?
Contents
The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) with ten teams from four states.
The Green Bay Packers
The Packers are the oldest team in the NFL, dating back to 1919. They are also the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. The Packers have won 13 league championships, the most in NFL history, and four Super Bowls.
History
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States.
The Packers are headquartered across the street from Lambeau Field, where they play their home games. Lambeau Field has a seating capacity of 81,441, making it by far the largest municipality-owned stadium by seating capacity in the world and 31st largest stadium of any kind. The Packers have long utilized a strict non-profit model for team management: there is no general manager or president of football operations; rather, all management decisions flow through a committee led by McCarthy as head coach.
The Packers are also one of the few remaining “small market” teams that have not been absorbed into a larger metropolitan area; despite their success over the years, they remain the only major league sports franchise based in Green Bay and its surrounding communities.
Notable players
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. The Packers are also the last of the NFL’s small-town teams.
The Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were the first NFL team. They were founded in 1920 and were originally called the Decatur Staleys. The team moved to Chicago in 1921 and was renamed the Chicago Bears. The Bears have won 9 NFL championships, including Super Bowl XX in 1985.
History
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the National Football League (NFL) as a part of the NFC North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including eight NFL titles before the Super Bowl era and one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinements in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise.
Notable players
The Monsters of the Midway, the Chicago Bears are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history. The team was founded in 1919 and played its first season in 1920. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and have had 28 members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Some of the most notable players in franchise history include running back Gale Sayers, linebacker Dick Butkus, quarterback Sid Luckman, and defensive end Ed Sprinkle. These four players exemplify the tough, physical play that has come to be synonymous with the Bears over the years.
Sayers was a dynamic playmaker who dazzled fans with his elusiveness and speed. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977 after a seven-year career that was cut short by knee injuries. Butkus was a menacing presence in the middle of the defense and is widely considered to be one of the greatest linebackers of all time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.
Luckman is the Bears’ all-time leading passer and is considered one of the best quarterbacks of his era. He led the Bears to four NFL Championships during his 13 seasons with the team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965. Sprinkle was a mainstay on defense for 11 seasons and helped lead the Bears to four NFL Championships during his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.
The New York Giants
The New York Giants were one of the five teams that joined the NFL in 1925. The Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara. Mara paid $500 for the team, which was a lot of money at the time. The Giants played their home games at the Polo Grounds.
History
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which it shares with the New York Jets. The Giants hold their summer training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, and is one of only two teams (the other being the Green Bay Packers) to have played in all four major professional American football leagues: the NFL, AFL, AAFC, and WLAF/NFL Europe.
Notable players
The New York Giants were one of the first teams in the National Football League (NFL) and played their first season in 1925. Since then, they have won four Super Bowl titles and have had many notable players, including running back Tiki Barber, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and quarterback Eli Manning.
The Detroit Lions
In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was founded. The Association began with eleven teams. These teams were the Akron Pros, the Canton Bulldogs, the Cleveland Indians, the Dayton Triangles, the Decatur Staleys, the Hammond Pros, the Massillon Tigers, the Muncie Flyers, the Racine Cardinals, the Rochester Jeffersons, and the Rock Island Independents.
History
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and called the Portsmouth Spartans, the team began play in 1929 as an independent professional football team. For the 1930 season, the Spartans formally joined the NFL as the other area independents folded because of the Great Depression. Despite success within the NFL, they could not survive in Portsmouth, then the smallest city by far to ever host an NFL team. The team was purchased and relocated to Detroit for 1934 by George A. Richards, who changed their name to match that of his new other professional sports franchise, baseball’s Detroit Tigers.
The Lions have won four NFL Championships (in 1935, 1952, 1953 and 1957), all before Super Bowls were created; they are one of five teams to win four or more championships before 1963, when the first Super Bowl was played. They have only appeared in two post-season games since 1957; both losses came at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin (the site of three of their championships). The last time they won a playoff game was on January 5, 1992 when they defeated Dallas 38–6 en route to winning their most recent championship.
Notable players
The Detroit Lions have had many notable players throughout their history. Some of the most famous Lions include:
-Barry Sanders: One of the most elusive running backs in NFL history, Sanders was a 10-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
-Calvin Johnson: Widely considered one of the best wide receivers of all time, Johnson was a 6-time Pro Bowler and retired as the Lions’ all-time leading receiver.
-Matthew Stafford: The current starting quarterback for the Lions, Stafford has been with the team since 2009 and is the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards.
The Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins were the first NFL team. They were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves. The team moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937 and changed their name to the Washington Redskins. The Redskins have won 5 NFL Championships, including 3 Super Bowls.
History
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Redskins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are at Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia. The Redskins have won five NFL Championships (1937, 1942, 1983, 1988, 1992), and have captured 15 NFL divisional titles and six NFL conference championships.
Notable players
Some of the most notable players in the history of the Washington Redskins include quarterback Sammy Baugh, running back John Riggins, wide receiver Charley Taylor, and linebacker Lavar Arrington.
