Football History

For over 60 years, the New York Jets have been a cornerstone of the NFL, delivering electrifying plays, passionate fans, and a legacy etched in victories and heartbreaks. From the "Namath guarantee" to the "NY Sack Exchange," their story is a thrilling ride through the highs and lows of professional football.

But the tale of the Jets extends beyond wins and losses. It's about the iconic figures who donned the green and white, forever leaving their mark on the franchise and the sport. We'll journey through the careers of legends like "Broadway" Joe Namath, the charismatic quarterback whose swagger redefined confidence; Don Maynard, the "Jets Rocket" whose blazing speed left defenders in his dust; and the dynamic duo of Curtis Martin and Wayne Chrebet, who embodied resilience and grit.

We'll explore the rivalries that fuel the fire, the coaches who shaped their identity, and the unforgettable moments cemented their place in football history. We'll delve into the passionate fan base known for their unwavering support and "J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets!" chants that echo through MetLife Stadium.

This series isn't just about celebrating victories; it's about understanding the struggles, the near misses, and the moments that define a team's spirit. We'll uncover the lesser-known heroes, the impactful trades, and the draft-day steals that contributed to the Jets' unique tapestry.

The first American Football League (AFL), also known as the Red Grange League, stands as a significant chapter in the history of American professional football. Emerging in the early 1920s, this league marked a period of experimentation and growth as football sought to establish itself as a major sport on the national stage.

-Origins and Establishment

The AFL was founded in 1926 by renowned player and coach C.C. Pyle, with the intention of capitalizing on the popularity of star athlete Harold "Red" Grange. Grange, known as the "Galloping Ghost," had gained fame during his college football days at the University of Illinois and subsequent barnstorming tours across the country.

Pyle's vision for the AFL was ambitious. He aimed to create a league that could rival the established National Football League (NFL) and draw large crowds to games featuring Grange and other top players. The league was initially composed of eight teams, each strategically located in major cities across the United States.

-Teams of the AFL

-New York Yankees: Headlined by Red Grange himself, the New York Yankees were the league's marquee franchise. Grange's star power drew significant attention and crowds, helping to boost the league's visibility.

-Chicago Bulls: Representing the Windy City, the Chicago Bulls were another prominent team in the AFL. They added to the league's competitive spirit and contributed to the growing popularity of professional football in the Midwest.

-Los Angeles Wildcats: The Wildcats brought professional football to the West Coast, showcasing the sport to new audiences in California. Their presence helped establish a foothold for football's expansion beyond traditional Eastern markets.

-Boston Bulldogs: Hailing from the sports-rich city of Boston, the Bulldogs contributed to the league's geographic diversity and provided local fans with a professional football team to support.

-Cleveland Panthers: Representing Ohio, the Cleveland Panthers added Midwestern flair to the AFL. Their games against regional rivals helped foster local rivalries and fan engagement.

-Detroit Panthers: Another team from the Midwest, the Detroit Panthers bolstered the league's appeal in the industrial heartland, tapping into local pride and football enthusiasm.

-Brooklyn Horsemen: Based in New York City, the Brooklyn Horsemen brought professional football to the borough of Brooklyn, catering to a diverse and passionate fan base.

-Newark Bears: Rounding out the league, the Newark Bears represented New Jersey and provided football fans across the Hudson River with a team to rally behind.

-Legacy and Impact of the 1st AFL

Despite its ambitious beginnings and star-studded lineup, the AFL faced numerous challenges. Financial instability, competition with the more established NFL, and logistical issues plagued the league from the start. The AFL struggled to attract sustained fan interest and secure viable venues for its games.

Ultimately, the league folded after just one season in 1926. However, its brief existence left a lasting legacy. The AFL demonstrated the potential for professional football to capture public attention and compete on a national scale. It also paved the way for future attempts to establish rival leagues and contributed to the evolution of the sport's organizational structure and business model.

Moreover, the AFL's inclusion of star players like Red Grange highlighted the growing influence of individual athletes in shaping football's popularity and commercial appeal. Grange's involvement in the league underscored the emergence of football as a professional sport capable of producing national celebrities.

In conclusion, the first American Football League, or Red Grange League, remains a pivotal chapter in the early history of American professional football. Despite its brief lifespan, the league's formation and the teams that comprised it helped lay the groundwork for the sport's eventual rise to prominence and solidified its place in the cultural fabric of the United States.

---

Joe Namath, the iconic quarterback nicknamed "Broadway Joe," carved his legacy not just with his arm but also with his swagger and charisma. In this edition, we explore Namath's journey from leading the Alabama Crimson Tide to a national championship to becoming a cultural icon and champion with the New York Jets.

Namath's collegiate career at Alabama was a masterclass in clutch play. Under the legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, Namath blossomed into a star. His strong arm and elusiveness on the run made him a nightmare for opposing defenses. In his senior year, 1964, Namath led the Crimson Tide to a thrilling national championship victory, solidifying his status as a college football legend.

The professional landscape was different. The fledgling American Football League (AFL) was locked in a fierce battle with the established National Football League (NFL). Namath became the prize in this war, drafted first overall by both leagues. He signed a groundbreaking deal with the New York Jets, a move that symbolized the growing power of the AFL.

Namath's arrival in New York was about more than just football. He became a cultural icon, his good looks and charisma gracing magazine covers and landing him acting roles. This celebrity status, however, didn't overshadow his on-field talent. He led the Jets to several AFL championship appearances, showcasing his pinpoint passing and competitive fire.

The defining moment of Namath's career came in Super Bowl III, the first meeting between the AFL and NFL champions. The heavily favored Baltimore Colts, led by the legendary Johnny Unitas, were expected to demolish the young Jets. But in a stunning display of confidence, Namath famously guaranteed a victory for the Jets, a bold prediction that sent shockwaves through the sports world.

True to his word, Namath orchestrated a masterful performance, leading the Jets to a 16-7 upset. This victory not only cemented Namath's place in football history but also marked a turning point for the AFL, proving it could compete with the established NFL.

Injuries hampered Namath's later career, but his impact was undeniable. He finished his career with several franchise records for the Jets and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Joe Namath's legacy goes beyond statistics and championships. He was a charismatic leader, a symbol of a changing sports landscape, and a player who wasn't afraid to take risks. His "guarantee" before Super Bowl III remains one of the most iconic moments in sports history, a testament to the confidence and swagger that made him "Broadway Joe."

-The basic Biography of Joe Namath

Born May 31, 1943, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, was Joe Namath the 4 time AFL All-Star, 1 time NFL Pro Bowl and Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback for the New York Jets and  Los Angeles Rams. Joe was the MVP of Super Bowl III where he predicted a victory for his heavy underdog Jets and lived up to his promise in a 16-7 stunner over the powerful Baltimore Colts. This win and his larger than life personality made him quite popular in the Big Apple, where they called him "Broadway Joe." Namath played his college ball under Head Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama. Namath was the first in Pro Football history to toss for more than 4,000 yards in a one season. The 1968 AFL Player of the Year threw three TD strikes to lead the Jets to victory in the 1968 AFL Championship Game. For his career he threw for 27,663 yards and 173 touchdowns. One item of historic importance concerning Namath may often be over looked but when New York's AFL franchise signed Joe to a $400,000 contract it gave the young American Football League its first victory against the established NFL showing that they could compete for players coming out of college.

Born August 3, 1940, in Houston, Texas was Pro Football Hall of Fame Wide Receiver, Lance Alworth. This 1961 University of Arkansas All-American wide receiver is best know for his time spent with the San Diego Chargers but he also played his final two seasons in Dallas with the Cowboys.

In fact he caught the first TD pass in the Cowboys Super Bowl VI appearance. According to the ProFootballHOF.com website Alworth was the first player from the American Football League to be enshrined in Canton. "Bambi" was not a shy dear by any means as he made the All-AFL team 7 times, played in 7 AFL All-Star games, and led the American Football League 3 years in receptions when he caught balls in 96 consecutive games! He caught 524 passes for 10,266 yards and 85 touchdowns for his career.


Lance Alworth, often dubbed "Bambi" for his graceful athleticism, stands as one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.

His career, primarily with the San Diego Chargers, was a testament to his exceptional talent and unwavering dedication. With his speed, agility, and sure hands, Alworth redefined the wide receiver position. His ability to make spectacular catches and elude defenders was unmatched.  

Beyond his on-field prowess, Alworth was a charismatic figure who captivated fans. His impact extended beyond his playing days, as he became the first AFL player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Alworth's legacy is etched in football lore, a reminder of an era when pure athleticism and skill reigned supreme.

Henry Louis "Hank" Stram wasn't born into gridiron greatness; he earned it, yard by bloody yard. From his humble beginnings in Chicago to his legendary reign as the head coach of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, Stram's story is a testament to perseverance, innovation, and an unyielding love for the game.
His coaching career began not with fancy schemes or celebrity
status but on the dusty fields of rural Ohio, molding high school teams into gridiron warriors. His talent caught the eye of the University of Miami, where he honed his coaching skills and gained a reputation for defensive ingenuity.
In 1959, Lamar Hunt, founder of the newly formed American Football League (AFL), took a chance on the unassuming coach, appointing him to lead the Dallas Texans. This marked the beginning of a dynasty. Stram, nicknamed the "Big Texan" for his imposing presence and booming voice, instilled a culture of tough-nosed defense and aggressive offense.

His leadership saw the Texans win the 1962 AFL Championship, showcasing his ability to build a winning team in a league often overshadowed by the established NFL. His strategic innovations, like the "No-Huddle offense," revolutionized the game, adding speed and unpredictability to the gridiron.

In 1963, the Texans relocated to Kansas City, becoming the Chiefs. Stram's legacy followed as he continued to mold championship contenders. He led the Chiefs to another AFL title in 1966 before guiding them to victory in Super Bowl IV – the first time an AFL team had beaten an NFL team in the ultimate game.

Stram's impact went beyond trophies. He recognized the burgeoning cultural significance of football, embracing fan interactions and creating memorable moments like his sideline tirade after Len Dawson's fumble, now an iconic part of football history.

His coaching career spanned 17 seasons, with a 131-97-10 record and five AFL Championship appearances. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003, a testament to his enduring influence on the game.

Hank Stram was more than just a coach; he was a pioneer, an innovator, and a showman who dared to challenge the status quo. He left an indelible mark on the AFL and the NFL, forever remembered as the "Big Texan" who brought an AFL team to the mountaintop and forever changed the landscape of professional football.

---

In the fledgling days of professional football, long before the million-dollar contracts and Sunday night spotlights, there was the American Football League, a league that dared to challenge the dominance of the NFL. But within the AFL, there existed another layer of hopefuls – the redshirt freshmen, or in this case, the redshirt sophomores. These weren't the star players drafted with fanfare, but the grinders, the backups, the players fighting for a shot at gridiron glory. Today on the podcast, we dive into the archives to hear from the red-shirted renegades of the AFL, the men who toiled in the shadows, and the stories they have to tell about a league that dared to be different. So, buckle up and get ready for a journey into the forgotten trenches of the AFL, where dreams were chased one grueling practice session at a time.

Timothy Brown of Football Archaeology joins us again this week to educate us on another aspect of football. This week we chat about the a n event called the 1965 AFL Redshirt Draft, a group called LESTO and how they both may have been the stepping stones towards the modern NFL Combine.

-Transcription of the Red Shirted Players of the AFL with Timothy Brown

This is Darin Hayes of pigskindispatch.com. Welcome once again to the pig pen, your portal to positive football history. And it is Tuesday. And once again, we have a friendly visit from our friend Timothy Brown of football archaeology.

Tim, welcome back to the pig pen. What's your name again? Darren. Did you play a couple of games without the helmet on, Tim? You know, more than a few, more than a few.

Okay. All right. Hey, good.

It's good to be back, as always. All right. Well, let's get to the topic at hand.

And one of your tidbits really caught my eye from mid-October and it was on the American football league from the 1960s. And as a matter of fact, the 1965 AFL red shirt draft. And you talk about a couple things.

And one of them was the Lesto organization as well. And I'd like to see if maybe you could have some discussion on that tonight. Yeah.

So, you know, this is one of those where I think in order to kind of set up the 65 red shirt draft in the AFL, there's just a whole lot of history behind that. So I'm going to double back, you know, decades or so. And so, you know, so part of this is just like, I'm always scouring eBay and some other places for scores, postcards, images, books related to football history.

And, but I'm mostly, I'm not necessarily looking for like this great item. I'm mostly looking for some kind of item that provides some context, some information or an image that tells me something about football at a different time. And so one of the great sources is the Spalding's football guides, right? And so I've got like boatloads of those, both PDF versions that are out of copyright.

So you can get them for free. Then, the NCAA offers free ones from 2000 onwards. So I've got those and then I buy the books, you know, in between.

And so I never spent much money. I buy them. And so recently I was able to buy this 1965 AFL guide, similar to the old Spalding kind of guides.

So I bought it really not knowing what's going to be inside that thing. And so when I received it, I said 1965, but it was a 1967 guide, but it had information about the 65 draft. And anyway, so I'm, you know, leafing through the thing and here it says 1965 redshirt draft, which at that point I had never heard of before.

I am now familiar with the NFL, which has a future draft. And I understood what that was all about, but I hadn't heard the redshirt version. So, you know, what the AFL did was, and even, you know, going back into the NFL, back in 1925, the Bears signed Red Grange right after his season.

So the day after he completed his last game at Illinois, he was playing for the Bears and that violated the norms of the time. And so, you know, created all kinds of turmoil. So the NFL agreed, we're not going to draft any, or we're not going to sign anybody until their graduate, until their class has graduated.

Right. So you get to sign them for their senior season. And so everything was fine until about six when all of a sudden, what we now think of as the redshirt process came into being.

So a redshirt, and, you know, get four, you know, basically be in college for five years, but played in four, which then changed the dynamic of your signing, you know, your original class versus your graduating class. Right. So, so everything, nobody paid attention to it until like in the early sixties, I think it was, maybe it was late fifties.

NFL team started signing what they call the futures contract. So, a guy who redshirted would draft him in a normal draft order, just the normal draft. They'd sign them, or they draft him and basically stake a claim to a guy like Donnie Anderson or some top-notch junior who they knew they wouldn't be able to sign for another year because he was going to keep playing.

You know, he had another year of eligibility. The AFL, on the other hand, ended up doing what it said: instead of just having integrated with the normal draft, we're going to have a separate redshirt draft. So they drafted their normal guys, and then they drafted, then they had a separate draft of redshirts, right?

They could basically stake their claim to these players. But the other, you know, I mean, two other cool things about it was just one was that they, at the time in 65, the draft occurred on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You know, now it's like April 23rd or some crazy date.

And, but it gets later every year, I think too. Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's going to be in December pretty soon.

But back then, it was like, neither the NFL nor the AFL, because they were still rival leagues, wanted the other one to get ahead of each other. So they held it on the same day, right after the college season ended, so that, you know, if they had the chance to sign somebody the next day, they did it. So anyway, it's just one of those things we just it's not even part of our thinking anymore.

But with two rival leagues at a time who both had money, you know, it was a big deal. Yeah, so anyways, I mean, it's in this list just, you know, had a bunch of guys, most of them, I have no idea who they were. You know, maybe in 1966, I would have recognized their names, but not anymore.

But there were still, you know, there were a handful of really pretty top-notch guys, which I guess brings me to this whole Lescoe issue, right? So, you know, until about that time, each team scouted independently. So they'd each send their guys out, and some of them didn't do much scouting at all, and they were terrible at it. And others, you know, they were pretty proficient at it.

So send their guys out to the colleges, measure them, weigh them, time them, all that kind of stuff. And a couple of teams, the Lions, Eagles, and Bears, so Lescoe, or Lions, Eagles, and Steelers. So, you know, they combined their scouting resources or part of their scouting resources.

So that's where we get the word combine. They combined their early scouting resources, and it became more like those were the guys who went out and did all the preliminary work to evaluate who should even be considered. And then the serious examination of who's who, that, you know, came more, you know, that was left to more higher-end scouts within each individual team.

And then, you know, there were other combines that came together, and eventually, they all joined into the one combine, which we now know today, right? So yeah, that's kind of the origins of this future draft, which kind of existed around the same time as the combine got started. So all that, and it turned into the Underwear Olympics. That's commonly what they call it.

Yeah, I mean, it's really amazing. You know, I've written about this elsewhere, but there was, you know, there's been times like the Redskins, I think it was, they drafted the same guy two years in a row. He was a USC or Cal, you know, named Russo.

But, you know, a lot of these teams, they would just draft guys based off of what they read in the newspaper, or like, not the Street and Smith's, but you know, some version of that of their time. And they drafted this guy, and he was a junior. So he wasn't eligible for the draft, but they used a first-round draft on the guy.

So then they draft him the second, the next year. He says I don't want to play NFL. I'm joining the Navy.

I mean, it's just the level of scouting and insight. I mean, so much of it was just based on, hey, I've got this buddy who's a coach out at Pacific Lutheran or Texas A&M, whatever school, and he says this kid's a player. So you trusted that, rather than like on-site physical evaluations.

And, you know, then you had Paul Brown bringing the 40-yard dash and, you know, to really more technical evaluations and cone drills and all that kind of stuff. So, I mean, it's just, it's a different world. Yeah.

It's, it's interesting when you, when they publish some of them, like the radial charts that they have on these guys where they have, you know, radial charts, sort of a round chart and the points go out in different directions, almost like a clock. And you see where these guys are rating on it. And it's, I mean, really kind of a unique monitoring and calibrating system to try to judge a player's proficiency.

It's kind of a cool thing. So, yeah. Well, you know, one thing I commented out in the little article about the redshirt draft is that the heaviest player in the redshirt draft was 270 pounds, you know, and, you know, that's just kind of unimaginable today, you know, because, you know, that 270 isn't going to get you very far on a defensive line or especially an offensive line.

But back then that, you know, that was a huge man because very few teams did any lifting at all. Right. Yeah.

So it's amazing. We were just talking to Os Davis, who's a fellow podcaster. We were doing a program on the 1924 game with the University of Chicago and with Illinois, including when and how Chicago was going to defend Red Grange.

And he was Alonzo Stagg, and he was going to put two of his biggest guys at him. And one guy was 199 pounds, and the other guy was like 204 pounds. And that was how they were going to stop range.

That's just amazing how, you know, mankind is sort of grown, and through nutrition and exercise and genetics and the size of people we have playing football today, It's amazing. Yeah.

And I mean, a lot of it is also just, you know, kind of a selection process and the different techniques, you know, if, if you, you know, when teams played when you play single platoon, there's a way you could have 300-pound people, you know, I mean, half the guys in the NFL could not survive in that game because they just, they're too big. They're too heavy. They're not; they're not in shape.

And so, I mean, even like you look at rugby, international rugby players, top-end athletes, and the biggest guys by, you know, huge guys in that sport are 270, you know, and they're kept, but they look more like a tight end, the end, you know, sort of guys, not like offensive tackles, right. Because they got to run the whole game. Right.

So, you know, but anyways, I mean, it's, I mean, take nothing away from the athleticism of, of an NFL offensive tackle, you know, but it's just, it's a selection process. It is not; it's enabled by the rules that are in place today, not the rules that were in place in the 1940s or twenties or whatever. Well, definitely some fascinating stuff.

And we really appreciate you digging into that. It's a little bit more modern than what we've, we've talked to you about before being in the sixties, but back and think about how long ago the sixties was. It's a kind of shocking time period that I was alive in, but don't remember much, but I was alive.

Tim, why don't you, while we're talking about your tidbits, why don't you give us, the listeners, an idea of how they can enjoy your tidbits on a daily basis? Yeah. So, I mean, if you're interested in listening, then subscribe to this podcast. If you're interested in reading, then, you know, I'm at footballarchaeology.com. You can find me there.

It's, it's a Substack, you know, application and you can, at least for now, find me on Twitter. We'll see what happens in the long-term with her. But anyways, for now, I'm on Twitter, but I don't know the same name, footballarchaeology.com. And so however you prefer to consume, have at it.

All right, Tim Brown, footballarchaeology.com. Folks, we have that information on the show notes of this podcast. So you, if you can't get to a pencil and write it down right now, it's not convenient. Don't worry.

Come back and check out the show notes or go to pigskindispatch.com or footballarchaeology.com and you'll find out how to join that. Tim Brown, thank you very much. And we'll talk to you again next week.

Hey, thank you again, Darin. Thank you.

Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.

---

AFL (American Football League, 1960-1969): This upstart league challenged NFL tradition with innovative rules and aggressive marketing, ultimately forcing a merger in 1970 that led to the creation of the modern NFL structure with two conferences.

But other American Football Leagues competed against the NFL before this 1960s rendition, and we covered them in this video.

Most casual football fans know that the Super Bowl era of the NFL stems from a merger between the NFL and the AFL in the late 1960s. Super Bowl 1 was originally called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game. But did you know that this American Football League was the fourth NFL rival league with that exact name?

The first AFL started in 1926 and is often called the Grange League because it was created because of a dispute of inequity pay for Red Grange in his second pro season with his original NFL employer, the Chicago Bears. One of Grange's promoters, C.C. Pyle, along with Grange and others, started the league to compete with the NFL for revenue as they questioned the NFL structure and consistency after multiple controversies in 1925 plagued the NFL. Grange's New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Quakers were at the top of the nine-team league. The league folded, and the Yankees and Grange joined the NFL in 1927.

AFL II 1936

In 1936, amidst the established power of the National Football League, a fledgling challenger took the field: the American Football League (AFL). Though short-lived, the AFL's two-year stint boasted audacious ambition and left its mark on the game's history.

Ignored by national media and relegated to "page filler" status, the AFL II served as a crucial springboard for several iconic franchises. Cleveland, pre-NFL glory, first donned its Rams jerseys under the AFL's lights. And on the West Coast, the Los Angeles Bulldogs made history as the first professional team to call it home - and to conquer their league with an undefeated season, a feat not repeated for decades.

But the AFL was more than just stepping stones. It was a laboratory for innovation, where gridiron dreams took flight with the hopes of eight eager cities: Boston, Cleveland, Jersey City, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Syracuse.

AFL III 1940

The American Football League (AFL III) was a professional American football league from 1940 to 1941. It was the third major league to bear that name, but its existence was short-lived due to competition from the established National Football League (NFL).

The AFL III was formed in 1940 when three teams from the minor-league American Professional Football Association (APFA) - the Cincinnati Bengals, the Columbus Bullies, and the Milwaukee Chiefs - were lured away to join six new franchises in Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse, and New York City. After one season, this startup soon folded.

---

Dateline December 28, 1958, The New York Giants sideline was stunned as the Baltimore Colts scored in Overtime to defeat the G-men 23-17 in the Greatest Game Ever Played. On that Giants sideline was a rookie wide receiver from Texas Western named Don Maynard.

Little did anyone know that this speedy wideout would avenge this early championship loss to bask in the limelight of a brilliant 15-year pro football career. We often think of Don Maynard as the guy on the other end of so many of Joe Namath's spirals, but there are some hidden knowledge nuggets about the legend that goes beyond his 633 receptions with 11,834 receiving yards and 88 Touchdowns.

It got rocky before it got good, though, as NY released Maynard and went North the following year to play for the Hamilton Ti-Cats of the CFL. After a one-year stint there, the new American Football League came calling and gave the speedster an opportunity with the New York Titans. Don stayed with that club throughout the AFL, witnessed the rebranding as the Jets won a title, and helped the franchise merge into the NFL for a spectacular 13-year career in NY Green. He went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinls, LA Rams, and later with with the Houston Texans / Shreveport Steamer of the WFL.

Maynard played in four different Pro Football Leagues, NFL, AFL, CFL and WFL.