The Dallas Texans were a professional football team that briefly competed in the National Football League (NFL). Their history is short-lived, as they existed for only one season in 1952.
The Texans actually began their existence as the New York Yanks in 1950, after original Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins moved the team to New York. However, the franchise struggled on the field and at the gate, and after the 1951 season, Collins sold the team back to the NFL.
In January 1952, a Dallas-based group bought what was left of the Yanks and moved them to Texas, renaming the team the Dallas Texans. The Texans became the first NFL team to be based in the southern United States, in an attempt by the league to expand its footprint.
However, the Texans faced numerous challenges from the beginning. The team had a weak roster and struggled to compete on the field, finishing the season with a 1-11 record. Furthermore, the team was directly competing with the more popular college football teams in the region for fan attention.
Financial problems soon followed. Midway through the season, the team's ownership returned the franchise to the league. The NFL took over operations, and while the team remained officially based in Dallas and kept its name, it played most of its "home" games on the road due to poor attendance.
After the 1952 season, the NFL folded the Texans franchise. The league then awarded a new franchise to a Baltimore-based group, which took on the remaining players from the Texans and became the Baltimore Colts. This new Colts team, unrelated to the earlier team of the same name, would eventually become a successful and enduring franchise, and later moved to Indianapolis in 1984.
The Dallas Texans represent an early attempt to establish professional football in the South. While they were not successful, they paved the way for future NFL expansion into the region, including the eventual establishment of the Dallas Cowboys in 1960.
The Dallas Texans were a professional football team that competed in the American Football League (AFL), which was a competitor to the National Football League (NFL) before the two leagues merged. The Dallas Texans later became the Kansas City Chiefs. Here's a brief overview of that transition:
Dallas Texans (1960-1962): The Dallas Texans were established in 1960 as a charter member of the AFL by businessman Lamar Hunt, who was one of the key figures behind the creation of the AFL after his bid for an NFL expansion team was rejected. The Texans were successful on the field during their time in Dallas, culminating in an AFL Championship in 1962.
Relocation to Kansas City (1963): Despite their on-field success, the Texans faced significant competition for fan attention in Dallas from the Dallas Cowboys, who had been established in the NFL the same year as the Texans. This competition led to financial difficulties for the team.
After the 1962 season, Lamar Hunt decided to relocate the team to Kansas City, Missouri, where the franchise was renamed the Kansas City Chiefs. Hunt reportedly chose "Chiefs" in honor of Kansas City mayor H. Roe Bartle, who was instrumental in luring the team to Kansas City and whose nickname was "The Chief."
Kansas City Chiefs (1963-Present): The Chiefs have been successful in Kansas City, winning the AFL Championship in 1966 and going on to win Super Bowl IV in 1970, the last game before the AFL-NFL merger. They have remained a competitive team in the NFL, including winning Super Bowl LIV after the 2019 season.
Lamar Hunt's impact on football extends beyond the Chiefs. He was a key figure in the AFL-NFL merger and is considered a founder of the Super Bowl; he even came up with the name "Super Bowl." His contributions to the sport have been recognized with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.