1959: A 26-year-old Texan, frustrated by his unsuccessful attempts to gain a pro football franchise in the National Football League, embarked on an alternate course that was to drastically change the face of pro football forever. The young man was Lamar Hunt, who founded the American Football League with six original cities Dallas, New York, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis (Buffalo and Boston were added, and Oakland replaced Minneapolis). Lamar Hunt was the cornerstone, the integrity of the league. Without him, there would have been no AFL.

1960: Lamar Hunt’s own team, the Dallas Texans, who shared its name with a previous NFL team, would face direct competition from the NFL’s newest expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys. For their inaugural season in the Cotton Bowl, the Texans had a strong home-state identity with quarterback Cotton Davidson (Baylor), fullback Jack Spikes (TCU), and running back Abner Haynes (North Texas State). Haynes, who was named the league’s Player of the Year, led the league in rushing with 875 yards and touchdowns with nine. The Texans had a flashy, high scoring club, and only three close losses kept them from challenging for the division title, as they finished second with an 8-6 record. The Texans averaged 24,500 for their home games, the highest average in the league.

1961: The Texans would struggle, with a midseason five-game losing streak in their second season, posting a disappointing record of 6-8 while finishing a distant second in the AFL West.

1962: After a disappointing 6-8 season, the Texans sign Len Dawson, who toiled around in the NFL for six years, without much success. Another critical addition was Rookie of the Year FB Curtis McClinton, who helped RB Abner Haynes, enjoyed his finest season with 1,049 yards and an AFL-high 13 touchdowns. The Texans would go on to finish with an 11-3 record and the AFL’s Western Division Title. In the AFL Championship Game, the Texans would face their inner state rival Oilers in Houston. The Texans would jump out to a 17-0 as Abner Haynes scored two Touchdowns, but the Oilers would score 17 unanswered points in the 2nd half to send the game to overtime. The two teams went through the first OT without a score, which created the first ever-double OT game in Pro-Football history. The Texans would end the long day victorious as Tommy Brooker nailed a 25-yard FC to win their first AFL title.

1963: Shortly after the AFL Championship Game, owner Lamar Hunt decided for the best interest of his team and the future of the league to move to Kansas City. The Texans fared well in Dallas but had trouble convincing fans that they were on a level with NFL’s Cowboys. In Kansas City, they had a city without pro-football, and a new market to spread to the new league.