The American Football League began play in 1960 with eight franchises, all of them alive and well today.
The fledgling AFL not only offered professional football fans an alternative to the NFL, but ultimately proved to be the only pro football league to successfully go toe-to-toe with the more established league.
After half a dozen contentious years of competing for fans and players, the leagues finally called a truce. Each saw their teams win two Super Bowls before they ultimately joined forces before the 1970 season.
This summer, USA TODAY will take a look back at the AFL, which would have played its 50th season this year, and its contributions to the pro game, examining each of the league's 10 franchises — all current members of the AFC — and the impacts, stories and footprints that they stamped into football lore.
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