The San Diego Chargers can trace their lineage to August 1959, when Barron Hilton met with representatives from five other cities to discuss a proposed football league, which later became known as the American Football League (AFL).
The AFL began in 1960 with eight teams, including Hilton's
Los Angeles Chargers, the Denver Broncos, Dallas Texans, Oakland Raiders, New York Titans, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills and the Boston Patriots.
After moving to San Diego in 1961, the Chargers went on to play nine more years in the AFL. In all, the Bolts reached the AFL playoffs five times and the AFL Championship four times. They won the AFL Championship in 1963 when they beat the Boston Patriots 51-10 before 30,127 fans at Balboa Stadium.
The AFL and the National Football League (NFL) merged before the 1970 season, and in 34 years since then, the Chargers have made seven trips to the playoffs and three appearances in the AFC Championship game. At the end of the 1994 season, the Chargers faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX and fell 49-26.
The Chargers have six players and one coach enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio: wide receiver Lance Alworth (1962-1970), quarterback Dan Fouts (1973-1987), head coach/general manager Sid Gillman (1960-69, 1971), wide receiver Charlie Joiner (1976-1986), offensive lineman Ron Mix (1960-69), tight end Kellen Winslow (1979-1987) and defensive end Fred Dean (1975-81).
Learn more about the team by viewing the Bolts' All-time Roster, Chargers Hall of Fame members, Franchise Chronology, Team Records, Head-coaching List and the Evolution of their uniform.
