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San Diego Chargers

On August 14, 1959, Barron Hilton, a 32-year-old hotel executive, was awarded a franchise for Los Angeles in the new AFL. The Chargers were born—and they hit the ground running. In 1960, they won the AFL Western division championship. Success notwithstanding, the L.A. Chargers received lousy fan support, so Hilton, buoyed by the encouragement of a San Diego sports editor, Jack Murphy, moved his team 120 miles south in 1961. (In 1966, Hilton sold the Chargers to Eugene V. Klein, who in turn sold the team to Alex G. Spanos in 1984. Spanos is still the Chairman of the Board.)

The change of scenery may have improved fan support, but it didn't do a lot for the Chargers on-field performance—after winning the AFL Western division in 1960, San Diego didn't win another championship of any kind until 1979. In 1969, Sid Gillman, who had been the Chargers coach since the team's inception, suddenly retired because of failing health nine games into the season. (In 1971, he returned to coach 10 more games.) Gillman's 87-57-6 record in 11 seasons as coach is far and away the best in Chargers history.

The only other long-time Charger coach to have a winning record was Don Coryell, who went 72-60-0 between 1978 and 1986. Under Coryell, the Chargers won three AFC West titles (1979, 1980 and 1981) and reached two AFC championship games (1980 and 1981). During Coryell's tenure, the Chargers played the same kind of exciting football that made the team so popular in the 1960's. Like Sid Gillman, Coryell emphasized the passing game and he had a future Hall of Fame quarterback, Dan Fouts, to drive the offense. Fouts' targets included such Hall of Famers as wide receiver Charlie Joiner and tight end Kellen Winslow. After advancing to the second round of the playoffs in the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Chargers dropped out of contention for the next 10 years.

In 1992, former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Ross was hired to restore the Chargers' glory. He did so almost immediately. In his first season, San Diego won the AFC West. Two years later the Chargers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-13, in the AFC championship game and earned a trip to their first Super Bowl. They lost Super Bowl XXIX to the San Francisco 49ers, 49-26.

San Diego Chargers Facts

• · Franchise Granted August 14, 1959 as the Los Angeles Chargers and Charter Member of AFL
• · First Season 1960
• · Moved to San Diego 1961
• · Stadium Qualcom Stadium at Jack Murphy Field (71,000)
• · Chairman of the Board Alex G. Spanos · President/Vice Chairman Dean Spanos
• · General Manager Bobby Beathard
• · AFL Championship 1963
• · AFC Championship 1994
• · AFL Western Division Championship 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965
• · AFC Western Division Championship 1979, 1980, 1981, 1992, 1994
• · AFL Record 87 - 52 - 6
• · Retired Uniform Numbers #14 Dan Fouts

• · Original Franchise Location The Chargers moved to San Diego in 1961, after one season in Los Angeles.
• · First Regular-Season Game A 21-20 victory over the Dallas Texans, 9/10/60.
• · First Winning Season 1960 (10-4).
• · First Playoff Appearance A 24-16 loss to the Houston Oilers in the American Football League Championship game, 1/1/61.
• · First All-League Selections T Ron Mix, QB Jack Kemp, HB Paul Lowe, DT Volney Peters, DB Dick Harris, 1960.
• · First Charger Elected to the Hall of Fame WR Lance Alworth, 1978.
• · First to Rush 100 Yards in a Game Paul Lowe, 137 yards vs. the Boston Patriots, 10/28/60.
• · First 1,000-Yard Rusher Paul Lowe, 1,010 yards (1963).
• · First to Pass 400 Yards in a Game Dan Fouts, 444 yards vs. the New York Giants, 10/19/80.
• · Most Yards Rushing, Career Paul Lowe, 4,963 yards (1960-67).
• · Most Yards Passing, Career Dan Fouts, 43,040 yards (1973-87).
• · Most Receptions, Career Charlie Joiner, 586 receptions (1976-86).
• · All-Time Leading Scorer Rolf Benirschke, 766 points (1977-86).
• · It's A Fact
  The Chargers' uniform was unveiled on March 20, 1960. Models for the uniform were future Hall of Famer Ron Mix and quarterback/Congressman Jack Kemp.
• · Warmest Game in Team History 108 degrees vs. the Raiders at Los Angeles, 9/4/88.
• · Longest Interception Return Vencie Glenn's 103-yard return vs. the Denver Broncos on 11/29/87, ties an NFL record.

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