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Lamar Hunt, born August 2, 1932 in El Dorado, Arkansas, is one of the most influential sportsmen in the United States.The son of oil tycoon H. L. Hunt, Lamar Hunt is a 1956 graduate of Southern Methodist University with a B.S. degree in geology. A college football player and avid sports enthusiast, in 1959 he applied for an National Football League expansion franchise. Refused, Hunt helped organize the American Football League. Lamar Hunt had a dream . . . to bring professional football to Texas and to American markets that had a yearning for the game in places other than the traditional Northeast. In fulfilling that dream, Hunt gave life to the league that contributed considerably to the modern concept of professional football: the American Football League.
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As his head coach of the Dallas Texans/ Kansas City Chiefs for the entire ten-year history of the AFL, he chose Hall-of-Famer-to-be Hank StramHank Stram (born January 3, 1923), the only coach the Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs ever had in the American Football League, won three AFL titles, more than any other coach in the league's history. He also coached for the most victories (87), most. Hunt encouraged, entreated, wheedled, and cajoled seven other forward-thinking men to form a league that would forever leave its mark on American sport. (One of them, fellow Texan Bud AdamsBud" Adams, Jr. born 1923) is a Houston, Texas businessman who owns Tennessee Titans franchise in the National Football League. He was a charter owner in the former American Football League with the Titans' predecessor franchise, the Houston Oilers. Adams of HoustonHouston redirects here. For other meanings of the word, please see Houston (disambiguation). Downtown Houston Skyline Located in southeast Texas, Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and one of the two largest economic areas in Texas., had likewise tried and failed to be granted an NFL franchise.) Unlike previous pro football competitors to the NFL which had often tried to build around the popularity of a few star players and otherwise fill out rosters with men of minor talents, the AFL had teams with solid-quailty professional-level players who for one reason or another had been ignored or released by the teams of the older league. (One reason frequently cited, often behind the scenes, was racismRacism refers to beliefs, practices, and institutions that negatively discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race. Sometimes the term is also used to describe the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, o -- many AFL stars were players from historically black colleges.) Coaches and owners new to the pro game often brought new ideas, excitement, and color to AFL cities while other pro football towns watched a older league which was often dominated by conservative, ground-oriented play-calling.
Before his team capped off the league's existence with an upset victory over a hugely favored opponent, it was Hunt who approved the ten-year AFL patchDuring the entire 1969 professional football season, all NFL players wore a shoulder patch on their uniforms, reading "50 NFL". American Football League fans petitioned the AFL owners to have their players wear a patch commemorating the league's ten years they wore, commemorating the ten years of existence of the American Football League. AFL fans appreciate Lamar Hunt for his foresight and perseverance. He became the first American Football League personage to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is actually the National Football League's Hall of Fame. The building opened in Canton, Ohio on September 7, 1963 with 17 charter inductees. Through 2004, all but one of the inductees played some part of their pro career in t in 1972. The trophy presented to each year's AFC Champions is named the Lamar Hunt Trophy in his honor.
He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, and is a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.
