American Football Association (1977–1983)

For the first organized soccer body of 1884, see American Football Association (1884–1924).

The American Football Association (AFA) was a professional American football minor league that operated from 1977 to 1983.

The AFA was concentrated in the southern United States and served as the second tier of professional football between the World Football League, which folded in 1975, and the United States Football League, which began play in 1983. Unlike the WFL or USFL, the AFA always fashioned itself as a minor league, and never planned to rival the National Football League for "major league" status.^[1] Players were paid one percent of gross gate revenue, which often meant players were paid only menial sums for their service (often comparable to minimum wage for three hours of work), and the league struggled to acquire recognizable players.^[2]

The league played its games on Saturday nights^[1] in the summer (beginning its season Memorial Day weekend and ending in August) to avoid direct competition against other football in the fall, a move that foreshadowed the USFL's similar spring football schedule. The AFA ended operations in 1983, unable to take advantage of the strike that hit the NFL the year prior or weather the competition from the USFL.

Teams and cities represented

State	City	Team(s)
Oklahoma	Tulsa	Oklahoma Thunder
		Tulsa Mustangs ^[3]
Alabama	Birmingham	Alabama Vulcans
		Alabama Magic ^[4]
Kentucky	Louisville	Kentucky Trackers
Florida	Jacksonville	Jacksonville Firebirds
		Jacksonville Sunbirds
	Orlando	Orlando Americans
North Carolina	Charlotte	Carolina Chargers ^[a]
Texas	San Antonio	San Antonio Charros
	Austin	Austin Texans
	Dallas	Dallas Wranglers
	Burleson	Fort Worth Wranglers
	Houston	Houston Hotshots
		Houston Armadillos
Arkansas	Little Rock	Arkansas Diamonds
Mississippi	Jackson	Mississippi Stars
Virginia	Norfolk	Virginia Hunters
Louisiana	Shreveport	Shreveport Steamer ^[b]
West Virginia	Charleston	West Virginia Rockets ^[c]
Illinois	Chicago ^[d]	Chicago Fire ^[e]

Many nicknames came from previous leagues, with minor alterations to avoid trademark disputes: the Steamer, Vulcans and Fire all took their names from WFL teams, while the Rockets borrowed their moniker from a Continental Football League and United Football League team of the same name.

The operations were often fly-by-night, with most teams lasting only one season (or less) before folding, and players played for a paycheck equal to one percent of the net gate receipts after expenses (In August 1980, Shreveport Times sports reporter Ron Higgins estimated the average Steamer game check to be about $35 per man).

Despite its minor-league status, the league's teams often were able to secure leases for unusually large stadiums, often those used by the WFL and the USFL: the Orlando Americans, in their lone season, played in the 70,000-seat Citrus Bowl, while the Vulcans and Magic played at similarly-sized Legion Field, Houston played at 73,000 seat Rice Stadium, and the Fire played at Soldier Field.^[9] The Mustangs played at 30,000-seat Skelly Stadium. The Jacksonville Firebirds played in the Gator Bowl.

History

The AFA was founded in May 1977 and began to play that summer. It was formed to take advantage of the places where the WFL was the most popular, while avoiding the overspending that led to that league's demise.^[1]

Billy Kilmer, the former NFL quarterback (and coach of the AFA's Shreveport Steamer in 1979),^[10] was named commissioner in 1981. Kilmer lasted one season as commissioner, working unpaid, during which he encountered numerous problems in the AFA, including a scandal in San Antonio which a player named Robert Lee Johnson misrepresented himself as former NFL offensive lineman Randy Johnson. The Carolina Chargers, one of the league's more successful and stable teams, dropped out of the league mid-season but re-emerged in 1982 under new ownership as the Carolina Storm.^[11]

In 1982, with former San Antonio Wings executive Roger Gill at the helm, the league attempted to expand northward by absorbing other semi-pro teams in Buffalo, New York, Racine, Wisconsin and Canton, Ohio.^[9]

The USFL's securing of a TV contract, especially after the AFA had failed to do so (the AFA was only able to get a few of its teams onto local cable stations, still a nascent technology at the time), led to the AFA eventually declining into semi-pro status and folding after its 1983 season.^[2]

The AFA lasted six seasons, one of the longest runs of a minor professional football organization in the sport's history, and considered the strongest league in the era between the WFL and the USFL.^[12] The development of arena football and its numerous imitators has effectively reduced most outdoor leagues to amateur or semi-pro status.

The modern American Football Association, a sanctioning body for semi-pro and amateur football, is unrelated to the former AFA.

1977

Harry Lander and Roger Gill, from the existing San Antonio Charros amateur club, decided to create a new minor league football league and attract local investors. Five other clubs from Houston, Fort Worth, Austin, Wichita Falls, and Oklahoma City joined the Charros to establish the AFA.^[13]

The plan was to play two exhibition games, and then each team would play twelve regular-season games beginning on July 2. The players were promised 1% of each game's gate receipts.

After three games (including two preseason) where they failed to score any points, the Fort Worth Stars were forced out of the league, while the Houston franchise—which had failed to secure a home stadium, pay their league dues, or secure medical insurance for their players—folded mid-August.

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA	Notes
San Antonio Charros	8	0	0	1.000	329	81	Champions
Oklahoma City Warriors	4	3	0	.571	192	73
Austin Texans	4	4	0	.500	168	177
Wichita Falls Steelers	2	5	0	.285	74	162
Houston Seagulls	0	5	0	.000	38	183	Folded mid-season
Fort Worth Stars	0	1	0	-	0	77	Forced out of the league

The San Antonio Charros finished undefeated in the regular season and were declared league champions.

1978

The AFA entered an agreement for a loose affiliation with the California Football League for the 1978 season, that both leagues will play their normal league schedules, and at the end of the season the champions of each league will play in the "King Kong Bowl" to determine the "national champion".^[12][14][15]

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Shreveport Steamer	9	1	0	.900	375	161
San Antonio Charros	6	4	0	.600	235	185
Houston Titans	6	4	0	.600	226	206
Oklahoma City Stampede	6	4	0	.600	263	185
Wichita Falls Roughnecks	2	8	0	.200	101	300
Austin Texans	1	9	0	.100	158	273

Playoffs

	Semi-finals September 2					American Bowl I September 16
	1	Shreveport	14
	4	Oklahoma City	0
						1	Shreveport	17*
						2	San Antonio	14
	2	San Antonio	25
	3	Houston	7

^* Indicates overtime victory.

King Kong Bowl
(September 30 at State Fair Stadium)
San Jose Tigers 32 vs. Shreveport Steamer 6

1979

The league grow to nine teams and had plans to divide to Eastern and Western divisions, but after Tulsa Mustangs folded the remaining teams has gone from two divisions format to one, with the top four teams making the playoffs.^[12][16]

Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Alabama Vulcans	13	5	0	.722	406	220
San Antonio Charros	10	4	0	.714	405	301
Carolina Chargers	12	5	0	.705	457	277
Jacksonville Firebirds	11	5	0	.687	497	277
Shreveport Steamer	9	7	0	.562	387	279
Mississippi Stars	5	11	0	.312	220	386
Kentucky Trackers	4	12	0	.250	342	544
Tulsa Mustangs	1	4	0	.250	39	120
Arkansas Champs	2	14	0	.125	138	503

Playoffs

	Semi-finals September 15					American Bowl II September 29
	1	Alabama	21
	4	Jacksonville	28
						4	Jacksonville	27
						3	Carolina	7
	2	San Antonio	21
	3	Carolina	28

1980

The AFA started the season with eight teams and split up to Eastern and Western divisions. The league revoked Kentucky Trackers license after several cases of misconduct with four remaining weeks in the regular season. The Trackers' remaining games was filled with semi-pro teams from the Atlantic Coast League and the Dixie League, but those games did not count in AFA standings.^[12][17]

Eastern Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Carolina Chargers	10	3	0	.769	315	231
West Virginia Rockets	9	4	0	.692	294	183
Jacksonville Firebirds	8	5	0	.615	306	225
Kentucky Trackers	0	13	0	.000	135	248
Western Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Shreveport Steamer	9	1	0	.900	265	122
San Antonio Charros	6	4	0	.600	227	179
Austin Texans	4	6	0	.400	189	245
Fort Worth Wranglers	0	10	0	.000	85	307

Playoffs

	Semi-finals August 30					American Bowl III September 7
	1	Carolina	36
	4	San Antonio	20
						1	Carolina	18
						3	West Virginia	42
	2	Shreveport	17
	3	West Virginia	21

1981

Billy Kilmer was introduced as the first full-time commissioner of the American Football Association. Also, for the first time, the league expended behind southern United States, when they add the Chicago Fire.The Chargers players voted to walk out on the team four games into the season, while both Shreveport Steamer and Austin Texans folded before season end, resulting in Kilmer resignation before the American Bowl. He was replaced by AFA president Roger Gill.^[12]

During the season a member of the Orlando Americans admits he impersonated former NFL guard Randy Johnson to make the team. He was discovered when he couldn't crack the starting lineup.^[18]

Eastern Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
West Virginia Rockets	11	1	0	.916	307	144
Jacksonville Firebirds	8	4	0	.666	228	206
Virginia Hunters	7	5	0	.583	187	210
Orlando Americans	5	7	0	.416	229	202
Carolina Chargers	2	10	0	.166	102	117
Western Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Chicago Fire	8	4	0	.666	311	223
San Antonio Charros	6	6	0	.500	276	297
Shreveport Steamer	6	6	0	.500	169	182
Texas Wranglers	5	7	0	.416	149	237
Austin Texans	2	10	0	.166	184	324

^* Includes forfeit games.

Playoffs

	Semi-finals August 23					American Bowl IV August 30
	1	West Virginia	42
	4	San Antonio	12
						1	West Virginia	29
						2	Chicago	21
	2	Chicago	24
	3	Jacksonville	17

1982

The AFA expanded to 18 teams, and split up to three divisions, while two teams (Florida Sun and Roanoke Valley Express) folded mid-season.^[12][19]

Southeastern Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Carolina Storm	10	0	0	1.000	339	89
Georgia Pride	6	4	0	.600	178	179
Alabama Magic	6	4	0	.600	209	138
Tallahassee Statesmen	5	5	0	.500	120	178
Jacksonville Sunbirds	3	7	0	.300	136	225
Florida Sun*	0	10	0	.000	7	141
Southwestern Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Shreveport Americans	8	2	0	.800	291	124
Oklahoma Thunder	8	2	0	.800	308	125
Texas Wranglers	8	2	0	.800	291	124
San Antonio Bulls	4	6	0	.400	203	195
Houston Armadillos	2	8	0	.200	54	308
Austin Texans	0	10	0	.000	113	345
Northern Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Racine Gladiators	10	0	0	1.000	309	88
West Virginia Rockets	7	3	0	.700	363	121
Akron Bulldogs	6	4	0	.600	229	98
Roanoke Valley Express*	3	7	0	.300	63	106
Buffalo Geminis	3	7	0	.300	93	294
Virginia Chargers	1	9	0	.100	27	410

^* Includes forfeit games.

Playoffs

First Round (August 7):
Racine 44 vs. Akron 6
Carolina 61 vs. West Virginia 18
Texas 17 vs. Oklahoma 14
Shreveport 42 vs. Georgia 35

	Semi-finals August 15					American Bowl V August 21
	Carolina		35
	Racine		8
						Carolina		46
						Shreveport		22
	Shreveport		30
	Texas		27

1983

It was the seventh and final year of the AFA. The United Football Teams of America league champion – Oklahoma City Drillers – joined the league but later announced that they would play the season as a travelling team before folding altogether after two weeks. The majority of the teams followed, and the league decided that division champions Carolina and San Antonio would meet in the final American Bowl.^[12]

The Bulls knew before season's end that they would join the United States Football League as an expansion team for the 1984 season, where they played as the San Antonio Gunslingers (as the Jacksonville Bulls had already claimed rights to the "Bulls" name).^[20]

Eastern Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
Carolina Storm	6	0	0	1.000	289	44
Canton Bulldogs	4	1	0	.800	87	77
Charleston Rockets	1	3	0	.250	108	81
Pittsburgh Colts	1	5	0	.166	80	236
Western Division
Team	W	L	T	Pct.	PF	PA
San Antonio Bulls	6	1	0	.857	276	58
Shreveport Americans	5	2	0	.714	237	113
Baton Rouge Red Wings	2	3	0	.400	43	224
Dallas Wranglers	2	4	0	.333	115	137
Houston Mustangs	0	4	0	.000	45	159
Oklahoma City Drillers	0	2	0	.000	7	96

Playoffs

	Semi-finals					American Bowl VI July 23
	Carolina
	Canceled
						Carolina		39
						San Antonio		0
	San Antonio
	Canceled

Notes

1. Also known as the Carolina Storm. The Chargers/Storm were by far the most successful club in AFA history, playing in four of the league's six championship games (losing in 1979 and 1980, winning in 1982 and 1983; Charlotte was also undefeated in the latter two years).^[5]
2. Later merged with Orlando as the "Shreveport Americans".
3. 1980 and 1981 champions.^[6][7]
4. the AFA's largest market, and the only one in the northern US.
5. Not to be confused with the WFL team, or the current MLS franchise.^[8]

References

1. "The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
2. "Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
3. . Archived from the original on 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
4. "Home". birminghamprosports.com.
5. "The Dispatch - Google News Archive Search".
6. "Williamson Daily News - Google News Archive Search".
7. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WFRJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8AkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1074,2572680&dq=american-football-association&hl=en ^{[dead link]}
8. . Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2015-06-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. . news.google.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26.
10. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
11. "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
12. Bob Gill, with Tod Maher. Outsiders II: Minor League And Independent Football, 1951-1985, p. vii. St. Johann Press, 2010. ISBN 1878282654
13. "1977 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
14. "1978-1981 Shreveport Steamer". 6 May 2018.
15. "1978 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
16. "1979 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
17. "1980 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
18. "1981 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
19. "1982 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
20. "1983 AFA Timeline". birminghamprosports.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.

External links

• Encyclopedia of Italian Football - includes all schedules of AFA teams, but includes a spurious 1977 season that may have been a predecessor league.