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The seed that sprouted the 32-team National Football League was planted Nov. 6, 1869, when Rutgers and Princeton played a college soccer game. The game used modified London Football Association rules. During the next seven years, rugby gained favor over soccer with the major eastern schools, and modern football began to develop from rugby.
From the official NFL Record & Fact Book, here is an abbreviated chronology of the league:
In 1876, the first rules for American football were written during the Massasoit convention. Walter Camp, who would become known as the father of American football, f irst became involved with the game. The Pittsburgh Athletic Club signed one of its players (probably halfback Grant Dilbert) to the first known pro football contract in 1893. Three years later, the Allegheny Athletic Association team fielded the first completely professional team for its abbreviated two-game schedule.
In 1899, Chris O'Brien formed the Morgan Athletic Club on the south side of Chicago. The team later became known as the Normals, then the Racine Cardinals, the Chicago Cardinals, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Phoenix Cardinals and, in 1994, the Arizona Cardinals. The team is the oldest continuing operation in pro football. The Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies -- professional baseball teams -- joined the Pittsburgh Stars in the first attempt to form a pro football league: the National Football League. The Athletics defeated Kanaweoia AC 39-0 on Nov. 21, 1902, in the first night football game. In another first, New York and Syracuse played Dec. 28 at Madison Square Garden -- the first indoor football game.
In 1904, halfback Charles Follis signed a contract with the Shelby (Ohio) AC, making him the first known black football player.
The forward pass was legalized in 1906. George "Peggy" Parratt of Massillon completed the first authenticated pass to Dan "Bullet" Riley in a win against a combined Benwood-Moundsville team. Earl "Curly" Lambeau and George Calhoun organized the Green Bay Packers in 1919. Indian Packing Company -- Lambeau's employer -- provided $500 for equipment and allowed the team to use the company field for practices. The Packers went 10-1.
In 1920, A.E. Staley turned the Decatur Staleys over to player-coach George Halas, who moved the team to Cubs Park in Chicago. The American Professional Football Association, founded in 1920, officially changed its name to the National Football League on June 24, 1922. Five franchises, including the New York Giants, were admitted to the NFL. The first American Football League began -- and folded -- in 1926. The catalyst was a dispute between Red Grange and the Bears. He demanded a five-figure salary and one-third ownership of the team; the Bears refused. C.C. Pyle, Grange's manager, petitioned the NFL for a franchise and was turned down. Pyle then formed the nine-team AFL, which included Grange's New York Yankees Between 1926 and 1928, the NFL's membership ranged from 22 teams ('26) to 12 ('27) to 10 ('28). In 1932, only eight teams -- the lowest number in league history -- remained. However, three new franchises joined the league in 1933, including the Philadelphia Eagles and Art Rooney's Pittsburgh Pirates. Chicago won the first NFL Championship Game on Dec. 17, 1933. The Western Division's Bears defeated the Eastern champion Giants 23-21 at Wrigley Field G.A. "Dick" Richards purchased the Portsmouth Spartans in 1934, moved them to Detroit and renamed them the Lions. In 1935, the NFL adopted Bert Bell's proposal to hold an annual draft of college players, to begin in '36, with teams selecting in an inverse order of finish. Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago was the first player ever selected, by Philadelphia. However, Berwanger's rights were traded to Chicago, but he never played pro football. Riley Smith of the University of Alabama, the No. 2 pick, was the first player drafted to actually sign, with the Boston Redskins. In 1938, the Pro Bowl, a game between the NFL champions and a team of pro all-stars, was established. The New York Giants defeated the Pro All-Stars 13-10 in the inaugural Pro Bowl played Jan. 15, 1939, at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. Also in '39, an NFL game was televised for the first time when NBC broadcast the Brooklyn-Philadelphia game from Ebbetts Field to the approximately 1,000 sets then in New York. On Dec. 8, 1940, Red Barber broadcast the first NFL championship carried on network radio. Mutual Broadcasting System paid $2,500 for the rights and the game was on 120 stations. The Bears routed the Redskins 73-0. In 1946, the All-America Football Conference began play with eight teams. The Cleveland Browns won the first championship, defeating the New York Yankees 14-9.
In 1948, Los Angeles Rams halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the team's helmets, the first modern helmet emblems in pro football.
The AAFC and NFL agreed to merge in 1949, with the Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts joining the NFL.
On Dec. 23, 1951, the NFL Championship Game was televised coast-to-coast for the first time. The DuMont Network paid $75,000 for the rights to the game, in which the Rams defeated the Browns 24-17.
The New York Yanks' franchise was sold back to the NFL on Jan. 19, 1952. The league awarded a new franchise to Dallas on Jan. 24, 1953. The new Texans went 1-11, with the owners turning the franchise back to the league in midseason. For the last five games of the year, the commissioner's office operated the Texans as a road team. At the end of the season the franchise was canceled, the last time an NFL team failed.
In 1956, the NFL Players Association was founded, and CBS became the first network to broadcast some NFL regular-season games to selected television markets.
Baltimore beat the New York Giants 23-17 on Dec. 28, 1958, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game. Colts fullback Alan Ameche scored on a 1-yard run after 8:15 of OT.
On Aug. 14, 1959, Lamar Hunt announced a second pro football league -- the American Football League. A 33-round draft was held Nov. 22, and a second draft (20 rounds) was held Dec. 2.
Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner Jan. 26, 1960.
On Jan. 14, 1961, end Willard Dewveall of the Bears played out his option and joined the Houston Oilers. He was the first player to move deliberately from one league to the other.
The NFL entered into a single-network agreement with CBS on Jan. 10, 1962, for telecasting all regular-season games for $4.65 million annually.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was dedicated Sept. 7, 1963.
In 1964, Rozelle negotiated an agreement on behalf of the NFL clubs to purchase Ed Sabol's Blair Motion Pictures, which was renamed NFL Films.
According to a Harris survey in October 1965, sports fans chose professional football (41 percent) as their favorite sport, overtaking baseball (38 percent) for the first time.
In 1966, a series of secret meetings regarding a possible AFL-NFL merger were held. The merger, which eventually expanded the NFL to 26 teams by 1970, was announced June 8.
Green Bay defeated Kansas City 35-10 on Jan. 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Coliseum in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
An AFL team won the Super Bowl for the first time on Jan. 12, 1969, when the New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts 16-7 at Miami.
Monday Nigh Football was signed for 1970. ABC acquired the rights to televise 13 NFL regular-season Monday night games in 1970, '71 and '72.
On Jan. 24, 1971, the NFC defeated the AFC 27-6 in the first AFC-NFC Pro Bowl at Los Angeles.
In 1974, Tampa Bay and Seattle were awarded NFL franchises. Hugh Culverhouse of Tampa Bay and Lloyd W. Nordstrom of Seattle signed the franchise agreements Dec. 5.
A 16-game regular season was adopted on March 29, 1977. The new schedule would begin in 1978, along with a second wild-card team added to the playoffs.
A study on the use of instant replay as an officiating aid was made during seven nationally televised preseason games in 1978. Also, on Aug. 5, the NFL played for the first time in Mexico City; the New Orleans Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagles 14-7 in a preseason game.
On Jan. 20, 1980, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV to become the first team to win four Super Bowls.
A jury ruled against the NFL on May 7, 1982, in the antitrust trial brought by the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission and the Oakland Raiders. The verdict cleared the way for the Raiders to move to L.A. Also, the NFL season was reduced to nine games as the result of a 57-day players' strike. The work stoppage was called by the NFLPA at midnight Sept. 20. Play resumed Nov. 21 after ratification of the collective bargaining agreement by NFL owners Nov. 17.
In 1984, the Colts relocated to Indianapolis and began playing in the Hoosier Dome.
Chicago defeated Dallas 17-6 on Aug. 3, 1986, at Wembley Stadium in London in the first American Bowl.
In 1988, NFL owners approved the transfer of the Cardinals' franchise from St. Louis to Phoenix. Also, on Sept. 4, Johnny Grier became the first black referee in NFL history.
NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement March 22, 1989. On Oct. 3, Art Shell was named head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders, making him the league's first black head coach since Akron's Fritz Pollard in 1921. On Oct. 26, Paul Tagliabue was named the seventh commissioner of the NFL; he took office Nov. 5.
On March 23, 1991, the NFL launched the World League of American Football, the first sports league to operate on a weekly basis on two separate continents.
The league granted two expansion franchises in 1993 -- Carolina (Oct. 26), the 29th team; Jacksonville (Nov. 30), No. 30.
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX on Jan. 29, 1995, to become the first team to win five Super Bowls. Also, on April 12, the transfer of the Rams from Los Angeles to St. Louis was approved, and on July 22 , the Raiders' move from L.A. back to Oakland was OK'd.
On Feb. 9, 1996, an agreement between the NFL and the city of Cleveland regarding the Browns' relocation was approved. According to the agreement, the city of Cleveland retained the Browns' heritage and records and committed to build a new stadium for a reactivated Browns franchise to begin play there no later than 1999. Art Modell received approval to move his franchise to Baltimore and rename it. Also, on April 30, the transfer of the Oilers from Houston to Nashville for the 1998 season was approved.
On March 23, 1998, the NFL clubs unanimously approved an expansion team for Cleveland to fulfill the commitment to return the Browns to the field in 1999. The Browns defeated Dallas 20-17 in overtime in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 9, 1999. Also in '98, Oilers owner Bud Adams announced the team would change its name to the Tennessee Titans after the season. The NFL retired the nickname Oilers -- a first in league history -- on Nov. 14.
Houston, Texas, and owner Robert McNair were awarded the NFL's 32nd franchise Oct. 6, 1999. The team will begin play in 2002.
On May 22, 2001, the NFL realigned into eight four-team