Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs1960 8 6 01961 6 8 01962 11 3 0 won AFL championship over Houston Oilers1963 — team moved to Kansas City to become the Chiefs

Dallas Texans (AFL)

Year Win Loss Tie– 1951 played as the New York Yanks1952 1 11 01953 — remnants of the team became the new Baltimore Colts, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti.

Dallas Texans (NFL)

Professional Football in TexasProfessional football first arrived in Texas in the

fall of 1952 when a 16-member syndicate purchased the National Football League franchise that had been known as the New York Yanks. The team, coached by Jim Phelan, enjoyed little success playing in the Cot-

ton Bowl as the Dallas Texans. By the end of the sea-son, after the league had bought back the franchise, the Texans were playing “home” games elsewhere, including Akron, Ohio, where they had their only vic-tory, 27-23, over the Chicago Bears of George Halas.

Big-time professional football returned to Texas when Bud Adams of Houston and Lamar Hunt of Dal-las started the American Football League in 1959. In October 1959, Adams announced the Houston team would be known as the Oilers. Hunt’s team was named the Texans and played in the Cotton Bowl. AFL play began in 1960.

The Oilers were an immediate success, winning the first AFL championship by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers in January 1961.

The Dallas Texans, meanwhile, had difficulties.

They found themselves battling for ticket sales with the new National Football League expansion team owned by Clint Murchison Jr., the Dallas Cowboys.

In May of 1963 the Cowboys had their first major victory when Hunt announced he was moving his team to Kansas City, where it would be renamed the Chiefs.

When the city of Houston declined to build a new stadium for the Oilers, who had been playing in the Astrodome, Adams moved his team in 1997 to Nash-ville, where it was renamed the Tennessee Titans.

The coin toss at the AFL championship game in 1962 between the Dallas Texans and the Houston Oilers.

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs1960 0 11 11961 4 9 11962 5 8 11963 4 10 01964 5 8 11965 7 7 0

Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs1960 10 4 0 won AFL championship over Los Angeles Chargers1961 10 3 1 won AFL championship over San Diego Chargers1962 11 3 0 lost AFL championship to Dallas Texans1963 6 8 01964 4 10 01965 4 10 01966 3 11 01967 9 4 1 lost AFL championship to Oakland Raiders1968 7 7 01969 6 6 2 lost divisional playoff to Oakland Raiders

AFL, NFL merge1970 3 10 11971 4 9 11972 1 13 01973 1 13 01974 7 7 01975 10 4 01976 5 9 01977 8 6 01978 10 6 0 2nd AFC Central; lost AFC championship to Pittsburgh Steelers1979 11 5 0 2nd AFC Central; lost AFC championship to Pittsburgh Steelers1980 11 5 0 2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Oakland Raiders1981 7 9 01982 1 8 0 (players’ strike)1983 2 13 01984 3 13 01985 5 11 01986 5 11 01987 9 6 0 2nd AFC Central; lost divisional playoff to Denver Broncos1988 10 6 0 3rd AFC Central; lost divisional playoff to Buffalo Bills1989 9 7 0 2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Pittsburgh Steelers1990 9 7 0 2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Cincinnati Bengals1991 11 5 0 1st AFC Central; lost divisonal playoff to Denver Broncos1992 10 6 0 2nd AFC Central; lost wild-card playoff to Buffalo Bills1993 12 4 0 1st AFC Central; lost divisional playoff to Kansas City Chiefs1994 2 14 01995 7 9 01996 8 8 01997 — moved to Tennessee, renamed the Titans in 1999.

Houston Oilers (AFL–NFL)

The National Football League expanded to 13 teams in January 1960 when Dallas businessman Clint Murchison Jr. was granted a franchise.

His Dallas Cowboys (originally to be called the Dallas Rangers) were organized too late to take part in the college draft that year and did not win a single game in the 1960 season.

Since that first year, the Cowboys have developed into one of the most popular teams in the NFL.

The Cowboys have gone to the Super Bowl eight times, winning five times, and have advanced to the playoffs 33 times. The team now plays at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs1966 10 3 1 1st Eastern Conf.; lost NFL championship to Green Bay Packers1967 9 5 0 1st Capitol Div.; lost NFL championship to Green Bay Packers1968 12 2 0 1st Capitol Div.; lost divisional playoff to Cleveland Browns1969 11 2 1 1st Capitol Div.; lost divisional playoff to Cleveland Browns

AFL, NFL merge1970 10 4 0 1st NFC East; lost Super Bowl to Baltimore Colts1971 11 3 0 1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Miami Dolphins1972 10 4 0 2nd NFC East; lost NFC championship to Washington Redskins1973 10 4 0 1st NFC East; lost NFC championship to Minnesota Vikings1974 8 6 01975 10 4 0 2nd NFC East; lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers1976 11 3 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams1977 12 2 0 1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Denver Broncos1978 12 4 0 1st NFC East; lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers1979 11 5 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams1980 12 4 0 2nd NFC East; lost NFC championship to Philadelphia Eagles1981 12 4 0 1st NFC East; lost NFC championship to San Francisco 49ers1982 6 3 0 (players’ strike); lost NFC championship to Washington Redskins1983 12 4 0 2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Los Angeles Rams1984 9 7 01985 10 6 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams1986 7 9 01987 7 8 01988 3 13 01989 1 15 01990 7 9 01991 11 5 0 2nd NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Detroit Lions1992 13 3 0 1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Buffalo Bills1993 13 3 0 1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Buffalo Bills1994 12 4 0 1st NFC East; lost NFC championship to San Francisco 49ers1995 12 4 0 1st NFC East; won Super Bowl over Pittsburgh Steelers1996 10 6 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Carolina Panthers1997 6 10 01998 10 6 0 1st NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Arizona Cardinals1999 8 8 0 2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Minnesota Vikings2000 5 11 02001 5 11 02002 5 11 02003 10 6 0 2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Carolina Panthers

Chuck Howley intercepts a Bob Griese pass during the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl victory in January 1972. Dallas beat the Miami Dolphins 24–3. Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach (12) stands on the sidelines.

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs2002 4 12 02003 5 11 02004 7 9 02005 2 14 02006 6 10 02007 8 8 02008 8 8 02009 9 7 02010 6 10 02011 10 6 0 1st AFC South; lost divisional playoff to Baltimore Ravens2012 12 4 0 1st AFC South; lost divisonal playoff to New England Patriots2013 2 14 02014 9 7 02015 9 7 0 1st AFC South; lost wild-card playoff to Kansas City Chiefs2016 9 7 0 1st AFC South; lost divisional playoff to New England Patriots2017 4 12 02018 11 5 0 1st AFC South; lost wild-card playoff to Indianapolis Colts

Houston Texans (NFL)After Bud Adams moved to Tennessee, Houston de-

cided to build a new football stadium in order to get a National Football League expansion franchise.

On Oct. 6, 1999, the NFL team owners voted 29-0 to award their 32nd franchise to Houston and busi-nessman Bob McNair.

In September 2002, the Texans became the first NFL team in 41 years to win their expansion debut, stunning the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 before 69,604 at Reliant (now NRG) Stadium in Houston.

The Texans have made the playoffs five times.

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs2004 6 10 02005 9 7 02006 9 7 0 2nd NFC East; lost wild-card playoff to Seattle Seahawks2007 13 3 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to New York Giants2008 9 7 02009 11 5 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Minnesota Vikings2010 6 10 02011 8 8 02012 8 8 02013 8 8 02014 12 4 0 1st NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Green Bay Packers2015 4 12 02016 13 3 0 1st NFC East: lost divisional playoff to Green Bay Packers2017 9 7 02018 10 6 0 2nd NFC East; lost divisional playoff to Los Angeles Rams

NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, has a retractable roof.

San Antonio Matadors and Houston Marshals (SFL)The Spring Football League played for less than a

month in 2000. Besides the teams in San Antonio and Houston, there were teams in Los Angeles and Miami.

The San Antonio Matadors and the Houston Mar-shals, both with 2-0 records, were declared league co-champions before the league folded.

Houston Outlaws (RFL)The Regional Football League existed for one sea-

son in 1999. The Houston Outlaws played most of their home games at Memorial Stadium in Pasadena

and went 7-2. They were defeated 14-12 by the Mo-bile Admirals before 5,500 fans in Mobile in the only championship game.

San Antonio Riders (WLAF)The World League of American Football was

founded in 1990 with the support of the National Foot-ball League. The San Antonio Riders played in 1991 in Alamo Stadium with a 4-6 record and in 1992 in Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos with a 7-3 record.

When the NFL suspended the league after the 1992

season, the San Antonio and Sacramento teams were accepted into the Canadian Football League, but the San Antonio franchise folded before the beginning of the 1993 season.

The NFL revived the WLAF with European teams in 1995. It existed as NFL Europe until 2007.

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs1984 13 5 0 lost quarterfinal to Arizona Wranglers1985 10 8 0 lost quarterfinal to Birmingham Stallions

Houston Gamblers (USFL)

Year Win Loss Tie Playoffs1984 7 11 01985 10 13 0

San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL)

The World Football League played in 1974 and part of 1975, with teams briefly in Houston and San Antonio.

In 1974, the Texans played in the Houston As-trodome for eleven games, going 3-7-1, before the franchise moved to northern Louisiana to become the Shreveport Steamer. The team finished the year with a

7-12-1 record overall.In 1975, the San Antonio Wings were the brief,

last incarnation of the Washington-Baltimore Ambas-sadors, Virginia Ambassadors, Florida Blazers. The Wings played home games in 23,000-seat Alamo Sta-dium and finished with a 7-6 record before the league disbanded in October 1975.

San Antonio Wings and Houston Texans (WFL)

The United States Football League played for three seasons, 1983-85, with teams in San Antonio and Houston after the initial season.

The Gamblers, who played in the Astrodome, were coached by former NFL head coach Jack Pardee. The

most notable player was future Buffalo Bills quarter-back Jim Kelly.

The San Antonio Gunslingers, owned by oilman Clint Manges, were quarterbacked by Rick Neuheisel. Their home games were in Alamo Stadium.

Other professional football leagues