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At its inception in 1920, the NFL's precursor, the American Professional Football Association, had several minority players, including African-American players: between 1920 and 1926, nine black players suited up for NFL squads
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The American Professional Football Association was formed on September 17, 1920 and included ten teams from four different states.
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On June 24, 1922, the organization, now headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, changed its title a final time to the National Football League.
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In league meetings prior to the 1933 season, three new teams, the Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds and the Eagles, were admitted to the NFL.
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The first official championship game was held in 1933.
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The now-essential relationship between pro football and television actually began on October 22, 1939. That’s when the National Broadcasting Company earned a spot in pro football history by becoming the first network to televise a pro football game.
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First radio network coverage of an NFL championship game. Mutual Radio Network broadcast the Chicago Bears' 73-0 victory over the Washington Redskins.
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The rival American Football League was founded in 1960. It was very successful, and forced a merger with the older NFL that resulted in a greatly expanded league and the creation of the Super Bowl, which has become the most-watched annual sporting event in the United States.
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For example, Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 regular season.
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Then in 1991, the league formed the World League of American Football, later known as NFL Europe and still later as NFL Europa, a developmental league that had teams in Britain, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
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For the eighth consecutive year the Dallas Cowboys, worth $3.2 billion, are the league's most valuable team.
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Bud Light the official NFL beer began in 2011 and is worth around $1.2 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. Bud Light replaced Coors Light, which is brewed by MillerCoors LLC.
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Nike Inc. will become the NFL's official uniform provider in 2012 as part of an agreement involving the league and seven apparel partners.
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Shannon Eastin became the first woman to officiate a National Football League game in 2012, in a pre-season matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers.
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On March 3, 2013, Lauren Silberman became the first woman to ever try out for the National Football League when she appeared as a kicker at the NFL Regional Scouting Combine in Florham Park, New Jersey.
