Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray Rozelle grew up in Lynwood, California during the Great Depression. He graduated from Compton High School in 1944 alongside Duke Snider. That same year he entered the U.S. Navy and served eighteen months on an oil tanker in the Pacific. His early life was defined by economic hardship and military service before he ever touched a football field.
Bert Bell died in October of 1959 leaving the NFL without a leader. Owners took twenty-three ballots before choosing thirty-three-year-old Rozelle as commissioner at a meeting on the 26th of January 1960. Howard Cosell later described this choice as a surprise to many observers. Rozelle inherited twelve teams playing a twelve-game schedule inside half-empty stadiums. Only a few franchises held television contracts when he took office that season.
President John F. Kennedy died on the 22nd of November 1963 while Rozelle wrestled with canceling Sunday games. White House press secretary Pierre Salinger urged him to proceed because they were classmates at the University of San Francisco. Rozelle stated that athletes traditionally perform during great personal tragedy. Players on the Washington Redskins asked Coach Bill McPeak to send the game ball to the White House after their win over Philadelphia. Some players and news outlets disagreed with the decision while most colleges did not play games that weekend.
Rival leagues agreed to a merger in 1966 after signing superstar Joe Namath for the American Football League. The first AFL-NFL World Championship Game occurred in early 1967 and eventually became known as the Super Bowl. Rozelle testified before Congress in October 1966 to allow the merger to proceed. By 1970 the NFL stood at twenty-six teams following the absorption of ten AFL franchises. The league reorganized into the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference that year.
Monday Night Football premiered in September 1970 featuring the Cleveland Browns against the New York Jets. Don Meredith and Howard Cosell formed the first broadcast announcing team for the program. ABC aired the show for thirty-six seasons from 1970 through 2005. Games typically aired at nine o'clock Eastern Time except for the 1998 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks joined the league in 1976 bringing the total to twenty-eight teams.
Judge Earl R. Larson declared the Rozelle Rule an antitrust violation on the 30th of December 1975. This rule required a team signing a free agent to compensate the former club with players or draft selections. The league exercised this power only four times before the court ruling. Al Davis sued the NFL in the early 1980s to relocate his Oakland Raiders to Los Angeles. Rozelle testified in court to block the move but ultimately lost the case allowing the franchise to transfer in 1982.
Rozelle retired as commissioner on the 5th of November 1989 after nearly thirty years of service. He died of brain cancer on the 6th of December 1996 at age seventy in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 1985 while he was still serving. The NFL established the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 1989 to honor contributions to broadcasting. A decal appeared on helmets for Super Bowl XXXI one month after his death to honor his legacy.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Pete Rozelle born and where did he grow up?
Alvin Ray Rozelle grew up in Lynwood, California during the Great Depression. He graduated from Compton High School in 1944 alongside Duke Snider.
How old was Pete Rozelle when he became NFL commissioner?
Owners chose thirty-three-year-old Rozelle as commissioner at a meeting on the 26th of January 1960. Bert Bell died in October of 1959 leaving the NFL without a leader before this selection occurred.
What decision did Pete Rozelle make after President John F. Kennedy died?
Rozelle wrestled with canceling Sunday games but proceeded to play them because White House press secretary Pierre Salinger urged him to do so. Players on the Washington Redskins asked Coach Bill McPeak to send the game ball to the White House after their win over Philadelphia.
When did the AFL-NFL merger take place and how many teams were added?
Rival leagues agreed to a merger in 1966 after signing superstar Joe Namath for the American Football League. By 1970 the NFL stood at twenty-six teams following the absorption of ten AFL franchises.
Why did Judge Earl R. Larson declare the Rozelle Rule an antitrust violation?
Judge Earl R. Larson declared the Rozelle Rule an antitrust violation on the 30th of December 1975. This rule required a team signing a free agent to compensate the former club with players or draft selections.
When did Pete Rozelle die and what award was established in his name?
He died of brain cancer on the 6th of December 1996 at age seventy in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The NFL established the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 1989 to honor contributions to broadcasting.