San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers played their final game as a San Diego club on the 1st of January 2017. The Kansas City Chiefs won it 37-27. The score was almost beside the point. The franchise had called the city home for more than five decades, and it was about to return to the place where it began. How does a football team start in one city, spend a lifetime in another, and then go back? What kind of team did San Diego actually have during those years? And what happened between a team and its city that made the parting final?
In 1959, a club called the Los Angeles Chargers joined the new American Football League as one of its eight founding teams. The other seven were the Denver Broncos, Dallas Texans, Oakland Raiders, New York Titans, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills and Boston Patriots. The first owner was Barron Hilton, son of Conrad Hilton, who founded the Hilton Hotels corporation. Lamar Hunt, a key organizer of the league, had asked Gene Mako who might start a team in Los Angeles. Mako recommended Hilton. Hunt said he spent less than an hour with Hilton, who agreed immediately.
Barron Hilton ran a contest to name the team, and the prize was a trip to Mexico. A man from Hollywood named Gerald Courtney submitted "Chargers" and won. Conrad Hilton later said, "I liked the name because they were yelling 'charge' and sounding the bugle at Dodger Stadium and at USC games." Hunt told a different story. He thought Hilton had picked the name from the first batch of letters, as publicity for Carte Blanche, Hilton's new charge account business.
Frank Leahy, a former University of Notre Dame football coach, was the first general manager. The first head coach was Sid Gillman, who came over from the Los Angeles Rams on a three-year contract. Gillman's gift was offensive innovation, and he was later honored in the Hall of Fame. When Leahy resigned because of poor health, Gillman took over the general manager's duties as well.
The Chargers first planned to play at the Rose Bowl but signed a lease for the Los Angeles Coliseum instead. The Coliseum held more than 100,000 people, yet the team's home crowds were falling below 10,000. The Chargers were due to host the first AFL championship game there after the 1960 season. League and ABC television officials worried that pictures of empty seats might endanger the whole league. They persuaded the Chargers to give up the game, and it moved to Houston, where the Chargers lost.
In December 1960, reports surfaced that the Chargers were weighing relocation offers from San Diego, Atlanta and Seattle. Greg Gregston of the San Diego Union wrote that the Chargers "have learned in one season that Los Angeles has been saturated beyond sensible proportions with sports." Hilton was reported to have lost $900,000 that first year.
In January 1961, the team announced a move to Balboa Stadium in San Diego's Balboa Park. The city would spend $250,000 on upgrades. Seating would grow from 22,000 to 30,000, reserved seats would get backrests, and the scoreboard would be raised. The locker rooms would be improved, the field moved closer to the stands and reseeded, and security tightened. The Junior Chamber of Commerce reported 10,000 firm commitments for season tickets. An upper deck added in May 1961 brought capacity to 34,000. Atlanta and Seattle lost out, though each later got an NFL team: the Falcons in 1966 and the Seahawks in 1976. The Chargers' first home game in San Diego came on the 17th of September 1961, when the Oakland Raiders visited Balboa Stadium.
The Chargers won the 1963 AFL Championship by beating the Boston Patriots 51-10 before 30,127 spectators at Balboa Stadium. Running back Keith Lincoln produced 349 yards of the team's total offense. It was the only title San Diego won in four trips to the championship game.
The road to that game had a delay built in. The Chargers clinched the AFL West by beating Denver 58-20 in their last regular season game. The season then ran a week late, because games were postponed after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the 22nd of November 1963.
Lance Alworth was the star of those years. He caught 543 passes for 10,266 yards across eleven AFL and NFL seasons. Tackle Ron Mix, quarterback John Hadl and running back Paul Lowe played alongside him, and both Alworth and Mix are future Hall of Famers. In 1965, Lowe finished first and Alworth second in the AFL Player of the Year honors.
The defense had its own identity. In 1961, the team's first season in San Diego, it made forty-nine interceptions. The 1961 defensive lineup was nicknamed the Fearsome Foursome, anchored by Earl Faison and Ernie Ladd, and other NFL teams borrowed the phrase later. That season ended with a 10-3 loss to Houston in the title game, watched by 29,556 people at Balboa Stadium. The 1962 team slumped to 4-10 and lost eight of its last nine games, mostly because of injuries.
Buffalo stood in the way for the next two title games. In 1964, Alworth left a 38-3 win over the Jets with a knee injury, and Lincoln was sidelined by a fractured rib. That victory secured the fourth AFL West title. The Bills then beat the Chargers 20-7 in the championship game in Buffalo. That same year, the AFL's teams signed a five-year, $36 million television contract with the National Broadcasting Company, to begin in 1965.
In 1965, San Diego went 9-2-3 and won its fifth West title by beating Houston 37-26 on the 12th of December. Buffalo shut out the Chargers 23-0 in the championship game, before 30,361 spectators at Balboa Stadium. At halftime, Chrysler officials introduced a new car called the Charger. It entered production the next year, branded as a Dodge.
In 1966, Barron Hilton sold the Chargers to a 21-member group of business executives for $10 million. Eugene V. Klein and Sam Schulman were the leading investors. During the sale, a 23-year-old Jerry Jones, who would go on to own the Dallas Cowboys, offered $5.8 million for the team. He backed off when his father disapproved of the plan.
In August 1967, the Chargers moved into the newly completed San Diego Stadium and opened with a preseason loss to the NFL's Detroit Lions, 38-17, before 45,988 spectators. In 1968, Speedy Duncan set an AFL record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown, though the Jets won that game 37-15. Quarterback John Hadl led the AFL that year with 440 pass attempts, 208 completions, 3,473 yards and 27 touchdown passes. He also led with 32 interceptions. The Chargers came third in the West at 9-5.
In 1969, Hadl and Lance Alworth faced Joe Namath and the Jets in front of 54,042 spectators in San Diego. Alworth set a professional record by catching a pass in his 96th consecutive game. The team finished 8-6 and missed the playoffs. Sid Gillman had resigned after the ninth game because of illness, though he stayed on as general manager, and offensive backfield coach Charlie Waller became head coach.
In 1970, the Chargers settled into the AFC West after the NFL merger with the AFL. Waller stepped down after a 5-6-3 season, and Gillman returned to the sideline. He resigned again midway through 1971, which ended with six wins and eight losses. On the 19th of May 1971, Ron East arrived in the so-called Bambi trade, which also involved Pettis Norman and Tony Liscio. In 1972, Duane Thomas and Deacon Jones joined the roster, and the team went 4-9-1.
Johnny Unitas, formerly of the Baltimore Colts, joined the Chargers in 1973. He was almost 40 and troubled by chronic injuries. After three games, he was replaced by a rookie named Dan Fouts, and the team finished 2-11-1. Fouts became the starter in 1974, and Don Woods ran for over 1,000 yards, but the team still went 5-9. In 1975, the Chargers finished 2-12 after facing the prospect of the first 0-14 season in NFL history, until they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in their twelfth game.
In 1976, the Chargers opened with three straight wins and finished 6-8. In 1977, they again started strongly but lost four of five games. Fouts, in a contract dispute, skipped training camp and held out until the eleventh game. After he returned, the team went 2-2, losing to the powerhouse Steelers and Broncos by a combined total of nine points, and finished 7-7. The coach hired the following year would build everything around the quarterback who had just ended that holdout.
Don Coryell took over the Chargers in 1978 after head coach Tommy Prothro was dismissed following a 24-3 home loss to the Green Bay Packers. The temperature at that kickoff was around 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Coryell came from the St. Louis Cardinals and would coach the team until 1986. His first win came in New England. San Diego was still recovering from the crash of PSA Flight 182, so a home victory over Denver lifted the city's morale.
Coryell built a pass-heavy offense known as Air Coryell, the Coryell offense or the vertical offense. With Dan Fouts at quarterback, it became one of the most exciting passing attacks in NFL history. Fouts threw to Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson and tight end Kellen Winslow. The Chargers led the league in passing yards for six straight years from 1978 to 1983, and again in 1985, an NFL record. They also led in total offense in each of those seasons. Fouts, Joiner and Winslow all reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In 1979, Fouts set an NFL record with four consecutive 300-yard passing games. The Chargers reached the playoffs for the first time in fourteen years, and The Sporting News named general manager Johnny Sanders the NFL Executive of the Year. On the 17th of December 1979, San Diego won its first AFC West title by beating Denver 17-7 on Monday Night Football. Houston then beat the Chargers 17-14 in the divisional round.
The 1980 season showed the offense at full strength. Jefferson gained 1,340 receiving yards, Winslow 1,290 and Joiner 1,132, making them the first three teammates to top 1,000 yards in the same season. The defense led the NFL with 60 sacks. Its front included Fred Dean, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Louie Kelcher, all drafted in 1975, along with Leroy Jones. Together they were known as the Bruise Brothers.
Success brought contract fights. Owner Eugene Klein refused to renegotiate players' deals, and John Jefferson was traded to the Green Bay Packers after a raise could not be agreed. Wes Chandler replaced him. Fred Dean went to the 49ers after another pay dispute, noting that his wage was similar to his brother's, a truck driver. Dean played only eleven games for San Francisco and still won the UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year award. Johnson said, "I can't say how much it Dean's leaving affected us, because we did make it to the AFC championship game." He added that more pass rush from the corner might have changed things.
During the strike-shortened 1982 season, Fouts averaged 320 yards passing per game, a record at the time. On the 20th of December 1982, the Chargers beat Cincinnati 50-34, with 501 passing yards and 175 rushing yards. Chandler set a record by averaging 129 receiving yards per game. The Chargers then upset the Steelers 31-28 in Pittsburgh before losing to the Dolphins.
The edges began to fray in 1983, when San Diego fell to 6-10 despite leading the league in passing yards for a sixth year. In 1984, Klein cut salaries in preparation for selling the team, and Johnson and Kelcher left for San Francisco. On the 1st of August 1984, Alex Spanos bought a majority interest in the Chargers. That season Joiner made his 650th reception, an NFL record, and Lionel "Little Train" James, who stood 5 feet 6 inches and weighed 171 pounds, gained 2,535 all-purpose yards, another record.
Al Saunders became head coach in 1986 after Coryell resigned, and Joiner retired in 1987 to coach the receivers. Fouts retired after a 15-year career, with seven NFL records, 42 club records and 43,040 passing yards, second all time. The Chargers retired his number 14 at halftime of the game called Dan Fouts Day.
With ten seconds left on the 10th of September 1978, the Oakland Raiders had the ball at the Chargers' 14-yard line, trailing 20-14. Quarterback Ken Stabler was about to be sacked by linebacker Woodrow Lowe when he fumbled the ball forward. Running back Pete Banaszak tried to recover it but slipped, and the ball rolled closer to the end zone. Tight end Dave Casper batted and kicked it into the end zone and fell on it for the tying touchdown. Errol Mann's extra point made it 21-20. The game at Jack Murphy Stadium became known as the Holy Roller or the Immaculate Deception. San Diego fans saw the fumble as an incomplete pass or an intentional grounding.
The 1981 playoffs produced a game that ESPN journalists later named the best in NFL history. The Chargers beat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in the divisional round at the Miami Orange Bowl, on a humid day with a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The two teams scored 79 points, the most in a playoff game. They gained 1,036 total yards, with 809 of them through the air. Fouts had set an NFL single-season record that year with 4,802 passing yards.
Kellen Winslow caught 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown, and he blocked a field goal. He became so exhausted that teammates helped him off the field. Placekicker Rolf Benirschke ended it with a 29-yard field goal after 13 minutes and 52 seconds of overtime. The game became known as the Epic in Miami. The next week, in Cincinnati, the Bengals beat the Chargers 27-7 in the AFC Championship Game, played in a record low temperature and remembered as the Freezer Bowl.
Bobby Ross became head coach in 1992, and the team acquired quarterback Stan Humphries in a trade with the Washington Redskins. The Chargers went 11-5 and won the AFC West, their first playoff appearance in a decade. They shut out the Kansas City Chiefs 17-0 in the wild-card round, then were shut out 31-0 by the Dolphins. Ross was named AFC Coach of the Year.
In 1994, the Chargers won 11-5 again, led by Humphries, wide receiver Tony Martin, running back Natrone Means, linebacker Junior Seau, defensive tackles Reuben Davis and Shawn Lee, and defensive end Leslie O'Neal. They unexpectedly beat the Dolphins 22-21 in the divisional round and the Steelers 17-13 in the AFC Championship Game. In Super Bowl XXIX, the San Francisco 49ers beat them 49-26. Martin's 99-yard touchdown catch from Humphries that season remains the longest pass play in the franchise's record book.
After the Super Bowl run, Sports Illustrated named general manager Bobby Beathard the NFL's Smartest Man, because he had shaped both the lineup and the choice of coach. The 1995 season was less kind. The Chargers made the playoffs at 9-7 but lost to the Indianapolis Colts 35-20. Grief followed in 1996, when running back Rodney Culver was killed in the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades. Linebacker David Griggs had died in a single-car crash in Davie, Florida, eleven months earlier.
In 1997, Beathard dismissed Ross and hired Kevin Gilbride, who encouraged a more open passing attack. Humphries suffered several concussions behind a weak pass-blocking line and retired. After trading players and draft choices to the Arizona Cardinals, Beathard selected quarterback Ryan Leaf with the second pick of the 1998 draft. The Chargers went 5-11. Defensive back Rodney Harrison said, "If I had to go through another year like that, I'd probably quit playing."
Gilbride left and was replaced by an interim coach, June Jones, who then left for the University of Hawaii. Mike Riley arrived from Oregon State University as the new head coach. Leaf was released after the 2000 season because of poor play and attitude. Jim Harbaugh, acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens, became the starting quarterback. Beathard retired in April 2000, and John Butler, a former Buffalo Bills general manager, took over in January 2001. The Chargers endured eight consecutive seasons with as many losses as wins, or more.
In 2001, Riley hired Norv Turner as offensive coordinator, and the team signed quarterback Doug Flutie. The Chargers also traded the first overall pick of the 2001 draft to the Atlanta Falcons for the fifth pick and a third-round selection. They added receiver Tim Dwight and a second-round pick in 2002. With the fifth pick and their other selections, they chose Texas Christian University running back LaDainian Tomlinson and Purdue University quarterback Drew Brees.
Marty Schottenheimer replaced Riley for 2002, and the Chargers won their first four games. In April 2003, Butler died of cancer after a nine-month struggle, and A. J. Smith became general manager. That year the Chargers traded Seau to the Dolphins, and his teammates gave him the Emil Karas Award as Most Inspirational Player. Tomlinson reached 2,011 yards from scrimmage after a 195-yard game against the Packers. He became the first Charger and the eighth NFL player with consecutive 2,000-yard seasons, and the first in league history to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in one season.
The 2004 team went 12-4 and won its first division title since 1994, but the New York Jets beat it 20-17 in overtime in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2005 draft, the Chargers took Shawne Merriman first, followed by Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles and others. In 2006, they went 14-2, their best record ever, and took the top seed in the AFC. Brees left in free agency for the New Orleans Saints, which opened the way for 2004 draftee Philip Rivers. The Patriots beat the Chargers 24-21 in the divisional round, and afterward Schottenheimer left and Turner became head coach.
In a 2009 game against the Cleveland Browns, Tomlinson broke Jim Brown's rushing record, and Brown congratulated him afterward. Tomlinson left before 2010, aging and carrying an expensive contract. That year the Chargers ranked first in the NFL in both offense and defense, yet missed the playoffs. Only the 1953 Eagles had done the same. Low ticket sales also triggered local television blackouts of two home games. Rivers threw for 4,710 yards.
On the 21st of October 2012, a line judge spotted a suspicious substance, such as a banned adhesive, on the hand towels used by Chargers players. On the 7th of November, the NFL announced that the team had not cheated, though it still fined the Chargers $20,000. After the 2012 season, with the playoffs missed again, Smith and Turner were dismissed.
On the 9th of January 2013, the Chargers named Tom Telesco, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, as general manager. Six days later, they hired Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy as head coach. In 2013, San Diego finished 9-7 and made the playoffs as a wild-card team. They beat Cincinnati 27-10 on the 50th anniversary of the 1963 AFL Championship, then lost 24-17 at Denver. The 2014 team also went 9-7 but missed the playoffs, with an offense that fell from fifth to 18th in yards. In 2015, they dropped to 4-12. In the 2016 draft, they took defensive end Joey Bosa with the third overall pick.
On the 8th of November 2016, San Diego voters rejected Measure C, the Chargers' downtown stadium proposal, with 57 percent against and 43 percent in favor. The measure was the last step in a long argument. Owner Dean Spanos had pushed for years for San Diego to build a new stadium without success. The Chargers had teamed with the Raiders on a plan for a stadium in Carson, California.
After the 2015 season, the Chargers, Rams and Raiders all applied to move to Los Angeles. On the 12th of January 2016, NFL owners voted 30-2 to let the Rams return, approving their Inglewood stadium. The Chargers received permission to relocate within one year, provided they negotiated a deal with the Rams. They registered the trademark "Los Angeles Chargers" and filed plans with the City of Santa Ana for a five-acre interim headquarters. On the 29th of January 2016, the two teams reached an agreement in principle to share a stadium. Each would contribute a $200 million NFL loan plus seat license fees, and pay $1 per year in rent to StadCo LA, LLC.
The NFL then offered the Chargers $100 million if they reached an agreement with San Diego. On the 29th of January 2016, Spanos announced the team would stay for another season. On the 23rd of February 2016, the Chargers named the East Village in downtown San Diego as their preferred site, passing over the city's cheaper Mission Valley alternative. Between the 21st of April and the 10th of June 2016, they collected 110,786 signatures. The San Diego City Council voted unanimously on the 18th of July to put the plan to a public ballot. The Chamber of Commerce backed it on the 28th of July, and Mayor Kevin Faulconer did on the 3rd of October.
After Measure C failed, the NFL approved the lease terms between the Chargers and Rams in December 2016. On the 23rd of December, the Chargers leased about 3 acres in Costa Mesa for offices and practice fields. On the 12th of January 2017, Spanos announced the team would move back to Los Angeles. It would play at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, then at SoFi Stadium from the 2020 season. When the practice facility moved to Orange County, the team removed every reference to San Diego from its website and merchandise.
What San Diego kept was a list of names. The Chargers retired four numbers: 14 for Dan Fouts, 19 for Lance Alworth, 21 for LaDainian Tomlinson and 55 for Junior Seau. In 2009, the team announced a 50th Anniversary Team of 53 players and coaches chosen from 103 nominees. Online voting made up half the result, with 400,000 votes.
The move made the Chargers the third franchise to return to a former home city, after the Raiders and the Rams. They were also the second former San Diego franchise to play in Los Angeles, after the Clippers. As of the 2025 NFL season, linebacker Denzel Perryman is the last active Chargers player who played in San Diego, after the release of Joey Bosa.
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Common questions
Where did the San Diego Chargers play before moving to San Diego?
The team played its first season in 1960 as the Los Angeles Chargers at the Los Angeles Coliseum. It announced the move to Balboa Stadium in San Diego in January 1961.
Who was the first owner of the San Diego Chargers?
Barron Hilton, son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, was the first owner. Lamar Hunt, an organizer of the American Football League, recruited him after Gene Mako recommended him.
When did the San Diego Chargers win the AFL championship?
The San Diego Chargers won the 1963 AFL Championship by beating the Boston Patriots 51-10 at Balboa Stadium. It was their only title in four championship game appearances in 1961, 1963-1964 and 1965.
What was Air Coryell with the San Diego Chargers?
Air Coryell was the pass-heavy, vertical offense built by coach Don Coryell, who led the Chargers from 1978 to 1986. With quarterback Dan Fouts, the Chargers led the NFL in passing yards for six straight years from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985.
What was the Epic in Miami for the San Diego Chargers?
The Epic in Miami was the Chargers' 41-38 overtime win over the Dolphins in the 1981 AFC divisional playoff round. Rolf Benirschke kicked the winning 29-yard field goal, and ESPN journalists named it the best game in NFL history.
Why did the San Diego Chargers leave San Diego?
The Chargers left after years of failing to secure a new stadium in San Diego. Voters rejected Measure C, the downtown stadium proposal, on the 8th of November 2016 by 57 percent to 43 percent, and the move to Los Angeles was announced on the 12th of January 2017.
Which numbers did the San Diego Chargers retire?
The Chargers retired four numbers: 14 for Dan Fouts, 19 for Lance Alworth, 21 for LaDainian Tomlinson and 55 for Junior Seau.
All sources
91 references cited across the entry
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- 7NewsReuters: Factbox: A look at the San Diego Chargers11 January 2016
- 9NewsSid Gillman 1911-2003Don Pierson — 4 January 2003
- 10Chargers pick Coliseum over Rose Bowl4 March 2010
- 11NewsLA Times 1985-09-17 P46 Chargers History17 September 1985
- 12NewsCharger Move (AP) Cincinnati Enquirer 1960-12-2222 December 1960
- 13NewsChargers Move Pasadena Independent 1961-01-24 p1324 January 1961
- 17NewsRemembering the Fearsome FoursomeMal Florence — September 16, 1985
- 23NewsTrading wasn't always so difficult in the NFLBuck, Ray — February 29, 2008
- 24Anderson, Dave; ‘The Chargers Are 0–11, Going on 0–14’; The New York Times, December 2, 1975, p. 51
- 27NewsNFL Rules Changed to Aid OffenseDave Brady — March 15, 1978
- 33NewsCharger-turned-Niner Fred Dean answers Hall's callBernie Wilson — July 31, 2008
- 36NewsFred Dean: Situational pass-rusher made most of his opportunitiesJim Thomas — July 30, 2008
- 45San Diego Chargers 2006 Media Guide, p. 265. Accessed July 29, 2007.
- 47Little Big ManDavid Neville — San Diego Chargers — March 31, 2003
- 56NewsSan Diego Chargers – After a season of discontent there's reason to be upbeatMichael Silver — August 30, 1999
- 67NFL investigating ChargersESPN — 21 October 2012
- 68San Diego Chargers fined $20K by NFL in towel caseNovember 7, 2012
- 69NewsNorv Turner, A.J. Smith firedJanuary 1, 2013
- 70NewsChargers hire Mike McCoyJanuary 16, 2013
- 71NewsChargers, Raiders will jointly pursue an NFL stadium in CarsonSam Farmer — February 20, 2015
- 72Rams, Raiders and Chargers file for relocation to Los AngelesLouis Bien — SB Nation — January 4, 2016
- 73Rams to relocate to L.A.; Chargers first option to joinDan Hanzus — National Football League — January 12, 2016
- 74JournalAre the San Diego Chargers Moving to Los Angeles?Thomas J. Daly — Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP — January 22, 2016
- 75Chargers submit plans for O.C. facilityKevin Acee — San Diego Union-Tribune — January 28, 2016
- 76NewsChargers here for a year -- then what?Kevin Acee et al. — January 29, 2016
- 77NewsChargers aren't the only NFL team that rentsArash Markazi — August 7, 2019
- 79Chargers announce they will stay in San Diego for 2016Chris Wesseling — National Football League — January 29, 2016
- 80NewsWhat we know about Chargers' move to Los AngelesBrent Schrotenboer — January 12, 2017
- 81NewsChargers to Relocate to Los AngelesLos Angeles Chargers — January 12, 2017
- 82NewsChargers Fun Fact: Team Hall of FameLindsay Hood — October 21, 2010
- 83NewsWith week to go, Raiders blackout likelyClark Judge — November 29, 1992
- 84NewsFans to decide next Chargers Hall of FamerMichael Gehlken — July 16, 2012
- 85Celebration announced for 50th season of Chargers footballThe San Diego Chargers
- 87NewsGreatest Chargers list rings trueNick Canepa — November 16, 2009
- 88Fans to select 50 greatest ChargersThe San Diego Chargers
- 89NewsFouts chosen as all-time 'Greatest Charger'Bill Bigelow — November 28, 2009
- 90NewsChargers announce their all-time teamBill Williamson — November 17, 2009