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Professional Football League of America

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Professional Football League of America
SportAmerican football
Founded1965
Ceased1967
No. of teamsVaried (5 to 7)
CountriesUnited States
Last
champion(s)
Joliet Chargers
Most titlesJoilet (2)

The Professional Football League of America (PFLA) was an American football minor league that operated in the Midwest region of the United States from 1965 through 1967. With franchises based in the Midwest, the league played three seasons before merging some teams into the Continental Football League.

History

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The Professional Football League of America began play in 1965. The Des Moines Warriors, Grand Rapids Blazers, Joliet Explorers, Lincoln Comets, Omaha Mustangs and Rock Island Raiders were charter members of the league. The Professional Football League of America evolved from the disbanded United Football League, and began play in the fall of 1965. The Joliet Explorers swept the Grand Rapids Blazers in a two–game championship series.[1][2][3]

In 1966, the Rock Island Raiders franchise moved to neighboring Davenport, Iowa and changed names to become the "Quad City Raiders." The Lincoln Comets franchise did not return to league play. The Omaha Mustangs won the 1966 PFLA championship game, defeating the Des Moines Warriors 27–7 at home with 4,530 in attendance.[4][5][6]

In their final season of play, the Pro Football League of America expanded, adding the Alabama Hawks, Chicago Owls and Oklahoma City Plainsmen franchises. The 1967 league played in two divisions. In May 1967, the Joliet franchise became an affiliate of the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League and changed their moniker to become the "Joliet Chargers" for the 1967 season. The 1967 Des Moines Warriors were an affiliate of the Minnesota Vikings. In 1967, the Alabama Hawks won the Western Division with a 9–3 record and hosted the PFLA's championship game at Milton Frank Stadium, losing 31–20 to the Joliet Chargers, who had won the Eastern Division with a 10–2 record.[7][3]

(1967) Alabama Hawks program

The PFLA permanently folded following the 1967 season. In February 1968, the Continental Football League expanded to include some of the Pro Football League of America teams and continued play. The merger allowed the Continental Football League to expand into the midwestern United States. The Des Moines and Joliet Franchises did not join the league.[8]

Season by season

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1965 Professional Football League of America

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W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

 y  = League Champion

1965 Pro Football League of America
Team W L T PCT PF PA Stadium Coach
Joliet Explorers 8 1 1 .889 365 70 Joliet Memorial Stadium Jesse Vail
Grand Rapids Blazers 8 1 1 .889 293 119 Kimble Stadium Steve Sucic
Omaha Mustangs 7 3 0 .700 318 162 Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium Bernie Berigan
Des Moines Warriors 3 7 0 .300 152 298 Sec Taylor Stadium Gale Gibson
Lincoln Comets 2 8 0 .200 156 310 Seacrest Field Don Erway
Rock Island Raiders 1 9 0 .100 93 396 Douglas Park Paul Suverkrup

1966 Professional Football League of America

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W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

 y  = League Champion

1966 Pro Football League of America
Team W L T PCT PF PA Stadium Coach
Omaha Mustangs 8 2 0 800 312 151 Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium Bernie Berigan
Des Moines Warriors 8 2 0 .800 224 138 Sec Taylor Stadium Don Branby
Joliet Explorers 6 4 0 .600 271 126 Joliet Memorial Stadium Bob Webb
Grand Rapids Shamrocks 1 7 0 .357 54 162 Kimble Stadium Jack Morton
Quad Cities Raiders 1 9 0 .100 92 376 Memorial Stadium Frank Abbott

1967 Professional Football League of America

[edit]

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

 y  = Division Champion

1967 Pro Football League of America
Eastern Division
Team W L T PCT PF PA Stadium Coach
Joliet Chargers 10 2 0 .833 324 140 West Jefferson Stadium Jesse Vail
Omaha Mustangs 8 4 0 .333 288 289 Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium Bernie Berigan / Walt Corey
Des Moines Warriors 7 4 1 .636 369 163 Sec Taylor Stadium Don Branby
Chicago Owls 3 9 0 .250 216 335 Notre Dame High School Stadium Bob Webb
Western Division
Team W L T PCT PF PA Stadium Coach
Alabama Hawks 9 3 0 .750 381 185 Milton Frank Stadium Marv Matuszak
Oklahoma City Plainsmen 4 7 1 .833 277 282 Taft Stadium Cliff Speegle
Quad City Raiders 0 12 0 .417 159 610 Memorial Stadium Jack Morton

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UFL West Clubs Form Own Loop". The Indianapolis Star. Associated Press. February 7, 1965.
  2. ^ "1965 Pro Football League of America - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com.
  3. ^ a b "1964-1967 Joliet Explorers / Joliet Chargers". December 21, 2014.
  4. ^ Moackler, Jim (November 14, 1966). "27-7 Loss To Warriors In Playoff". The Des Moines Register.
  5. ^ "1966 Pro Football League of America - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com.
  6. ^ "1966 Omaha Mustangs (PFLA) - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com.
  7. ^ "1967 Pro Football League of America - Pro Football Archives". www.profootballarchives.com.
  8. ^ "Continental, Professional Leagues Join". Chicago Tribune. United Press International. February 5, 1968. pp. 2–3.