The San Diego Chargers are a professional
American football team based in San Diego, California. They are
currently members of the Western Division of the American Football
Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally
called the Los Angeles Chargers, the club began play in 1960 as
a charter member of the American Football League. The club spent
its first season in Los Angeles, California before moving to San
Diego in 1961.
The Chargers won one AFL title in 1963
and reached the AFL playoffs five times and the AFL Championship
four times before joining the NFL (1970) as part of the AFL-NFL
Merger. In the 34 years since then, the Chargers have made ten
trips to the playoffs and four appearances in the AFC Championship
game. At the end of the 1994 season, the Chargers faced the San
Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX and fell 49-26. The Chargers
have five players and one coach enshrined in the Pro Football
Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio: wide receiver Lance Alworth (1962-1970),
defensive end Fred Dean (1975-1981), quarterback Dan Fouts (1973-1987),
head coach/general manager Sid Gillman (1960-1969, 1971), wide
receiver Charlie Joiner (1976-1986), offensive lineman Ron Mix
(1960-1969) and tight end Kellen Winslow (1979-1987).