<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably . Please consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding or removing subheadings . (January 2017) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Los Angeles Chargers were established with seven other American Football League teams in 1959 . In 1960, the Chargers began AFL play in Los Angeles . The Chargers' original owner was hotel heir Barron Hilton, son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton . </P> <P> According to the official website of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Barron Hilton agreed after his general manager, Frank Leahy, picked the Chargers name when he purchased an AFL franchise for Los Angeles: "I liked it because they were yelling' charge' and sounding the bugle at Dodgers Stadium and at USC games ." The Chargers initially considered playing at the Rose Bowl, but instead signed a lease to play at the Los Angeles Coliseum . There is also an alternative theory about a man named Gerald Courtney of Hollywood who won an all - expenses - paid trip to Mexico City and Acapulco for submitting "Chargers" in a name - the - team contest . The Chargers only spent one season in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961 . From 1961 to 1966 their home field was Balboa Stadium in Balboa Park . As of August 1967, they moved to the newly constructed SDCCU Stadium (then named San Diego Stadium), where they played their home games until 2016 . </P> <P> They played ten years in the AFL before the merging of the league into the older NFL . Their only coach for the ten - year life of the AFL was Sid Gillman, a Hall of Famer who was widely recognized as a great offensive innovator . The early AFL years of the San Diego Chargers were highlighted by the outstanding play of wide receiver Lance "Bambi" Alworth with 543 receptions for 10,266 yards in his 11 - AFL / NFL - season career . In addition he set the pro football record of consecutive games with a reception (96) during his career . With players such as Alworth, Paul Lowe, Keith Lincoln and John Hadl, the high - scoring Chargers won divisional crowns five of the league's first six seasons and the AFL title in 1963 with a 51--10 victory over the Boston Patriots . They also played great defense, as indicated by their professional football record 49 pass interceptions in 1961, and featured AFL Rookie of the Year defensive end Earl Faison . The Chargers were the originators of the term "Fearsome Foursome" to describe their all - star defensive line, anchored by Faison and Ernie Ladd (the latter also excelled in professional wrestling). The phrase was later appropriated by various NFL teams . Hilton sold the Chargers to a group headed by Eugene Klein and Sam Schulman in August 1966 . The following year, the Chargers began "head to head" competition with the older NFL with a preseason loss to the Detroit Lions . The Chargers defeated the defending Super Bowl III champion New York Jets 34--27 before a record San Diego Stadium crowd of 54,042 on September 29, 1969 . Alworth once again led the team in receptions with 64 and 1,003 yards with four touchdowns . The team also saw Gillman step down due to health and offensive backfield coach Charlie Waller promoted to head coach after the completion of the regular season . Gillman did remain with the club as the general manager . </P>

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