The Los Angeles Chargers have a very distinctive history in professional football. Founded in 1959 as a charter member of the American Football League, the Chargers began play in Los Angeles in 1960, moved to San Diego in 1961, and returned to Los Angeles in 2017.
The franchise has produced Hall of Fame players, innovative coaches, record-setting quarterbacks and one of the most influential offensive systems in NFL history.
The Birth of the Chargers
The Chargers were awarded to Los Angeles on August 14, 1959, as one of the eight original AFL franchises. They began their first season in 1960.
The team’s founding owner was Barron Hilton, who purchased the franchise rights for $25,000. Hilton also held a contest to select the team’s name, with “Chargers” ultimately being chosen. The Chargers immediately became one of the AFL’s most competitive teams under head coach Sid Gillman. They won five division titles during their first six seasons and captured the 1963 AFL Championship.
Chargers Owners
The franchise has had several ownership eras.
Barron Hilton — 1960–1966
Hilton was the Chargers’ founding owner and the person who brought the franchise into existence. His Chargers won the 1963 AFL Championship and helped establish the club as one of the AFL’s strongest organizations.
Eugene V. Klein and the ownership group — 1966–1984
In 1966, Hilton sold the Chargers to a group headed by Eugene V. Klein and Sam Schulman. Klein became the club’s principal owner. The Klein era eventually produced the famous “Air Coryell” Chargers. Klein hired Don Coryell during the 1978 season, and the Chargers became one of the NFL’s premier offensive teams.
Alex Spanos — 1984–2018
Alex Spanos purchased controlling interest in the Chargers from Klein in 1984. He subsequently acquired additional shares and became the dominant owner of the franchise. Spanos’ ownership included the team’s 1994 AFC championship and its appearance in Super Bowl XXIX following the 1994 season.
Dean Spanos — Controlling owner
Alex Spanos turned day-to-day control of the organization over to his son Dean Spanos in the 1990s. Dean became the team’s controlling owner and chairman and led the franchise through its move back to Los Angeles in 2017. The Chargers remain a Spanos family-owned franchise.
Every Stadium the Chargers Have Called Home
The Chargers have had an unusually varied stadium history because of their move from Los Angeles to San Diego and eventually back to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — 1960
The original Los Angeles Chargers played their inaugural 1960 season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That first season established the Chargers as an exciting AFL franchise before the team relocated to San Diego.
Balboa Stadium — San Diego — 1961–1966
The Chargers moved to San Diego for the 1961 season and played at Balboa Stadium.
This became the franchise’s first San Diego home.
San Diego Stadium — 1967–2016
The Chargers moved into the newly constructed San Diego Stadium in 1967.
The facility subsequently carried several names:
San Diego Stadium
Jack Murphy Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
The Chargers spent nearly five decades playing their home games at the facility.
There was one unusual exception in 2003, when a Chargers home game was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, because of the Cedar Fire in San Diego.
Dignity Health Sports Park — Carson — 2017–2019
When the franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2017, the Chargers initially played at the small Carson venue then known as StubHub Center.
It was renamed Dignity Health Sports Park in 2019. The Chargers played there through the 2019 season while their permanent Los Angeles stadium was being constructed.
SoFi Stadium — Inglewood — 2020–present The Chargers moved into SoFi Stadium in 2020.
They share the stadium with the Los Angeles Rams, making SoFi Stadium the current home of both Los Angeles NFL franchises. The Chargers’ first season at the facility began a new chapter in the franchise’s history.
Chargers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
There is an important distinction in discussing Chargers Hall of Famers.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame identifies 16 franchise members associated with the Chargers through the 2025 season. However, some of those individuals earned their Hall of Fame recognition largely or partly through careers with other organizations.
For this article, the focus is on players and coaches whose Chargers careers are central to their Chargers legacy.
Lance Alworth
Position: Wide receiver
Chargers: 1962–1970
Hall of Fame: 1978
Alworth was the first Chargers player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He became one of the AFL’s great deep threats and was a centerpiece of the Chargers’ championship-era teams.
Ron Mix
Position: Offensive tackle
Chargers: 1960–1969
Hall of Fame: 1979
Mix was one of the dominant offensive linemen of the AFL era and played a major role in protecting Chargers quarterbacks during the club’s early success.
Sid Gillman
Position: Head coach
Chargers: 1960–1971
Hall of Fame: 1983
Gillman helped establish the Chargers as an offensive innovator. His coaching philosophy emphasized sophisticated passing concepts and helped influence generations of NFL coaches.
Dan Fouts
Position: Quarterback
Chargers: 1973–1987
Hall of Fame: 1993
Fouts became the defining quarterback of the Air Coryell era. His combination of arm strength, accuracy and aggressive downfield passing made him one of the NFL’s most prolific quarterbacks.
Kellen Winslow
Position: Tight end
Chargers: 1979–1987
Hall of Fame: 1995
Winslow revolutionized the possibilities of the tight end position. His receiving ability made him a critical component of the Chargers’ high-powered offense.
Charlie Joiner
Position: Wide receiver
Chargers: 1976–1986
Hall of Fame: 1996
Joiner was one of the key members of the Chargers’ receiving corps and became one of the most productive receivers of his era.
Fred Dean Position: Defensive end
Chargers: 1975–1981
Hall of Fame: 2008
Dean was a dominant pass rusher in San Diego before finishing his career with San Francisco. His Hall of Fame career therefore extended beyond his Chargers years.
Junior Seau
Position: Linebacker
Chargers: 1990–2002
Hall of Fame: 2015
Seau became one of the most recognizable defensive stars in franchise history and was the centerpiece of the Chargers defense for more than a decade.
LaDainian Tomlinson
Position: Running back
Chargers: 2001–2009
Hall of Fame: 2017
Tomlinson is one of the greatest players in Chargers history. He combined rushing, receiving and exceptional touchdown production and became one of the defining running backs of the 2000s.
Don Coryell
Position: Head coach
Chargers: 1978–1986
Hall of Fame: 2023
Coryell’s induction was particularly significant to Chargers history because of his enormous influence on the club’s offensive identity. The Hall of Fame recognizes his coaching career, with the Chargers representing the defining portion of his NFL legacy.
Antonio Gates
Position: Tight end
Chargers: 2003–2018
Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2025
Gates spent his entire NFL career with the Chargers and became one of the most productive receiving tight ends in league history. The Chargers identify him as a major franchise legend, and he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
The Hall of Fame’s complete Chargers franchise list also includes players whose careers extended substantially beyond San Diego, such as Johnny Unitas, John Mackey, Larry Little and Deacon Jones.
NFL Rookie of the Year Winners as Chargers
The Chargers have had several players receive recognized Rookie of the Year honors.
Don Woods — 1974
Running back Don Woods earned major Rookie of the Year recognition after an outstanding 1974 season with the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers’ historical awards record lists him as the 1974 NFL Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in several major voting systems.
Keenan Allen — 2013
Wide receiver Keenan Allen earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors from several major organizations after an outstanding 2013 season.
Justin Herbert — 2020
Quarterback Justin Herbert became one of the most impressive rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. He was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns while setting numerous rookie records.
Herbert’s award was particularly important because it marked the first AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award for a Charger in more than 45 seasons.
NFL MVP as a Charger
The Chargers have had one NFL MVP winner while playing for the franchise:
Dan Fouts — 1982
Dan Fouts was named the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player for the 1982 season. Fouts’ MVP season came during the height of the Air Coryell era. The Chargers’ offense was built around his ability to attack defenses vertically and produce enormous passing numbers. The 1982 season was shortened by a players’ strike, but Fouts still led the NFL’s explosive Chargers offense and earned the league’s MVP recognition.
It is worth distinguishing MVP from NFL Offensive Player of the Year. LaDainian Tomlinson won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2006, while Fouts won the MVP in 1982.
The Air Coryell Era
Few periods in Chargers history are more famous than the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Don Coryell became head coach during the 1978 season and transformed the Chargers into one of the NFL’s most aggressive passing teams.
The offense featured:
Dan Fouts at quarterback
Kellen Winslow at tight end
Charlie Joiner at wide receiver
John Jefferson at wide receiver
Chuck Muncie and other productive backs
An aggressive vertical passing attack
The term “Air Coryell” became synonymous with the team’s offense. Coryell’s influence extended far beyond San Diego. His offensive concepts influenced later passing systems throughout professional and college football. The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognized Coryell’s broader influence when he was elected in 2023.
The 1994 Chargers
The Chargers reached the greatest postseason achievement in franchise history during the 1994 season.
Led by head coach Bobby Ross, quarterback Stan Humphries, linebacker Junior Seau, and a determined defense, San Diego won the AFC Championship. The Chargers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 17–13 in the AFC Championship Game to reach Super Bowl XXIX.
San Diego ultimately lost the Super Bowl to the San Francisco 49ers, 49–26.
It remains the Chargers’ only Super Bowl appearance.
The LaDainian Tomlinson Era
The Chargers entered another outstanding period after selecting LaDainian Tomlinson in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Tomlinson became the centerpiece of an offense that eventually included quarterback
Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates.
Tomlinson established himself as one of the most productive running backs in NFL history. The Pro Football Hall of Fame lists him as the Chargers’ career rushing leader with 12,490 yards from 2001 through 2009. His 2006 season was especially spectacular. Tomlinson set the then-NFL single-season touchdown record with 31 touchdowns and earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The Chargers in Los Angeles
The Chargers returned to Los Angeles beginning with the 2017 season after 56 seasons in San Diego.
Owner Dean Spanos announced the move in January 2017. The organization acknowledged that San Diego had been home for 56 years while beginning a new chapter in Los Angeles.
The team initially played at Dignity Health Sports Park before moving into SoFi Stadium in 2020.
The modern Chargers have featured stars such as Justin Herbert, whose 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year season immediately became an important part of the franchise’s Los Angeles history.
The Chargers’ Legacy
The Chargers’ legacy is built around several distinct eras.
The AFL Chargers established the franchise as an innovative and entertaining team under Sid Gillman.
The 1963 championship Chargers gave the organization its first league championship.
The Air Coryell Chargers changed the way offensive football could be played and produced Hall of Famers such as Fouts and Winslow.
The 1994 Chargers captured the AFC Championship and reached the franchise’s only Super Bowl. The Tomlinson-Gates-Rivers Chargers produced some of the most prolific individual performances in modern franchise history.
The Los Angeles Chargers represent the newest chapter, with SoFi Stadium now serving as the team’s home. The Pro Football Hall of Fame currently lists 16 Chargers franchise members, while the Chargers organization maintains its own Chargers Hall of Fame, which has honored dozens of players, coaches, executives and other franchise figures.
Most Outstanding Coach: Don Coryell
For the purposes of Chargers history, Don Coryell stands out because his influence went beyond wins and losses. Coryell created an offensive identity that became part of football terminology itself: Air Coryell. His Chargers teams featured some of the greatest passing numbers of their era, and his system influenced coaches and offensive philosophies for decades. His eventual election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023 formally recognized the significance of his contributions to professional football. Don Coryell’s Chargers legacy is therefore inseparable from the development of modern passing football.
Most Outstanding Player: LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson is a strong choice for the Chargers’ most outstanding player based on the combination of production, longevity, records and franchise impact.
Tomlinson spent his prime Chargers years in San Diego from 2001 through 2009 and became the franchise’s career rushing leader. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. His 2006 season remains one of the greatest individual seasons in Chargers history. Tomlinson was more than a running back. He was a three-down offensive weapon who could run, catch passes and score touchdowns at an extraordinary rate.
Final Thoughts
From Barron Hilton’s original AFL franchise to the Air Coryell offense, from Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow to Junior Seau and LaDainian Tomlinson, and from San Diego back to Los Angeles, the Chargers have maintained a distinctive identity throughout more than six decades of professional football.
The franchise has won an AFL Championship, an AFC Championship, produced an NFL MVP, multiple Offensive Rookie of the Year winners and a long list of Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Today, the Chargers play at SoFi Stadium, continuing a history that began with the original AFL “Foolish Club” in 1960.
The Chargers’ story is ultimately a story of innovation — from Sid Gillman’s early passing concepts to Don Coryell’s Air Coryell offense and the modern passing game that continues to define the NFL.
Artie Fischal
