Pete Rozelle Named NFL Commissioner (1960)
An Unlikely Pick for Commissioner
Alvin Ray Rozelle, also known as Pete Rozelle, was born March 1, 1926 in South Gate California. He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and played basketball, he attended Compton High School; and played basketball and tennis during his high school career. After graduating from high school he served in the Navy fighting in World War I I . He then went on to study at Compton Junior College (Pete Rozelle (1960-1989)).
(To the left is a picture of Pete Rozelle. It represents him being a big part of the AFL/NFL merger.)
While attending Compton, the Cleveland Rams moved to LA and began practicing on their field. Rozelle eventually moved to the University of San Francisco. As a student, Rozelle took the job as Publicity Director for Athletics. When he graduated from USF (1950) he took the job as assistant athletic director. Two years later he was given the job as the Rams’ public relations director. In 1955 he left to go partner with a firm that worked on the olympics in Melbourne Australia. Two years later he returned as the Rams’ General Manager (Pete Rozelle (1960-1989)).
January 26, 1960 Rozelle was named NFL Commissioner. After nine days and thirty-two ballots Pete Rozelle was told he was voted NFL Commissioner while in the bathroom (Pete Rozelle’s Legacy). Rozelle was only thirty-two when he became commissioner.(Joe Horrigan). He retired from commissioner in 1989. While living in Santa Fe California, on December 6, 1996 Pete Rozelle died from a brain tumor. Rozelle was considered to have made the NFL the most successful sports league in the World (Pete Rozelle (1960-1989)).
(To the right is a professional picture of Pete Rozelle)
Many believed Rozelle was going to be a weak commissioner and they would be able to control him. They were wrong. Because of Rozelle the AFL was able to merge with the NFL becoming the number one sport in the world. They were also able to partner with major television companies and create the Super Bowl. Now Rozelle did not like the name Super Bowl but he went along with it and eventually he began to like it. He was very adamant about what he wanted so he pushed until he got it. This is what made him so great (Joe Horrigan). “Pro football was nothing until he became commissioner,” Red Auerbach (ESPN)
Picture Credits: Sports encyclopedia- Pete Rozelle (1960-1989)
Pete Rozelle- Pro-Football Hall of Fame