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Kenny Washington, back row on the left,
and Woody Strode, front row on the right,
made history when they joined the Rams.

Los Angeles (UCLA). Today, Black athletes make up about

70 percent of NFL teams.

Growing Popularity

Rival leagues have challenged the NFL over the years. Two
of the most successful ones ended up changing the face
of the NFL. In 1944, a group of businesspeople formed the

All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The new league tried
to form a friendly relationship with the NFL. It agreed not to
sign any NFL contract players. The AAFC had eight teams in its
first season in 1946. The Cleveland Browns were led by coach

Paul Brown. They won all four AAFC titles before the league
shut down after the 1949 season. NFL commissioner Bert Bell

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