Los Angeles Rams

The only NFL franchise to win championships representing three different cities.

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area, competing in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the NFC West division. Headquartered at the Rams Village at Warner Center, they play their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, sharing the venue with the Los Angeles Chargers. The franchise traces its roots to 1936 when it was founded as the Cleveland Rams in Ohio, winning a championship before moving west in 1946. Over nearly nine decades, the team has represented three different cities—Cleveland, St. Louis, and Los Angeles—winning titles in each location.

Quick Facts

Founded: February 12, 1937
First season: 1936
Stadium: SoFi Stadium; Inglewood, California
Headquartered: Rams Village at Warner Center; Los Angeles, California
Coach: Sean McVay
General manager: Les Snead
Owner: Stan Kroenke
President: Kevin Demoff

Lore & Background

Founded on April 11, 1936, by attorney Homer Marshman and player-coach Damon Wetzel, the team was named after Wetzel's favorite college squad, the Fordham Rams. After joining the NFL in 1937, the franchise suspended play during the 1943 season due to World War II but returned in 1944. The turning point came in January 1946, when owner Dan Reeves threatened to leave professional football entirely unless owners approved a move to Los Angeles. This settlement made the NFL the first coast-to-coast sports industry. Upon arrival, the Rams integrated the team by signing Kenny Washington on March 21, 1946, and Woody Strode on May 7, 1946, ending a decade-long exclusion of Black players from professional football. The club played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum until 1980, when it moved to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County before leaving Southern California for St.

Reader's Guide

Fans can follow the Rams' history from their 1936 inception as the Cleveland Rams through their championship runs in Ohio (1945), St. Louis (1999), and Los Angeles (1951, 2021). The team's home has shifted significantly: they played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 1946 to 1980, then moved to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County until relocating to St. Upon returning to California for the 2016 season, they settled into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which they share with the Chargers. Key moments include the 1946 integration of the team with Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, the 1948 introduction of horned helmets by Fred Gehrke (the first helmet emblem in pro football), and the dominance of the "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line in the late 1960s. The franchise remains unique as the only NFL team to win titles representing three distinct cities.

Did You Know?

In 1946, the signing of Kenny Washington caused "all hell to break loose" among NFL owners due to the league's segregation policies at the time.
In 1957, the Rams set an all-time NFL attendance record that stood until 2006.