Los Angeles Rams

Verified Timeline

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.

In Their Own Story

The franchise's journey includes historic highs and dramatic relocations. In 1945, under coach Adam Walsh, rookie quarterback Bob Waterfield led the Cleveland Rams to a 9–1 record and their first NFL Championship, defeating Washington 15–14 on a safety caused by Sammy Baugh's pass bouncing off a goalpost. After moving to Los Angeles in 1946, the team won another title in 1951, featuring stars like Elroy Hirsch, who recorded 1,495 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns that season. In 1999, as the St. Louis Rams, they defeated the Tennessee Titans 23–16 to win Super Bowl XXXIV in the first season of the "Greatest Show on Turf" era, though they lost Super Bowl XXXVI to New England. After returning to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, the team appeared in Super Bowl LIII, losing to the Patriots 13–3, before defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20 three years later to win Super Bowl LVI. This victory made them only the second NFL team to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.

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?

• The Rams are the only NFL championship team to move to another city and play the following season.
• 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.
• Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Rams' helmets in 1948, creating the first helmet emblem in professional football history.
• The team won championships representing three different cities: Cleveland (1945), St. Louis (1999), and Los Angeles (1951, 2021).
• In 1957, the Rams set an all-time NFL attendance record that stood until 2006.