The roots of the franchise go back to December 28, 1946, when the bankrupt Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference were purchased and relocated to Baltimore by a group headed by Bob Rodenberg. As the result of a contest in Baltimore, won by Charles Evans of Middle River, Md., the team was renamed the “Colts.”
Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame quarterback Y. A. Tittle, circa 1948. Baltimore Colts were in the AAFC in 1948 and 1949.
On September 7, 1947, wearing green and silver uniforms, the Colts, under Head Coach Cecil Isbell, won their initial AAFC game, 16-7, over the Brooklyn Dodgers.