The All America Football Conference created in 1944 was the fifth and most successful version of the AFL .
It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name , the American Football League ( 1926 ) , American Football League ( 1934 ) , American Football League ( 1936 ) , and American Football League ( 1940 ) , and the later All America Football Conference ( 1944-1950 ) , played 1946-1949 ) .The AFL was created by a number of owners who had been refused NFL expansion franchises or had minor shares of NFL franchises .
American Football League