The Rams originated as a professional football team in Cleveland, Ohio. They were founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams and joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1937. The team played in Cleveland until 1945 and won the NFL Championship in 1945. In 1946, the franchise relocated to Los Angeles, becoming the first NFL team on the West Coast. The name "Rams" was chosen by the team's general manager Damon "Buzz" Wetzel, who named the team after his favorite college football team, the Fordham Rams.