Decatur Staleys
In the early days of the DNFL, having the first draft pick alone could turn your franchise around, and the proof is Decatur. From 1979-1985, Decatur finished last in its division (and sometimes in the whole league) in all even-numbered years, and made the playoffs in all odd-numbered years, often after having the first draft choice overall. Decatur played in DNFL Bowl I and won DNFL Bowl III. In the 14-year stretch from 1986-1999, Decatur made the playoffs only once, but after a 2-12 season in 1997, things started looking up with QB Peyton Manning's arrival. Decatur went 25 years without a DNFL championship until finally winning in 2006 for the first time since 1981, and repeated again in 2007. Decatur had it's best regular season record ever in 2008. Decatur under Bill Bike is one of only three DNFL franchises with the combo of original owner, never moving, and never changing its team name.