By Darin The 1950 American football season was a landmark year that fundamentally reshaped the landscape of professional and collegiate football in the United States.
Professional Football: The NFL-AAFC Merger Implementation
The 1950 season marked the first year of operation for the newly expanded National Football League after it absorbed three teams from the rival All-America Football Conference (AAFC): the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts.
- The Browns’ Dominance: Entering the league amid skepticism from NFL traditionalists, the Cleveland Browns, led by coach Paul Brown and quarterback Otto Graham, proved their legitimacy immediately by defeating the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener.
- The Championship Game: The season culminated on December 24, 1950, in a thrilling NFL Championship Game. The Cleveland Browns defeated the Los Angeles Rams 30–28 on a last-minute field goal by Lou Groza.
- Historical First: The 1950 Los Angeles Rams became the only team in NFL history to average over 38 points per game throughout a season, featuring a powerhouse offense led by quarterbacks Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin.
College Football: National Champions and Key Records
In the collegiate ranks, the 1950 season was defined by fierce rivalries and a highly contested national title.
- National Champions: The Oklahoma Sooners, coached by Bud Wilkinson, were named the national champions by both the AP Poll and the UPI Coaches Poll (which debuted this year). The Sooners secured the title at the end of the regular season with a 10–0 record, extending their historic 31-game winning streak, though they later lost to Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl.
- Heisman Trophy: The prestigious Heisman Trophy was awarded to Vic Janowicz, a versatile back from Ohio State University who excelled in rushing, passing, punting, and defense.
A Deep Dive into 1950 Football History and Highlights
- January 2, 1950 – Since the 1st was on a Sunday, the 1950 Rose Bowl was not played on New Year’s Day. The 36th edition had the Ohio State Buckeyes overcome the previously undefeated Cal Golden Bears in a 17-14 thriller.
- January 20, 1950 – Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Philadelphia -The Detroit Lions picked Leon Hart from the University of Notre Dame with the first pick of the 1950 NFL Draft.
- January 23, 1950 – the NFL rule changes, which, according to sportsattic.com, included unlimited free substitution, restored, opening the way for the era of two platoons and specialization in pro football, such as offense, defense, and special team specialists.
- March 3, 1950 – The National Football League reverted to calling itself the NFL after 3 months. According to Wikipedia, when the NFL absorbed the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) on December 9, 1949, the 13 teams were realigned into the American and National conferences, which lasted for three seasons. The merged league briefly considered the name “National-American Football League” but reverted to
- September 16, 1950 – The Cleveland Browns play their first game in the NFL. The club was formerly a member of the All-American Football Conference, where it began playing in 1946. Cleveland businessman Arthur McBride purchased the franchise and created it, and they had immediate success. The Browns dominated the AAFC, and some think this was the main reason for the Conference’s demise after the 1949 season. Three teams from the former AAFC joined the NFL in 1950: the Browns, the Baltimore Colts, and the San Francisco 49ers. The early Cleveland Browns teams were talented and featured great players such as Marion Motley, Otto Graham, and Lou Groza. The schedule makers wanted to showcase the NFL’s dominance, so they scheduled the Browns, champions of the AAFC in 1949, to open against the Philadelphia Eagles, who were the reigning NFL title holders in 1949. The NFL expected the Browns to struggle when they entered the League in 1950, but boy, were they wrong. The Cleveland squad, in fact, crushed the Philadelphia Eagles by the score of 35-10.
- September 17, 1950 – The San Francisco 49ers made their debut in the NFL. Formerly, they were in the All-American Football Conference.
- October 1, 1950 – A Cleveland Browns franchise record is set for the lowest total points in a game as the New York Giants defeated the Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium 6-0. This didn’t stop the Brownies, though, as they went on to later win the NFL Championship Title that season.
- October 2, 1950 – Chicago Cardinal, Bob Shaw, sets an NFL record with 5 touchdown catches from Redbird quarterback Jim Hardy, who had a total of 6 on the day. The Cards blasted the Baltimore Colts 55-13.
- October 8, 1950 – The first game ever of the Browns-Steelers rivalry took place. Cleveland won the game 30-17.
- October 28, 1950 – Nevada University’s Mackay Stadium – In a story from the NCAA.com website, Loyola had scored two early touchdowns against the winless University of Nevada team. Things did not get much better for the Wolf Pack, as their next offensive possession found them with a 4th-and-long from their own one-yard line. That is when the team’s bright spot stepped onto the field, punter Pat Brady. Being careful to keep his feet inside the end line, Brady took the long snap from center and then the southpaw booted a beauty! His punt sailed through the thin Nevada air, over the head of the surprised Loyola return man, past midfield until it struck the turf near the Loyola 25-yard line, then kept bouncing and rolling until it stopped about two feet from the goal line! The 4000 fans in attendance had just witnessed Nevada punter Pat Brady kicking an unbelievable NCAA record 99-yard punt! Unfortunately, the poor field position did not stop the Loyola offense, as they scored a few plays later for their 3rd touchdown in the first quarter, and the Wolf Pack subsequently lost to the Lions 34-7.
- November 12, 1950 – Polo Grounds, New York City – Giants running back Gene Roberts went off against the Chicago Cardinals’ defense as he ran for 218 yards, setting a New York Football Giants rushing record according to the Pro Football Reference website.
- November 25, 1950 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The 38th edition of the CFL Grey Cup was played per the amp. Blog-shops web page. This game is often called the “Mud Bowl” because of the sloppy field conditions that day. It was the Toronto Argonauts who won, claiming the franchise’s 9th title in a shutout victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 13-0.
- November 25, 1950 – While it was muddy up North in Canada, the weather was a tad more wintry in the US Midwest. The Snow Bowl version of “The Game” took place during the annual Wolverines-Buckeyes reunion.
- December 2, 1950 – Navy Upsets Army to end a long-lasting win streak.
- December 2, 1950 – The Alabama Crimson Tide dominated Auburn 34-0 in the 15th Iron Bowl at Legion Field in Birmingham.
- December 3, 1950 – The Cleveland Browns defeated the two-time champion Philadelphia Eagles 13-7 in what became the last NFL game in which a team did not throw a single pass.
- December 12, 1950 – Vic Janowicz, the fine halfback from the Ohio State Buckeyes, won the 16th Heisman Trophy.
- December 24, 1950 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – The 1950 NFL Championship Game is played as the Los Angeles Rams face the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland Browns defeated the LA Rams, 30-28. Cleveland’s defense provided five interceptions of the Rams offense, often regarded as one of the most prolific in league history to that point.