The 1998 American football season was a defining year characterized by historic offensive performances, the farewell of a legendary quarterback, and a fundamental shift in how college football determined its national champion.
The NFL: A Storybook Ending and Offensive Juggernauts
The 1998 NFL season is largely remembered for the sheer dominance of a few powerhouse teams and the spectacular final ride of one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks.
- John Elway’s Farewell: The Denver Broncos defended their Super Bowl title in what would be Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway’s final season. The Broncos started 13–0 before finishing the regular season at 14–2.
- The 2,000-Yard Club: Denver’s success was heavily driven by running back Terrell Davis, who rushed for an astounding 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns, earning the NFL MVP award.
- The 15-1 Vikings: The Minnesota Vikings fielded one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history. Powered by veteran quarterback Randall Cunningham and rookie sensation Randy Moss (who caught an NFL rookie record 17 touchdown passes), the Vikings scored a then-record 556 points. Their historic run ended in a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.
- Super Bowl XXXIII: The Broncos defeated the “Dirty Birds” of the Atlanta Falcons 34–19 in Miami. Elway threw for 336 yards and won Super Bowl MVP honors in the final game of his career.
College Football: The Dawn of the BCS
For decades, college football’s national champion was determined by subjective polls, often leading to split titles. The 1998 season revolutionized the sport with the introduction of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a computer and poll-based system designed to match the #1 and #2 ranked teams in a definitive title game.
- Tennessee Volunteers: After losing their star quarterback Peyton Manning to the NFL draft the previous spring, the Volunteers—led by quarterback Tee Martin and wide receiver Peerless Price—surprised many by going a perfect 13–0. They defeated the Florida State Seminoles 23–16 in the Fiesta Bowl to become the first-ever BCS National Champions.
- Ricky Williams’ Record-Breaking Year: Texas Longhorns running back Ricky Williams captivated the nation, breaking Tony Dorsett’s 22-year-old NCAA Division I-A career rushing record. Williams rushed for 2,124 yards in 1998 and won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide.
1998 Gridiron Milestone Moments
Beyond the championships, 1998 featured several milestones and storylines that shaped the future of the sport:
- The Manning Era Begins: Peyton Manning was selected first overall in the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. While he experienced growing pains—setting a rookie record with 28 interceptions—he also threw for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns, flashing the brilliance that would define his legendary career.
- The Comeback Player: Quarterback Vinny Testaverde experienced a career renaissance with the New York Jets under head coach Bill Parcells, leading the team to a 12–4 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game.
- College Football Chaos: The Kansas State Wildcats and UCLA Bruins both entered the final week of the regular season undefeated and on track to play in the inaugural BCS National Championship. In one of the most chaotic days in the sport’s history, both suffered stunning upsets (to Texas A&M and Miami, respectively), clearing the path for Florida State to face Tennessee.
A Deep Dive into 1998 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1998 – The Rose Bowl Game pitted the Washington State Cougars against the Michigan Wolverines. UM won the tough battle 21-16, with Wolverine QB Brian Greise named the game MVP.
- January 8, 1998 – The General Manager of the New York Football Giants, George Young, resigned to accept a position with the League.
- January 11, 1998 – the AFC Championship Game featured Bill Cowher’s Steelers facing a Denver Broncos team led by wily veteran John Elway. Terrell Davis started the scoring with an 8-yard scamper, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pittsburgh countered with a TD by their big back, Jerome Bettis. The Steelers defense shut down Elway and company in the second half and made it interesting down the stretch, but could not overcome 3 Kordell Stewart interceptions, as the Denver Broncos went on to beat Pittsburgh 24-21 to advance to the big game. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199801110pit.htm
- January 11, 1998 – 3Com Park, San Francisco – The NFC Championship game was won by the Green Bay Packers, who outlasted the San Francisco 49ers, 23-10, to advance to the Super Bowl, per Onthisday.com.
- January 25, 1998 – Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego – Super Bowl XXXII was a matchup of two legendary gunslinger QBs as Green Bay’s Brett Favre took the field for the Packers, and the Broncos had their signal caller, John Elway, per a Washington Post article. Elway and company mounted a late drive in the fourth quarter. Running back Terrell Davis found paydirt with a one-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 45 seconds remaining and broke the 24-24 tie. The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers, 31-24, with Broncos running back Terrell Davis voted as the game’s MVP after rushing for 157 yards and three TDs against one of the NFL’s best defenses.
- February 12, 1998 – The Dallas Cowboys signed Chan Gailey as their 4th head coach. In an odd twist of fate, Gaily was released by Dallas after only two seasons. Chan’s Cowboys team won the NFC East in 1998 and made the playoffs during his two years at the helm, though they failed to win a single playoff game. Chan Gailey is the only Cowboys coach to have never missed the playoffs while with the franchise.
- Legendary Green Bay Packers linebacker Ray Nitschke passed away on March 8, 1998.
- March 23, 1998 – Cleveland Browns Reborn – NFL owners unanimously approved the return of the Browns to Cleveland as an expansion team, fulfilling the league’s promise to fans after the original franchise moved to Baltimore.
- April 4, 1998 – NFL Europe, the Former World League of American Football or WLAF, kicks off its season. 1998 was the first season the league was known as NFL Europe. In that important season, a guy who played for the Amsterdam franchise, Kurt Warner, set the overseas League on fire, throwing for over 2,100 yards. The League schedule would reach its peak at the 1998 World Bowl, played on June 14, 1998, when the Rhine Fire defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 34-10, according to FootballDB.com.
- April 18, 1998 – The 1998 NFL Draft was held to determine which quarterback the Indianapolis Colts would select first overall: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf. A wise decision was made that day that changed the fortunes of the Colts franchise.
- June 16, 1998 – The Denver Broncos visit the White House for a ceremony honoring them for their Super Bowl XXXII victory. (Source)
- September 26, 1998 – A new record was set! The Bethune-Cookman vs. Virginia State football game, which went to an unprecedented 8 overtime sessions to decide a winner, with Bethune-Cookman ultimately pulling it out 63-57.
- November 14, 1998 – Boulder, Colorado – In 1998, the CU Buffaloes went into the game against the Iowa State Cyclones with a 6-3 record, but had lost three out of the previous four games after a 5-0 start. The 5-0 record had earned Colorado a No. 14 ranking, but losses to No. 5 Kansas State, as well as unranked Kansas and Missouri, had dropped the Buffs out of the polls. Senior tailback Marlon Barnes rushed for a career-high 237 yards and two touchdowns as CU got back on track and rolled to a final score of Colorado 37, Iowa State 8. (source)
- November 14, 1998 – The Tennessee vs Arkansas “Hand of God Game” where the Razorbacks blew a late 18-point lead to let the Number-one-ranked Vols escape with victory.
- November 21, 1998 – Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama – This was the 63rd time that Alabama and Auburn met competitively on the gridiron. It would also be the last time that old Legion Field would host the spectacle, per the Alabama News Center website. Auburn jumped out to a 17-0 lead early, but its lead dwindled to 3 points by halftime. The Tide made some further adjustments in the locker room and, with strong defense and a couple of Shawn Alexander scores on the ground, Alabama defeated Auburn 31-17 in the game dubbed the Iron Bowl.
- November 22, 1998 – Winnipeg Stadium – The Grey Cup Championship for the CFL was played. It was a tight one as the Calgary Stampeders outlasted the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a 26-24 thriller. Quarterback Jeff Garcia won the MVP honors. Garcia would later earn a spot in the NFL and play in 4 Pro Bowls. (source)
- December 5, 1998 – It took two overtime sessions, but the ’98 Big 12 Championship belonged to #10 Texas A&M, as they got past #2 Kansas State, 36-33, after the smoke cleared.
- December 5, 1998 – Big win for the Miami Hurricanes ended title aspirations for UCLA.
- December 14, 1998, the Downtown Athletic Club presented its 64th Heisman Trophy to University of Texas running back Ricky Williams. As noted on the award’s website, Williams earned 43% of the votes cast, surpassing even Howard in percentage. Williams set 21 NCAA records, rushed for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns, and received the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards. He was also the only player to win the Doak Walker Award twice in college football history.