December 4 Football History

Step back in time to December 4, a date synonymous with football history and monumental firsts. This day saw the inaugural Grey Cup in 1909, the resurgence of the historic Iron Bowl rivalry in 1948, and a staggering four different Heisman Trophy winners crowned—including pioneers Felix “Doc” Blanchard (1945), Paul Hornung (1956), Ernie Davis (1961), and Herschel Walker (1982). Discover the SEC Championship upsets, record-breaking NFL runs, and the invention that made watching the game much more comfortable.

December 4th in Gridiron History Headlines

• December 4, 1909 – The University of Toronto Blues defeated the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club 26-6 at Rosedale Field in Toronto, securing the first-ever Grey Cup and completing an undefeated season.
• December 4, 1920 – The University of Toronto Blues claimed their fourth title at the 8th Grey Cup, beating their hometown rivals, the Toronto Argonauts, 16-3 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
• December 4, 1926 – The Ottawa Senators edged the University of Toronto Blues 10-7 to keep the trophy at the 14th Grey Cup.
• December 4, 1945 – The Downtown Athletic Club awarded Army Fullback Felix “Doc” Blanchard the prestigious Heisman Trophy. Blanchard became the first junior and the first player from West Point to win the Heisman, after leading Army to a second straight national title. The Black Knights finished Blanchard’s three seasons with an amazing 27-0-1 record and three national championships.
• December 4, 1948 – Alabama hosted Auburn in the 13th Iron Bowl game, the first meeting between the rivals since 1907. The Crimson Tide handed the Tigers a decisive 55-0 defeat at Birmingham’s Legion Field.
• December 4, 1949 – Playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bob Gage set an NFL record with a 97-yard touchdown run. Gage executed a fake punt from his own 3-yard line against the favored Chicago Bears and raced for the score.
• December 4, 1956 – Notre Dame back Paul Hornung won the 22nd Heisman Trophy Award, becoming the first recipient to play on a team with a losing record. Hornung accounted for over half of the Irish’s points that year, amassing 420 rushing yards and 917 passing yards.
• December 4, 1961 – The Washington Redskins selected Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis from Syracuse University with the first overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. Davis made history as both the first African-American Heisman winner and the first black player drafted with the NFL’s top pick.
• December 4, 1962 – Inventor F.H. Chute filed a patent for the folding stadium chair (US patent 3,066,980), using molded plastic attached to a folding metal frame to improve fan comfort on bleachers.
• December 4, 1982 – The Heisman Trophy went to the University of Georgia’s outstanding running back, Herschel Walker. In his three seasons with the Bulldogs, Walker accumulated 5,097 rushing yards, setting an NCAA 3-year record.
• December 4, 1993 – At the 2nd SEC Championship Game, No. 9 Florida defeated No. 16 Alabama, 28-13.
• December 4, 1999 – No. 7 Alabama exacted revenge for their 1993 loss by defeating No. 5 Florida, 34-7, in the SEC Championship Game.
• December 4, 2004 – No. 3 Auburn outlasted No. 15 Tennessee, 38-28, in the SEC Championship Game.
• December 4, 2010 – The No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners edged the No. 13 Nebraska Cornhuskers 23-20 in the Big 12 Championship Game.
• December 4, 2017 – The New York Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese after a 2–10 start, following the controversial mid-season benching of Eli Manning.

December 4 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

• December 4, 1901 – Adam Walsh, Notre Dame’s 1924 Captain and center, was born. Walsh anchored the line for the famous Four Horsemen during the Irish’s 1924 National Championship season and entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

• December 4, 1908 – Tommy Yarr, another great Fighting Irish center, was born. Yarr is remembered for his clutch performance against SMU in 1930, where he intercepted three passes in the fourth quarter. He entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

• December 4, 1942 – University of Tennessee linebacker Frank Emanuel arrived. Emanuel earned a consensus First Team All-America selection in 1965 and was the Miami Dolphins’ first draft choice in 1966. He entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

• December 4, 1984 – Former Wisconsin Badger and Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas celebrates his birthday. Thomas became Wisconsin’s first Outland Trophy winner in 2006, was the third overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and played all 11 seasons of his career with the Browns.

Conclusion:

From the frozen fields of Canada to the drafting of true legends, December 4 captures the breadth of gridiron history. Whether it was the first Black player to be drafted number one overall (Ernie Davis), the first junior to win the Heisman (Doc Blanchard), or the competitive drama of three separate SEC Championship games, this single date offers a unique look at the records, rivalries, and personalities that have shaped the sport over more than a century.