By Darin Step onto the gridiron time machine—January 2 holds a legendary place in football history. From the 1922 Rose Bowl’s only scoreless tie and pioneering Black quarterback Charles West to record-breaking NFL contracts and pivotal championship games, this date has delivered epic drama. Discover the day Bobby Grier broke the color barrier in the segregated South, the signing of Joe Namath’s landmark contract, and the birth of multiple Hall of Famers like Gino Marchetti and Darrin Nelson. Get ready for a deep dive into the iconic bowl games, milestone moments, and unforgettable trailblazers that defined January 2 in college and professional football.
January 2 Football History Timeline
- January 2, 1922 – Tournament Park, Pasadena, California – The 8th Rose Bowl featured a small college from Pennsylvania, Washington and Jefferson, against the University of California. The WashJeff.edu website shares a gripping tale about the game. The Golden Bears were the top team on the West Coast, while W&J was undefeated in 1921 and the best team on the East Coast. With only 450 students, W&J was the smallest school ever to participate in a Rose Bowl, and Cal was the 14-point favorite. The story of the Presidents’ journey to Pasadena adds to the legendary East-versus-West matchup. During W&J’s undefeated season, only 11 of the 17 young men on the roster played on game days. In this era before platooning and specialists, those 11 players stayed on the field for every snap. Greasy Neale, a great player and coach on both the gridiron and the baseball diamond, coached this western PA group. Greasy would later coach the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1940s. The 1921 football budget for Washington and Jefferson was exceptionally tight; they only had funds to send 11 players to the Rose Bowl. Rumor says the athletic administrator had to mortgage his home to attend. During the cross-country trip, C.L. Spillers, one of the starting 11, contracted pneumonia and was left in Kansas City, threatening W&J’s ability to field a full squad. Author E. Lee North’s narrative claims Bucky Buchanan, a reserve, had stowed away on the train and was given Spillers’ ticket when needed. The December 28, 1921, New York Tribune, however, says the team wired home for another reserve, Al Haddon. Buchanan’s presence in Pasadena team photos lends credence to the stowaway story. The Presidents made it to Pasadena and fielded eleven players for the final game at Tournament Park. W&J’s quarterback, Charles West, added another milestone as the first signal caller of African-American descent to play in the Rose Bowl. The defensive battle held Cal to 49 rushing yards and zero completions; W&J managed 114 rushing yards but could not score. The game ended in a 0-0 tie, the only scoreless Rose Bowl. Russ Stein, W&J’s captain, was named Most Outstanding Player and went on to play in the NFL, entering the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1991. For more on the background of this game and its legendary coaches you may want to get a copy of our book “When Greasy Met the Wonder Coach“
- January 2, 1928, it was a close one in the 14th Rose Bowl when the Stanford Cardinal outlasted the Pittsburgh Panthers by the score of 7-6.
- January 2, 1956 – Sugar Bowl – Pitt’s Bobby Grier was a racial trailblazer, becoming the first African American player to break the color barrier in the segregated Deep South.
- On January 2, 1956, the 22nd Orange Bowl featured a battle of highly ranked teams. During the game, the #1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners got past the #3 Maryland Terrapins 20-6.
- January 2, 1961 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California – In a slight upset, the #6 Washington Huskies knocked off the top-ranked team in the country, the Golden Gophers of Minnesota, 17-7.
- On January 2, 1965, the New York Jets signed future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath to a record contract in professional football. Although the amount may seem small today, at the time Namath and the Jets agreed to a $427,000 contract over three years, setting a new standard.
- January 2, 1966 – Lambeau Field, Green Bay – The Cleveland Browns made their way to Wisconsin to battle the Packers in the final National Football League Championship Game before the Super Bowls started. This 1965 NFL Championship game was the first League title game broadcast in color. The teams exchanged passing TDs in the first quarter, according to the boxscore on the Pro-Football-Reference website. The Browns could only muster two Lou Groza field goals the rest of the game, while the Pack added a Paul Hornung touchdown run and three Don Chandler 3-pointers to steal the title. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-12 in the last championship game of the pre-Super Bowl Era of Pro football.
- January 2, 1972 – Miami’s Orange Bowl – The 1971 AFC Championship game matched the Baltimore Colts against the Miami Dolphins, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. The Dolphins showed the League a little of what was to come as they beat the Baltimore Colts, 21-0, as Paul Warfield and Larry Csonka scored offensive TDs for the Fins while defender Dick Anderson added a 62-yard pick six for good measure.
- On January 2, 1982, in 85-degree heat (Fahrenheit), the San Diego Chargers defeated the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game, later known as “The Epic in Miami.” This game set numerous playoff scoring records.
- On January 2, 1983, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson completed 20 consecutive passes in a 35-27 win over the Houston Oilers. This game capped a season in which he won his second consecutive passing title with an NFL record 70.55% completion percentage.
- January 2, 1984 50th Orange Bowl: #5 Miami (FL) beats #1 Nebraska, 31-30
- January 2, 1987 16th Fiesta Bowl: #2 Penn State beats #1 Miami, 14-10
- On January 2, 1989, at the 18th Fiesta Bowl, #1 Notre Dame defeated #3 West Virginia, 34-21, to claim the national title.
- January 2, 2012, a fascinating and high-scoring Fiesta Bowl was witnessed. As two top 5 teams squared off, #3 Oklahoma State matched up against #4 Stanford, as covered by an ESPN.com article. Ok State signal caller Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards and 3 touchdowns, matching his stats against Cardinal Andrew Luck, who tossed for 2 TDs and 347 yards himself. The contest lived up to its billing as the Cowboys prevailed in overtime over the Cardinals 41-38.
January 2 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- Gino Marchetti
- Darrin Nelson
Conclusion
January 2 is far more than just a date on the calendar; it is a nexus of football history where underdogs, innovators, and legends collide. It encapsulates the spirit of the game—from the almost unbelievable 11-man roster that defined the 1922 Rose Bowl, to the dramatic “Epic in Miami” in 1982. Whether celebrating the racial breakthrough of Bobby Grier in the Sugar Bowl, the unprecedented professional contract signed by Joe Namath, or the collegiate feats of Hall of Famers like Darrin Nelson and Tony Blazine, January 2 consistently delivers momentous events that have shaped the evolution of football.
