By Darin Hayes October 8: When Football History Was Made on the Air and the Field
Today, we dive into a monumental date for football milestones: October 8th!
This day marks the birth of USC legend Cotton Warburton—the quarterback who traded his helmet for an Oscar after becoming a champion editor for Disney’s Mary Poppins. Beyond the birth of a legend, October 8th is a key date in American football history: it hosted the first-ever live radio broadcast of a game in 1921, ushered in the first-ever 200-yard rushing performance in the NFL by Cliff Battles in 1933, and saw some of the greatest college upsets, including No. 7 Alabama toppling No. 1 USC in 1977! Discover all the history made on this unforgettable day!
October 8 Football History Headlines
October 8, 1921 – The first college football game was aired on AM radio, featuring a matchup between West Virginia University and Pittsburgh University, broadcast on Pittsburgh radio station KDKA-AM.
On October 8, 1933, Cliff Battles of the Boston Redskins made history by becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for 200 yards in a single game. Against the New York Giants, Battles carried the ball 16 times for 215 yards and a touchdown. This pioneering performance set the benchmark for single-game dominance in the running attack.
October 8, 1946 – The infamous AAFC Miami Seahawks take flight… well sort of
On October 8, 1950, the rivalry had its very first meeting as the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers met on the gridiron. The Browns got the better of their new rivals on that day with a 30-17 victory to start the series.
October 8, 1962 – The famous SI was published with an Eagles legend, Tommy McDonald.
October 8, 1972 – Philadelphia Eagles great Harold Carmichael starts his torrid streak of 127 consecutive games with a reception. Despite the streak, the Eagles fell to the New Orleans Saints 21-3 at the Superdome.
October 8, 1977, the college football world was stunned when No. 7 Alabama traveled to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and defeated the No. 1 USC Trojans in a thriller.
On October 8, 1994, Boston College defeated Notre Dame in the 6th edition of the series between the two schools, known as the “Holy War,” 30-11 in Chestnut Hill.
October 8, 1995 – The great Dan Marino surpasses legendary signal caller Fran Tarkenton‘s NFL record of 3,686 career completions. Miami fell to the Indianapolis Colts in a heartbreaker, 24-27, in the game that day. Marino finished his career with 4,967 career completions.
October 8 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
There are some legends in the Pro and College Football Hall of Fames that we would like to remember on their October 8 birthdays.
- Cotton Warburton
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