By Darin 🏈 Championship Sunday and Hall of Fame Roots
January 22 is a monumental date on the football calendar. It is the backdrop for dramatic comebacks and dynasty-defining moments in NFL history. Consider Joe Montana’s legendary 92-yard “The Drive” to win Super Bowl XXIII. Or the arrival of the 1953 draft class that produced a staggering number of Hall of Famers. This date is a goldmine for gridiron lore. From the birth of “The Jet” Joe Perry to tactical shifts by coaches like Bum Phillips and Bill Walsh, January 22 captures the essence of football’s past, present, and future.
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January 22 Football History Timeline
- January 22, 1953 – During the 1953 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers chose End Harry Babcock from the University of Georgia. According to pro-football-reference.com, Hall of Fame players entered the League through this draft. Cleveland picked Doug Atkins, the defensive end, at number 11. Arizona State’s fullback, John Henry Johnson, went to Pittsburgh with the 18th overall pick. The 49ers struck gold with Bob St. Clair in the second round. The Bears had a late steal in the fifth round, grabbing Guard Stan Jones. The Packers chose Center Jim Ringo in the seventh round. Rounding out the future HOFs from the 1953 Draft were Joe Schmidt, linebacker of the Lions, and the Giants’ pick, Tackle Rosey Brown. Another Hall of Famer, Chuck Noll, made it as a coach. The Browns drafted him in the 20th round.
- January 22, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – At the 17th annual NFL Pro Bowl, the American Football Database recounts how Blanton Collier, coach of the Eastern Conference’s Cleveland Browns, used the West’s domination as a rallying cry. Vince Lombardi coached the Western team. Football then seemed tilted toward the West Coast at all levels. Western teams had won the NFL championship, the Playoff Bowl, college football’s East-West game, and the Rose Bowl. Collier’s speech apparently worked. The East’s stars doubled up the West, 20-10. Offensive MVP was Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears. On defense, the Eagles’ Floyd Peters won the honor from his tackle position.
- On January 22, 1981, O. Andrew “Bum” Phillips became head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Coach Phillips had 6 pretty successful years with the Houston Oilers. However, he could never win the big game against the division rival, the powerful Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970’s. In Houston, Bum had a 55-35 record according to Pro Football Reference. In his 5 seasons with the Saints, his teams went 27-42.
- January 22, 1983 – The Washington Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys 31-17 in the NFC Championship to reach Super Bowl XVII.
- January 22, 1984 – Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida – The Los Angeles Raiders battled the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. A Raiders.com article covers the game. The Raiders featured star players like Lyle Alzado, Marcus Allen, and quarterback Jim Plunkett. Allen had one of the greatest Super Bowl runs ever. He took a Plunkett handoff on a play designed to go left, but Washington plugged all the rushing lanes. Marcus cut back instantly and reversed field. He found a hole in the middle and dashed 74 yards for a touchdown. The linked article includes a great video of the play. The LA Raiders beat Washington, 38-9. The game’s MVP was Marcus Allen, the running back of Los Angeles.
- January 22, 1989, Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami – Super Bowl XXIII, according to 49erswebzone.com, featured Bill Walsh’s San Francisco 49ers against the Cincinnati Bengals and their Head Coach, Sam Wyche. Joe Montana huddled the 49ers near their own 8-yard line with just over 3 minutes left in the game and down by 3. The Niners had barely moved the ball all game. Still, they traveled 92 yards, and with just 34 seconds left, Montana found Mike Cofer in the end zone for the go-ahead score. The Defense did the rest as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16. The game’s MVP was Jerry Rice, catching 11 balls for 215 yards and a score. After winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Bill Walsh retired.
- January 22, 2006 – The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Denver Broncos 34-17 in the AFC Championship; Ben Roethlisberger threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
- January 22, 2006 – The Seattle Seahawks rushed past the Carolina Panthers 34-14 in the NFC Championship, with Shawn Alexander running for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
- January 22, 2012 – The New England Patriots edged the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the AFC Championship, sealed by Tom Brady‘s fourth-quarter TD sneak.
- January 22, 2012 – The New York Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in overtime in the NFC Championship, clinched by Lawrence Tynes‘ 31-yard field goal.
- January 22, 2017 – The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers 44-21 in the NFC Championship to reach the Super Bowl.
- On the same day in Foxborough, the New England Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 to win the AFC title.
January 22 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- “FOOTBALL IS MY LIFE. I’VE GIVEN IT EVERYTHING I’VE HAD, AND I’LL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS LONG AS I CAN DO THE JOB.”
~JOE PERRY
Conclusion: A Legacy of Greatness
From the strategic mastery of Bill Walsh to the raw, instinctive speed of Joe “The Jet” Perry, January 22 is a recurring milestone in football excellence. It is a day that reminds us how a single draft pick, a coaching hire, or a 92-yard drive can alter the course of sports history. As we look back on these legends, their stories continue to inspire every generation that steps onto the field.
