By Darin Gridiron Greats: From Jim Brown’s Dominance to Neil Lomax’s Air Raid
Before the era of modern super-teams and high-tech training, football legends were forged in the trenches and on muddy fields with nothing but raw grit and unmatched athleticism. From Jim Brown’s unstoppable ground game in Cleveland to Neil Lomax’s record-shattering air raid at Portland State, February 17th marks the birth of four titans who fundamentally changed how the game is played. Whether it was “Swede” Oberlander revolutionizing the forward pass in the 1920s or Jackie Hunt setting a 31-year scoring record, these Hall of Famers built the foundation of the sport we love today. Dive into the incredible milestones and “unbreakable” records of these gridiron icons.
Football Hall of Fame Birthdays of February 17
- February 17, 1905 – Andy Oberlander, the fine Dartmouth halfback and tackle, celebrated his birth. Most of his close friends called the dashing youngster “Swede” because of his blonde hair. Andy played tackle for Dartmouth in 1923, halfback the next two years, and was All-America in 1925, per the Football Foundation’s bio on the great player. 1925 was a special season for Swede as he passed for 14 touchdowns and ran for 12. In the 62-13 win over rival Cornell University, Swede especially showed what he could do, as Oberlander had 477 yards of total offense. Andy ran 19 times for 160 yards and connected on 11 of his 14 passes for 317 yards and six touchdowns! And not to be overlooked, he also booted a 55-yard punt in the contest! Andy Oberlander was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 after the National Football Foundation tallied its votes.
- February 17, 1920 – Huntington, West Virginia – The explosive halfback from Marshall University, Jackie Hunt, was born. According to the NFF website, Hunt lettered in football as a Freshman and got even better from there. Jackie thrived in 1940 when his team switched to the single wing offense, scoring 21 touchdowns in the season’s final five games. His 27 scores for the year set an NCAA record that would last for 31 seasons. Jackie made the first of back-to-back Little All-America teams. Jackie Hunt received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
- February 17, 1936 – St Simons, Georgia – The all-time great running back Jim Brown was born. When you talk about a player who rewrote the record books, Jim Brown’s name has to be at the top of the list. The FootballFoundation.org website states that Brown had a season in 1956 when his rushing yards per game were 197, 162, 155, 154 & 151! He ended up with 986 yards for the season, ranking him third in the nation and giving him the nod for unanimous All-America status. But that wasn’t it for “First Down Brown’s” scoring, though, as he also kicked for Syracuse. This is made evident at the Colgate game in 1956 when Jim scored six touchdowns and kicked seven extra points. That was a total of 43 points in a 61-7 game. Jim Brown easily won on the ballot to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. The Cleveland Browns wasted no time at all to make Jim their first-round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, per the ProFootballHOF.com site. Brown played all nine of his years as a pro in Cleveland, amassing 12312 yards rushing and 15459 total accumulated yards. The powerful back scored 756 points in those nine years in the NFL and played in a Pro Bowl every season in the League, including being selected as the 1957 Rookie of the Year. Jim was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in three different seasons! In 1971, the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Jim Brown in its Canton, Ohio, Museum of Legends.
- February 17, 1959 – Portland, Oregon – Neil Lomax, the great quarterback from Portland State, was born. Neil threw for 106 touchdowns and 13,220 yards at Portland State from 1977 through 1980, and he left school with those as collegiate records per the NFF. In the 1980 game against Delaware State, Lomax threw seven touchdown passes in the first quarter, on the way to a 105-0 victory. The 1980 Portland State team won the national scoring championship with 541 points in 11 games as Neil tossed for 4094 yards in just 11 games! The National Football Foundation selected Neil Lomax for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Conclusion
The history of American football is a tapestry woven by individuals who refused to be limited by the standards of their time. Andy Oberlander and Jackie Hunt proved that small-school stars could capture national attention, while Jim Brown and Neil Lomax took their respective positions to heights previously thought impossible. Their collective legacies—spanning from the Ivy League to the NFL—remind us that true greatness is timeless. As we celebrate their birthdays, we honor the records they broke and the enduring spirit they brought to the game.
