By Darin The 1935 American football season was a landmark year that bridged the sport’s gritty early eras with modern traditions. It was a season defined by the coronation of a historic Midwest college dynasty, the crowning of a new professional champion, and the birth of college football’s most prestigious individual award.
1935 College Football: The Gophers Rule and the First “Heisman”
College football continued to hold the largest share of national sports attention, featuring historic milestones on and off the field.
- The Minnesota Dynasty: Under head coach Bernie Bierman, the undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers (8–0) dominated the competition, outscoring opponents 194 to 36. They were named the consensus national champions, securing the middle title of their legendary three-peat (1934, 1935, and 1936).
- The Inaugural Downtown Athletic Club Trophy: History was made at the end of the season when University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger was awarded the very first Downtown Athletic Club Trophy. The following year, after the passing of the club’s athletic director, the award was permanently renamed the Heisman Memorial Trophy.
- The Game of the Century: On November 2, 1935, Ohio State and Notre Dame met for the first time ever. In front of a massive crowd in Columbus, Notre Dame pulled off a stunning, 18–14 comeback victory in the final minutes, a contest heavily covered by national radio and widely considered one of the greatest games ever played.
1935 NFL Season: Detroit Becomes the “City of Champions”
The National Football League, consisting of nine teams split into two divisions, saw a shift in power away from the traditional giant in New York.
- The Detroit Lions Rise: Led by head coach Potsy Clark and star halfback Dutch Clark, the Detroit Lions captured the Western Division with a 7–3–2 record.
- The 1935 NFL Championship Game: On December 15, 1935, the Lions hosted the defending champion New York Giants at the University of Detroit Stadium. Despite sloppy, muddy conditions, the Lions dominant rushing attack carried them to a 26–7 victory, securing the franchise’s first-ever NFL league title.
- A Historic Year for Detroit Sports: The Lions’ victory capped off an unprecedented run for the city of Detroit during the Great Depression. With the Tigers winning the 1935 World Series, the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup, and the Lions winning the NFL title all within the same 12-month span, Detroit was officially dubbed the “City of Champions.”
- Rookie Impact: The 1935 season also marked the NFL debut of legendary Green Bay Packers end Don Hutson, who would go on to revolutionize the wide receiver position.
A Deep Dive into 1935 Football History and Highlights
- January 1, 1935 – The 1st Sugar Bowl was played: Tulane beats Temple, 20-14
- January 1, 1935 – The 1st Orange Bowl was played: Bucknell beats Miami (FL), 26-0
- January 1, 1935 – Alabama defeated Stanford in the 21st Rose Bowl 29-13.
- October 5, 1935 – According to princetontigersfootball.com/history-of-the-program/, Princeton head coach Herbert O. “Fritz” Crisler introduced a black leather helmet with three stripes along its length and triangular “wings” to his team, meant to represent the folded-back ears of a tiger. The bold color combinations and distinctive design helped quarterbacks identify receivers downfield more easily. Crisler would later take this design with him to the University of Michigan after leading the Tigers to two of their record 28 National Championships.
- November 3, 1935 – Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts – Philadelphia Eagles beat Boston Redskins, 7-6. Considering the era of football and the score, it doesn’t sound like the ball was in the air much during the contest, yet the respective quarterbacks combined to throw an NFL record 11 interceptions.
- November 9, 1935 – The Pittsburgh Panthers defeated the Army Cadets 29-6. The game was played at Pitt Stadium in Pittsburgh. This was one of only two losses for the 1935 Army team, which finished with a 6-2-1 record.
- November 30, 1935 – An exciting game between Southern Methodist and Texas Christian played out during Rivalry Week. Check out this story.
- December 9, 1935 – The first Heisman Trophy Award was presented, but it was then called the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy. The Heisman Trophy label was introduced in 1936, according to Heisman.com. Anyway, Jay Berwanger, a halfback from the University of Chicago, won the Trophy for being college football’s top player in 1935.
- December 15, 1935 – At University of Detroit Stadium, the National Football League Championship game pitted the New York Giants against the Lions of Detroit. This was the third time that the League had a final game pitting the top two teams from each division to determine the title. The Lions jumped out to an early two-touchdown lead and never looked back as their defense frustrated the G-Men most of the game, according to the American Football Database. Four different Detroit Lions ran the ball across the goal line as the Football Men of the Motor City beat the New York Giants, 26-7, to win the Lions’ first championship title.