1937 American Football Season

The 1937 American football season stood as a definitive milestone in the sport’s history. It marked the year professional football modernized its identity through passing, while college football solidified its structure under the newly minted Associated Press (AP) polling system.

1937 College Football: Pitt Dominates the Polls

The 1937 college football season was the second year of the AP poll, which brought a more structured consensus to crowning a national champion.

• The Consensus Champion: The Pittsburgh Panthers (9–0–1), coached by Jock Sutherland, were named the national champions, capturing 30 of the 33 first-place votes in the final AP poll. Led by All-American halfback Marshall Goldberg, Pitt’s only blemish was a hard-fought 0–0 tie against a stellar Fordham team.
• The Rose Bowl Paradox: Despite being the nation’s top team, Pitt declined an invitation to the Rose Bowl due to internal player disputes regarding bowl game payout allocations. Instead, the undefeated California Golden Bears (10–0–1) went to Pasadena and defeated Alabama 13–0, earning themselves a share of the national title from retroactive and alternative mathematical selectors.
• The Heisman Trophy: Yale halfback Clint Frank won the third-ever Heisman Trophy, edged out by his stellar dual-threat capabilities on the field.

1937 Professional Football: The Move and the Slingin’ Rookie

The National Football League underwent massive transformations in 1937, defined by a franchise relocation and the arrival of a revolutionary talent.

• The Boston Move: Looking for a more profitable market, owner George Preston Marshall relocated his Boston Redskins to the nation’s capital, debuting the Washington Redskins.
• The Sammy Baugh Revolution: Washington drafted rookie quarterback “Slingin'” Sammy Baugh out of TCU. Baugh completely revolutionized the professional game by turning the forward pass from a desperation play into a primary offensive weapon. He led the NFL in passing yards (1,127) and completions (81) in his debut season.
• The NFL Championship Game: On a frozen, muddy field at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Sammy Baugh threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns to lead Washington to a 28–21 victory over the Chicago Bears, securing the 1937 NFL Championship in the franchise’s first year in D.C.
• The First MVP Recognition: The league began recognizing its first official MVP-style accolades, with Detroit Lions star Dutch Clark receiving the Gruen Trophy, laying the groundwork for the modern NFL MVP award.

A Deep Dive into 1937 Football History and Highlights

• January 1, 1937 – The 23rd Rose Bowl Game was played as the Pitt Panthers blanked the Washington Huskies 21-0.
• February 12, 1937 – Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. The Los Angeles Rams franchise is officially approved to join the NFL
• On February 13, 1937, the Boston Redskins received NFL approval to move to Washington, D.C., to share baseball’s Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball’s American League. 
• October 16, 1937 – The game between the No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers and the No. 3 Fordham Rams at the Polo Grounds was a clash of titans that proved pivotal in the national championship picture. The highly anticipated game ended in a 0-0 scoreless tie—the third consecutive 0-0 deadlock between the two powerhouses.
• November 13, 1937 – The undefeated, eventual national champion No. 1 Pitt Panthers narrowly escaped an upset bid from No. 11 Nebraska, winning 13-7 after the Cornhuskers held a 7-0 lead deep into the fourth quarter; the significant event was Nebraska’s 60-yard punt return touchdown on a reverse by Jack Dodd, which gave the underdog Huskers their late lead before Pitt rallied with two final-period scores.
• November 30, 1937 – The 3rd time the Heisman Trophy was awarded, it went to Clint Frank, the halfback from Yale University.
• December 11, 1937 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The CFL Grey Cup took place, and at the end of the contest, it was the Toronto Argonauts who won their 4th Championship as they edged out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 4-3, in an era of football where the scoring was much different from what it is today. The whole game recap is available on CFL.ca.
• December 12, 1937 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – The NFL Championship was played in poor, muddy conditions at 24 degrees F. Quarterback Sammy Baugh led a late comeback for the Washington Redskins, who defeated the Chicago Bears, 28-21.
• December 12, 1937, in the 1938 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Rams chose Corbett Davis from the University of Indiana with the first pick.