By Darin From the gridiron innovators who revolutionized defensive schemes to iconic ball-hawks and rushing milestones, September 11th holds a legendary place in football history. This is the day the football world welcomes two first-ballot Hall of Fame birthdays: the stoic, fedora-wearing architect of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry, and the legendary ball-hawking safety Ed Reed. Throw in Franco Harris joining the NFL’s elite 11,000-yard rushing club, and you have a date that encapsulates the very best of football brilliance, strategy, and grit.
September 11 Blast from the past:
September 11 American Football History Timeline
- September 11, 1983 – Franco Harris becomes the third player in NFL history to rush for over 11,000 career yards. Harris is 118 yards in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 25-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Put him over the distinctive yardage mark.
September 11 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy Birthday to these legendary figures of the gridiron! Here is the list for September 11, ordered by their year of birth:
- Stan Keck [1897] A powerhouse tackle for Princeton, Keck was a two-time All-American whose dominant line play anchored the Tigers in the early 1920s. He was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959 and later transitioned into coaching, leading the Waynesburg University program from 1947 through 1950.
- Tom Landry [1924] Before becoming the iconic, fedora-wearing head coach who led the Dallas Cowboys for 29 seasons and won two Super Bowls, Landry was an All-Pro defensive back and punter for the New York Giants. As a coaching innovator, he popularized the 4-3 defense, created the middle linebacker position, and revived the shotgun offense, earning induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
- Ed Reed [1978] One of the most feared ball-hawks in football history, Reed was a dominant safety who won a national championship at Miami before becoming the centerpiece of the Baltimore Ravens’ defense for over a decade. The 2004 NFL Defensive Player of the Year racked up 64 career interceptions and is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Conclusion
September 11 serves as a masterclass in gridiron excellence across the sport’s different generations. From the hard-nosed line play of early pioneer Stan Keck to Franco Harris’s relentless ground attack, the day is rich with milestones. Yet, it is the legacies of Tom Landry and Ed Reed that truly echo through time—one redefining how defense was coached from the sidelines, and the other redefining how it was played on the field. Their contributions didn’t just win championships; they forever altered the DNA of modern football.