By Darin From the exact moment professional football was born to some of the most unbreakable records ever set on the gridiron, September 3 is a foundational date in football history. Imagine a time when ten dollars was enough to convince a teenager to become the sport’s very first openly paid professional player. Or a game where an entire defense didn’t surrender a single first down over sixty minutes of professional action. Whether you are a fan of old-school history, college football dynasties, or the early days of modern NFL expansion, this date delivers a powerhouse lineup of historic gridiron milestones.
September 3 American Football History Timeline
- September 3, 1895 – The very first openly paid player in football. Yes, that was John Brallier, who was paid ten dollars plus expenses to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association. So it comes to say that the Latrobe starting quarterback, who was Eddie Blair, had a prior commitment, actually a baseball game he had to play on a day of a scheduled game against the Nets Athletic Association, which was a big rival in the area.
So the club approached a 17-year-old Braillier who was up from around Indiana, Pennsylvania, and he was about to start school at Washington and Jefferson College, and he was about to come play quarterback for him because he was a pretty good quarterback in high school. Well, Braillier was a little bit reluctant at first as he didn’t want to get injured before starting a promising college career. So Latrobe made it worth his while.
And that ten bucks went a long way. The Latrobe team won 12-0 over the rival Jeanette Association, and Braillier went on to have a great season at W&J. Well, he also played a few more games for Latrobe that season between games for his college.
And the next season, after fielding offers from multiple colleges and clubs to play ball, John Brallier settled on playing for West Virginia University. After only a few games with the Mountaineers, he left the team due to what he described as the school’s failure to take care of players and financial difficulties. And he returned to the Latrobe Athletic Association to coach and play quarterback for the club.
- September 3, 1966 – The Houston Oilers open up their season with some strong defense as they hold the Denver Broncos to zero. Yes, zero with a “Z” first downs at Rice Stadium in a 45 to 7 victory. Now, just let’s stop and think about that for a second.
You play an entire professional football game. I believe it was 60 minutes back then. And the professionals, some of the best players out of college, best players in the world at the game, and they hold them to zero first downs. That’s an amazing feat. It might not ever be repeated in professional football.
- September 3, 1994 – The University of Florida quarterback Terry Dean throws a record seven touchdowns in the first half against New Mexico State in a lopsided 70-21 Gator win. Lopsided, you think? Seven touchdowns in one half? Amazing. That same year, that same day, 1994, the University of Miami Hurricanes set an NCA record for the most consecutive home wins at 58, knocking off Georgia Southern 56 to nothing.
Alabama held the previous record of 57 home wins from 1962 to 1982 under the legendary Bear Bryant. But the Canes come on strong in the late 80s and early 90s, setting a record.
- September 3, 1995 – The NFL has two brand-new expansion teams debuting in their first games. And the first one, they roll out the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the Jaguars battled the Houston Oilers 10-3 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
- September 3, 1995 – The debut of the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers make it an exciting game in their first game as they lose in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 at the Georgia Dome.
September 3 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy Birthday to these defensive stalwarts! Here is your list for September 3, ordered by their year of birth:
- Tom Scott [1930] A versatile two-way star at Virginia, Scott earned All-America honors as both an offensive end and a defensive end/linebacker before his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. He translated his collegiate success into a twelve-year professional career, playing for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants.
- Benny Blades [1906] A fierce and physical safety for the University of Miami, Blades anchored the Hurricanes’ secondary during their rise to national dominance in the 1980s, earning a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. He still shares Miami’s single-season interception record with Sean Taylor and went on to play a decade in the NFL, primarily with the Detroit Lions.
Conclusion
September 3 stands as a masterclass in the sheer variety of football history. We see the game evolve from John Brallier’s ten-dollar paycheck in 1895 to the grand, multi-million-dollar stage of the NFL’s 1995 expansion era with the Jaguars and Panthers. Along the way, the date treated fans to legendary collegiate dominance from the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators, alongside the suffocating defensive mastery of the 1966 Houston Oilers. These historic milestones and Hall of Fame birthdays remind us that every autumn weekend is built on over a century of incredible athletic achievements.