1997 American Football Season

The 1997 American football season was a landmark year filled with historic firsts, legendary performances, and dramatic conclusions across both the professional and collegiate levels. From a long-awaited Super Bowl victory for a future Hall of Fame quarterback to a rare split national championship and a groundbreaking Heisman Trophy win, the 1997 season remains one of the most memorable in gridiron history.

The NFL: Elway’s Elusive Ring and Super Bowl XXXII

In the National Football League, the 1997 season culminated in Super Bowl XXXII, which saw the AFC champion Denver Broncos face off against the defending champion Green Bay Packers.

• The Broncos’ Triumph: Led by quarterback John Elway and Super Bowl MVP running back Terrell Davis, the Broncos defeated the heavily favored Packers 31-24. The victory was monumental—it ended the NFC’s 13-game Super Bowl winning streak and finally secured Elway his first championship after three previous Super Bowl blowout losses.
• Co-MVPs: The regular season was highlighted by incredible individual offensive efforts, leading to a rare tie for the NFL Most Valuable Player award. Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre (winning his third consecutive MVP) shared the honor with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, who rushed for a staggering 2,053 yards.

College Football: A Split Title and a Historic Heisman

The 1997 collegiate season was defined by intense debates, dominant defenses, and a historic award winner.

• The Split Championship: The season ended with a split national championship, a quirk of the pre-BCS era. The undefeated Michigan Wolverines (12-0), boasting a suffocating defense, were crowned champions by the Associated Press (AP) poll after a Rose Bowl victory over Washington State. Meanwhile, the undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-0) claimed the top spot in the Coaches Poll following a dominant Orange Bowl victory over Tennessee, giving retiring head coach Tom Osborne a championship in his final game.
• Charles Woodson‘s Heisman: Michigan cornerback and return specialist Charles Woodson made history by winning the Heisman Trophy, edging out Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning. Woodson became the first (and remains the only) primarily defensive player to win college football’s most prestigious award.

Other Big Gridiron Moments of 1997

Beyond the championship games, 1997 featured several other significant milestones and transitions that shaped the future of the sport:

• The Tennessee Oilers: Following their departure from Houston, the Oilers relocated to Tennessee, playing the 1997 season as the “Tennessee Oilers.” They temporarily played their home games at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis while their permanent stadium in Nashville was under construction. They would later become the Tennessee Titans.
• Peyton Manning‘s Senior Year: Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Peyton Manning famously opted to return for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft. He led the Vols to an SEC Championship and threw for over 3,800 yards, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest college quarterbacks ever before becoming the number one overall pick in 1998.
• Warrick Dunn and Corey Dillon: The NFL saw an influx of young running back talent. Tampa Bay’s Warrick Dunn won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Cincinnati Bengals rookie Corey Dillon broke Jim Brown‘s single-game rookie rushing record by running for 246 yards against the Tennessee Oilers.

A Deep Dive into 1997 Football History and Highlights

• January 1, 1997 – At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Ohio State battled Arizona State to a 20-17 victory. Buckeye Quarterback Joe Germaine was the game MVP.
• January 12, 1997 – Foxborough Stadium – The AFC Championship game featured Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his New England Patriots, who outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-6, according to the Pro-Football-Reference website.  
• January 12, 1997 – the NFC Championship game hosted at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers took apart the Carolina Panthers, 30-13, according to the Onthisday.com website.
• January 15, 1997 – San Francisco head coach George Seifert announced his resignation after 8 highly successful NFL seasons with the 49ers. An archived LA Times report gives a great read on the situation.  Seifert was a San Fran native and served as the Niners’ defensive coordinator under Bill Walsh, and he was on staff for three Super Bowl wins as an assistant coach. When he took over for Walsh in 1989, he led the team to two more Super Bowl victories over the next 5 seasons. The reasons for the resignation were unclear, but George left as the franchise’s winningest coach with a 98-30 record. (source)
• January 26, 1997 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – At Super Bowl XXXI, the Green Bay Packers knocked around the New England Patriots, 35-21. Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe was intercepted 4 times and sacked 5 times, 3 times by legendary player Reggie White, as the Packers gave pressure all game long. The game’s MVP was kick returner Desmond Howard of Green Bay, who famously returned a 3rd quarter kick 99 yards to paydirt to solidify the Packers’ lead.
•  February 2, 1997 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell won MVP honors after leading the AFC to a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory over the NFC.
• February 11, 1997 – Bill Parcells became the head coach of the New York Jets. Parcells coached the Jets for three seasons before retiring in 1999. The Big Tuna brought success to the franchise, too, as his team was 9-7 in the first season, 12-4 in 1998, and finished 8-8 in 1999.
• March 25, 1997 – The “No-Chop” Rule: During the NFL Spring Meetings, owners passed a significant safety rule prohibiting “chop blocks” on defensive players already engaged with another blocker. This was a major step in the league’s evolution toward protecting defensive linemen.
• April 9, 1997– The NFL announced a $3 million loan to the CFL and discussions of a possible “World Classic Bowl”. The agreement was intended to reduce CFL hostilities regarding NFL games scheduled in Toronto as part of expansion plans. Toronto is the third-largest city in North America. The five-year partnership included the CFL granting the NFL permission to host annual preseason or regular-season games in Toronto or Vancouver during the agreement, per the Seattle Times.  
• April 19, 1997 – During the 1997 NFL Draft, the first pick was made by the St. Louis Rams, who selected Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace. That HOF pick was followed later in the Draft by T Walter Jones at number 6 to the Seahawks, other guys with a Gold Jacket, Tony Gonzalez at the thirteenth pick, and Jason Taylor. Join us for the full 1997 NFL Draft story.
• June 21, 1997 – The Frankfurt Galaxy and Barcelona Dragons clashed in World Bowl ’97 in front of over 31,000 fans, cementing NFL Europe’s role as a critical summer developmental playground for future NFL stars.
• June 26, 1997 – Hall of Fame receiver Don Hutson passed away. Playing for the Green Bay Packers from 1935 to 1945, he revolutionized the pass-catching position and retired with virtually all major NFL receiving records. [Source]
• July 17, 1997 – Art Monk retires from the NFL: The prolific wide receiver concludes a 16-season career highlighted by three Super Bowl titles and 888 career receptions.
• October 1, 1997 – Head Coach Tom Osborne of the Nebraska Cornhuskers notches his 250th NCAA victory in 301 games played in a 67-7 beatdown of rival Oklahoma.
• October 18, 1997- Liz Heaston became the first woman to score in a college-level football game as she kicked two extra points for NAIA’s Willamette University. The school’s wubearcats.com website recounts the event with a story that Heaston was a women’s soccer player for the University and that she was in one of Head Football Coach Dan Hawkins’ classes during the fall semester. Click here for the full story.
• October 25, 1997, 9th College Football Holy War: Notre Dame beats Boston College 52-20 in South Bend.
• November 1, 1997 – Legendary Nebraska Cornhuskers head football coach Tom Osborne recorded his 250th NCAA career victory in commanding fashion, as his team dominated Oklahoma with a 67-7 win.
• November 16, 1997 – Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada –   The 85th edition of the Grey Cup took place as the Toronto Argonauts were pitted against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Boatmen were the better team that day as they won the coveted Grey Cup by the score of 47-23. Argos Quarterback Doug Flutie captured the MVP honors after throwing for 350 yards. While still on live TV, after being named Grey Cup MVP, Flutie handed the keys to the Dodge Dakota pickup truck to Paul Masotti, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Canadian. When the announcer acknowledged his generosity, Flutie remarked, “I have one from last year.” Yes, Doug Flutie was the MVP of the 1996 84th Grey Cup Game, too!
• November 22, 1997 – Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama – It was a wild one in this long-time SEC matchup for the 62nd Iron Bowl. The Tigers were favorites to win the game, but Alabama sure didn’t make it easy, according to AL.com. The Crimson Tide shot out to a 17-6 lead in the game on the powerful running by Shawn Alexander. But the Tigers had a good back of their own in Fred Beasley, who pounded the ball in for a TD to close the gap. The Crimson Tide seemed to be in full control after Auburn punted with less than three minutes to play. Auburn burned its last timeout with 1:35 to play after three hard runs by Alexander. Alexander got a fourth carry on the ensuing play before it happened. It was third down with eight yards to go for a first down at the Bama 36. The Tide offense decided to run a screen pass. The play was a disaster as the Crimson Tides QB,  Freddie Kitchens, looked right with a pump and then spun to his left, throwing a high pass to Ed Scissum, who had to leap high in the air to catch the ball. It was a moment later that Montavius Houston hit Scissum’s legs like a truck, and the ball popped loose onto the ground, where teammate Quinton Reese fell on it at the Alabama 33-yard line. The Tigers methodically moved the ball down to the 22-yard line, then, on third down, after being iced by an Alabama timeout, kicker Jaret Holmes trotted onto the field and knocked through a 39-yarder to give the Auburn Tigers a come-from-behind 18-17 victory!  (source)
• November 22, 1997 – Another great rivalry in college football is when the Florida State Seminoles and the Florida Gators meet. 1997 was capped by a clever scheme that the Old Football Coach Steve Spurrier had for his cross-state rivals. Full story.

The Day Steve Spurrier’s QB Rotation Stunned No. 2 Florida State

• November 27, 1997 – The Silverdome, Detroit, Michigan – After falling behind 17-3, the Detroit Lions scored a Motor City Thanksgiving Day record 55 points against the Bears, according to the undefeated.com. The Lions really roared to life in the second half when they erupted for 38 points to help lead them to a 55-20 victory over their opponents from the Windy City. Lions’ Barry Sanders on the day rushed 19 times for 167 yards and 3 scores as he forgot about the turkey and feasted on the Bears’ defense on the national day of thanks!
• December 6, 1997 – #3 Tennessee edged out #11 Auburn 30-29 in the SEC Championship Game.
• December 13, 1997 – the 63rd Heisman Trophy marked the first time, according to Heisman.com, that a two-way player had won since college football instituted separate offensive and defensive teams. That player was Michigan’s cornerback, Charles Woodson.
• December 15, 1997 – the San Francisco 49ers franchise retired Joe Montana‘s #16 jersey, ensuring it would never be worn again.
• December 21, 1997 – Pontiac Silverdome, Michigan – The Detroit Lions’ legendary Running Back, Barry Sanders, is the third player to run for 2,000 yards in a single season.  Sanders had 23 rushing attempts for 184 yards and one score in the Lions’ 13-10 victory over the visiting New York Jets to help him reach the milestone, according to the Pro-Football-Reference website.
• December 31,  1997, Marv Levy retires as coach of the NFL Buffalo Bills after 12 seasons, including 4 consecutive losing Super Bowl appearances. Marv was 72 years old at the time.