What do College Football All-Star Games, sudden-death overtime, and a Fighting Irish Maxwell Award winner all have in common? Their connection to August 28, of course. From historic 100,000-fan spectacles at Soldier Field to the birth of sudden-death overtime, August 28 holds a crucial place in gridiron history. Long before modern playoff thrillers, the 1955 Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants tested the NFL’s very first preseason sudden-death period, while the Chicago Bears demonstrated mid-century professional dominance before massive wartime crowds in the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game. Coupled with the birthdays of championship defensive stalwarts Jim Lynch and Ken Clarke, this date showcases the rules, rivalries, and rugged pioneers that paved the way for modern football.
August 28 American Football History Timeline
- August 28, 1941 – The eighth Chicago Charities College Football All-Stars game. As the defending NFL champion at the time, the Chicago Bears defeated the All-Star team 37 to 1 before a crowd of over 98,000 at Soldier Field. The All-Star game MVP was none other than the University of Minnesota’s running back, George Frank.
- August 28, 1942 – Chicago, Illinois – The city hosts the ninth annual Chicago Charities College Football All-Stars game, with the NFL champion Chicago Bears facing the college stars again. Over 101,000 paid attendees watched the Bears blank the collegians 21-0. The game’s most valuable player, a college All-Star, was Bruce Smith, the halfback from the University of Minnesota.
- August 28, 1955 – The first NFL preseason sudden-death overtime was played when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the New York Giants 23 to 17. Tank Younger and others starred in the overtime thriller. The LA Rams offense at the time was a powerhouse, spearheaded by their talented quarterback Norm Van Brocklin. They did not showcase the usual aerial onslaught they put on most defenses, though, as the running game reigned supreme in the Rams huddle that day. Rookie Ron Waller returned a punt 43 yards to Pater, and another Rams rookie, Corky Tharp, had some big gains himself. Before the contest, it was agreed that if the game ended in a tie, it would be played under the new sudden-death overtime rules. Tied it was, as the Giants’ Alex Webster roughhoused the ball over the line from three yards to finish an 80-yard G-man drive. Ed Price ran hard on fourth down early to score, and another field goal by the Giants completed the scoring. With the game tied at 17, the Rams’ Tank Younger capped off a 76-yard drive early in overtime by plunging into the end zone from one yard out, per a news report in the Long Beach Independent on 8/29/1955 via Newspapers.com.
August 28 Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy birthday to these amazing football legends:
- Jim Lynch [1945] – A unanimous All-American and the 1966 Maxwell Award winner, Lynch captained Notre Dame’s legendary 1966 national championship squad before embarking on an 11-year pro career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, he anchored the Chiefs’ formidable linebacking corps alongside Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell to help capture the Super Bowl IV title.
- Ken Clarke [1956] – An imposing trench defender out of Syracuse University, Clarke anchored defensive lines as a durable nose tackle and defensive tackle across 14 NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings. Over the course of his extensive pro career, he tallied 43.5 official sacks and played in nearly 200 games as an immovable run-stuffer and interior pass rusher.
Conclusion
August 28 bridges the gap between football’s classic era and its rulebook innovations. Whether looking back at Tank Younger plunging across the goal line to settle the NFL’s first sudden-death experiment, the colossal crowds packing Soldier Field for the College All-Star Game, or the defensive mastery of Jim Lynch and Ken Clarke, this date reflects a game in constant evolution. Celebrating these milestones honors the players and innovations that turned exhibition football into high-stakes, unforgettable drama.
