By Darin 
November 18 is more than just another date on the calendar—it’s a landmark day that cuts across the entire spectrum of football history. From groundbreaking gear innovations to the birth of legendary athletes, this date has truly seen it all. Did you know the very first football shoulder pads were introduced by Rawlings on this day, way back in 1902?
Fast-forward through the decades, and November 18 gave us iconic moments like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish securing their monumental 500th victory in 1967 and the New York Giants charging toward a Super Bowl with a 10-0 start. Crucially, this date marks the birth of gridiron giants like the “Assassin” Jack Tatum, College Football Hall of Famer Raghib “The Rocket” Ismail, and the pioneering quarterback Warren Moon, who conquered both the CFL and the NFL. Tragically, it was also the day Joe Theismann’s Hall of Fame-caliber career came to a sudden, painful end in 1985. Dive into the archives with us to explore the most significant, record-breaking, and memorable moments in football’s past, all linked by November 18.
November 18 Football History Headlines
November 18, 1902 – Rawlings is credited with introducing the first football shoulder pads when they introduced Whitley’s Armor Clothing. William P Whitley, an executive at Rawlings, filed for US Patent 714079. He did this on behalf of the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company. The product was made of felt and fiber, and though it offered poor protection compared to the pads of our era, it was a significant upgrade over what they had at the time.
November 18, 1905 – Birmingham, Alabama – The 10th Iron Bowl is played, and Alabama shuts out rival Auburn 30-0 in a game played a year before the forward pass became legal in college football.
November 18, 1961 – Texas Christian and the Texas Longhorns played a memorable contest, known as the “Cockroach Game.”
November 18, 1967 – The Fighting Irish hit a milestone in the school’s legendary football history. Notre Dame notches up victory number 500 for the program as the Irish run over Georgia Tech by the score of 36-3.
November 18, 1967 – On the West Coast, the National Title was being decided as rivals Southern Cal and UCLA squared off in a BIG one.
November 18, 1978 – Grant Field, Atlanta, Georgia – Running back Vegas Ferguson sets a Fighting Irish record as he puts up 255 yards on the ground against Georgia Tech in a 38-21 victory for the Golden Domers. Ferguson, according to an archived story on nd.edu, set the tone for the day as he took a handoff through the right side of the line on the game’s second play, 68 yards to the Tech 6-yard line.
November 18, 1984 – Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton – The 72nd Grey Cup was played. This CFL championship game was special because it was the first-ever Grey Cup game played in Edmonton, according to the bluebombers.com website. The game also marked the first time in nearly two decades that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had made it to the title game of the CFL. Their opponent was a very gritty Hamilton Tiger-Cats squad led by former Bomber quarterback Dieter Brock, who had just been traded to the Ticats a year earlier. The Cats struck first with Brock sneaking the ball into the endzone for the early lead. At one point early in the second quarter, their lead had extended to 17-3, but that Hamilton momentum was short-lived. Winnipeg would pop off 27 points in the second quarter, setting a Grey Cup record, and rattle off the final 44 points of the game. What at first seemed to be all Hamilton quickly turned into a Bombers blowout with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 47-17. Quarterback Tom Clements, the very player Brock was traded for, was named the offensive MVP; running back Sean Kehoe was the top Canadian, while the top defender was Tyrone Jones, who set a Grey Cup record with four quarterback sacks.
November 18, 1985 – Joe Theismann’s NFL career ended with what may have been one of the most vivid injuries witnessed in a nationally televised game, as you could see the bone in his leg break during a sack by legendary NY Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor on November 18, 1985
November 18, 1990 – The New York Giants run their record to 10-0 as the G-men drop the Detroit Lions in a shutout, 20-0, per pro-football-reference.com. The following two weeks of the season would give the Giants back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, leaving the team at 13-3 and another late-season loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Giants would get their revenge on the Bills, though, in Super Bowl XXV, as after a Scott Norwood game-ending field goal attempt sailed wide right, the Giants would win the title game by the score of 20-19, with running back Ottis Anderson winning the game’s MVP. (source)
November 18, 2006, Mansfield University turned out the lights as it ended its football program, more than 100 years after introducing nighttime football to the world. The Washington Post article from November 18, 2006, tells how the Division II team finished 0-10 in its final season and cut its football program, yet left a unique legacy. Mansfield hosted the first outdoor night football game on September 28, 1892. Then called Mansfield State Normal School, it played a scoreless tie against Wyoming Seminary in Mansfield, Pa. Happily, the college added football once again in 2007 in the Collegiate Sprint Football League, where players must weigh in at 178 pounds or less to compete.
November 18, 2006 – One of the games dubbed “Game of the Century” occurred as Michigan and Ohio State squared off in a doozy.
November 18, 2011 – Oklahoma State had its title aspirations dashed by a pesky Iowa State in one of College Football’s greatest games ever.
November 18 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- Paul Wiggin
- Jack Tatum
- Warren Moon
- Raghib Ismail
Conclusion
From the introduction of the first rudimentary shoulder pads in 1902 to the birth of future Hall of Famers like Warren Moon and Raghib Ismail, November 18 clearly holds a unique and powerful place in football history. It’s a day that encapsulates the full spectrum of the sport: innovation, legendary victories (like the Giants moving to 10-0 or the Blue Bombers’ record-setting Grey Cup rally), and heartbreaking career-ending moments like Joe Theismann’s injury. Whether it’s college milestones, CFL championships, or NFL dominance, November 18 provides a fascinating snapshot of the gridiron’s rich and complicated past. We’ve seen records set, programs shuttered (and reborn, like Mansfield’s), and the game itself evolve—all tied to this one day.