April 6

In this episode of the Football History Headlines,  we discuss HOF players on their birthdays from South Carolina, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Alabama as well as many more HOF Legendary stories.

We're diving into the archives to revisit the headlines that rocked the NFL landscape. From legendary draft-day decisions that changed franchises to record-breaking performances that left fans in awe, get ready to relive the electrifying moments that shaped the game we love. So, lace up your cleats and join us as we explore the captivating stories from the gridiron's rich past!

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by photographer Caril M. Highsmith circa 2010 and is titled "Aerial view of the University of Alabama football stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama ."

April 6, 1901 - Meridian, Mississippi - The awesome Alabama halfback/quarterback from 1922 through the 1925 season, Pooley Hubert was born.  Alabama Coach Wallace Wade commented that Pooley was, "undoubtedly one of the greatest football players of all time!" Pooley Hubert received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964.

April 6, 1934 - Muskegon, Oklahoma - Aurealius Thomas the two-way star guard/linebacker of the Ohio State University arrived into this life. Thomas was not the largest interior lineman on the team weighing in at a smidge over 200 pounds also making him undersized for his play in the middle of the defense of the Buckeyes. But Aurealius great lateral footspeed as well as his excellent technique proved to outmatch nearly all of the opponents he faced on both sides of the ball therefore just after the 1957 season he was named as an All-American guard. His bio on the NFF website states that in his senior season of 1957, he averaged 52 minutes a game in playing time. He was always able to out- manoeuvre opponents who were bigger with those gifts of mobility and leverage. The National Football Foundation selected Aurealius Thomas for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Soon after he graduated, Thomas joined Coach Woody Hayes’ staff and coached an assistant on the Woody Hayes staff at Ohio State. Then Aurealius moved on to coach East High School in Columbus for six seasons. His last team at East, in 1964, had a 9-0 record.

April 6, 1944 - Notre Dame’s quarterback of the 1962 to 1964 era, John Huarte celebrated his date of birth. Huarte has an amazing collegiate story. His sophomore season was somewhat of an unmemorable injury plagued year for the signal caller therefore he was used sparingly the next season in 1963. Then in 1964 his football fortunes changed according to the Football Foundation. Irish first-year head coach Ara Parseghian named Huarte the starting quarterback going into that 1964 season. Parseghian’s trust in Huarte paid huge dividends, as Huarte broke virtually every Notre Dame single-season passing record, won the Heisman Trophy and led the Irish to a 9-1 record. John Huarte’s collegiate football accomplishments and records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2005. John ended up becoming a 2nd round pick by the AFL’s New York Jets in 1965. Huarte stayed in the Pros as a backup quarterback with Boston, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Kansas City and Chicago from 1965-72.

April 6, 1965 - Chicago, Illinois - Sterling Sharpe the powerful wideout from the University of South Carolina from 1983 to 1987 was born. As a matter of fact he is most likely the best receiver to ever come out of the Gamecock program. The NFF states that Sharpe was a First-Team All-America selection in 1987 and set a variety of USC records. Sterling’s 74 single-season receptions,  169 career catches, 1106 receiving yards in one year and career receiving yards of 2,497 will be a tall task to ever unseat. The high water marks Sterling accomplished where he caught at least one reception in a record 34 consecutive games as well as tallying 10 games of 100-plus yards receiving show the legendary status of how good he truly was at South Carolina! The individual plays this man made are stories all to themselves like the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Duke in 1985 and the many crucial catches he made. Sterling Sharpe was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes. The Green Bay Packers used the seventh overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft to have Sharpe join their franchise. In just 7 NFL seasons with the Pack Sterling was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro! Sharpe led the NFL in receptions three times in the seasons 1989 and 1992-1993 as well as in receiving touchdowns both in 1992 and 1994 according to NFL.com. In just Hall of Famer Brett Favre's first season with the Packers in 1992, Sharpe led the NFL in receptions with 108, 1461 receiving yards and 13 passes caught for touchdowns. We might just see his name added to a museum exhibit in Canton, Ohio someday to join his brother Shannon.