August 8

In this edition, we talk of the last meeting of the CFL and the NFL on the gridiron field, the Injury to the man who asked if you were ready for some football, Barry Sanders, John Elway, and others arriving in Canton, and the Cowboys talk to the fastest man alive! We will provide you with a little bit of football nostalgia. This daily football history segment features the significant events, franchise formation anniversaries, and birthdays of notable Hall of Fame players, coaches, or anyone else in our great game, as well as many more legendary stories of the Gridiron.

• August 8, 1961 - The last of 6 exhibition meetings of the NFL and the CFL took place as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats took apart the Buffalo Bills in Hamilton, 38-21. This was the lone victory of the CFL against its then rival league. It was probably the reason why no games have been played since between the two leagues.
• August 8, 1975 - Country Singer Hank Williams Jr. falls off of the mountain side of Montana's Ajax Peak. The tumble was nearly 500 feet during a recerational mountain climb by the entertainer. Incredibly he survived with a skull fracture and multiple facial fractures. We are sure glad he survived as Williams later  wrote and performed Monday Night Football Intro song "Are you Ready for Some Football". Now try getting that song out of your mind all day, or better yet leave it there!
• August 8, 1984 - Carl Lewis wins his 3rd Gold Medal on the Olympic Games in LA. Earlier in that same year Mr. Lewis was drafted in the 12th round of the NFL Draft by Gil Brandt and Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys. He declined the football offer to stay true to his Olympic track endeavors and it paid off with Gold!
• August 8, 2004 - Legendary Broncos QB, John Elway and former Lions running back Barry Sanders join defensive end Carl Eller and tackle Bob Brown as being the Pro Football Hall of Fames inductees on this date.
• August 8, 2021 - The Pro Football Hall foFame enshrined 8 new members to their hallowed halls. Receiving bronze busts were Peyton Manning, John Lynch, Charles Woodson, Alan Faneca, Calvin Johnson, Coach Tom Flores, Drew Pearson and Player Personnel Director Bill Nunn.

• August 8, 1961 - Raleigh, North Carolina - Bruce Matthews Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matthews spent 19 season in theNFL with the Houston and Tennessee Oilers and Titans. The sturdy offensive lineman played his college ball at USC from 1979 to 1982. Matthews was selected ninth overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1983 NFL Draft. For his career Bruce started in 293 of his career 296 NFL games and became a 14-time Pro Bowl selection spanning three different decades! Matthews was a 10-time First-team All-Pro as he was also was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Matthew is the brother of linebacker Clay Matthews and uncle of linebacker Clay Matthews III.
• August 8, 1970 - Trev Alberts was a linebacker out of the University of Nebraska who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. According to the FootballFoundation.org Alberts was one of the most decorated defensive players in Nebraska history, Trev Alberts became the Cornhuskers’ first Butkus Award winner in 1993 as the top linebacker in the nation. Trev is Nebraska’s all-time career leader in sacks and is tied for the school’s single-season record and in his senior season was a unanimous First Team All-American as he helped the Huskers to an undefeated regular season and the national title game against Florida State at the Orange Bowl. Trev was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, spending three seasons with the franchise. As of late Alberts spent time as a college football analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and he now serves as the director of athletics at the University of Nebraska Omaha. 

Not Yet in the Hall of Fame Birthday

• August 8, 1986 - Carmel, New York - Wide receiver Pierre Garcon who played his college ball at Mount Union from 2005-07 was born. Per a Yahoo.com report, Garcon was selected 205th overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2008 NFL Draft and stayed with the Colts frnachise from 2008-11. Pierre also had stints with Washingtonand San Francisco. For his career he hauled in 564 receptions for 7,068 yards and 37 touchdowns. Garcon even led the NFL in receptions in 2013  with 113 caught passes!

Legends of the game, one team just missing out on Gold and a nasty spill all in today edition!

The picture in the banner above is from the Pro Football Hall of Fames many displays in 2021. It depicts an early leather helmet worn on the gridiron.