December 16

In this edition of the Football History Headlines, we discuss a team from Rhode Island who won the 1928 NFL Championship Title, a great last game the Rams left for the frigid faithful in Cleveland, as well Y.A. Tittle's 6 T.D. pass game for the Gmen and many more Hall of Fame Legendary stories.

Football history enthusiasts, delve into the gridiron's past! On this very date, history unfolded on the field in several ways. We might be celebrating a record-breaking performance by a legendary player, a trade that sent shockwaves through the league, or even the birth of a new franchise that would leave its mark on the game. Let's lace up our cleats and travel back in time to see what iconic moments transpired on this date in American football history!

December 16, 1923 - The Chicago Bears and the Milwaukee Badgers tied in the final game of the season 7-7. The significance of this was that it became official that the Canton Bulldogs would repeat as champions of the NFL as Canton finished the season 11-0-1 per Scorum.com. The Bulldogs technically locked up the title in their final game on December 9, but it became official with the season’s closing game of the Badgers and the Bears.

December 16, 1928 - The Providence Steam Roller franchise won the National Football League Championship Title as they posted a record of 8-1-2. That era of NFL football had the team with the best record at the end of the season being declared the champs. The Steam Roller according to an NFL.com article had plenty of star players from that era of football on their roster. Men like Jimmy Conzelman, The brothers Bill Cronin and Jack Cronin, Heavyweight Champ Gus Sonnenberg at running back, and one of my personal favorites tailback George Wildcat Wilson. Providence had an awesome defense too as they allowed only 42 points to be scored on them all season long including 5 complete shutouts. 

December 16, 1945 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium - With temperatures at near zero and the field covered with snow, the Cleveland Rams played their last game before moving out to Los Angeles. It happened to be the 1945 NFL Championship game against the Washington Redskins. In preparation for the weather before the game, Cleveland brass had nearly 9000 bales of straw covering the field to protect it from the weather per an LA Times archived article. With an army of volunteers the Cleveland faithful removed the straw covered in ice and snow from the frozen turf. Washington had an interesting predicament before the game started as the NFL’s leading passer on the season, Sammy Baugh had a nagging rib injury he suffered in a prior game but as a back up at QB they had Frank Filchock who was the passing leader the year earlier. Baugh fumbled the first offensive play for the Redskins and threw an errant pass from his own endzone in desperation which was ruled a safety for committing the foul from behind his own goal line. The Rams gave their fans a great memory as they edged out the Washington Redskins, 15-14. What a way for a franchise to leave a city! It almost makes one think, is it better to leave Cleveland like they did or the way Art Modell moved the Browns away to Baltimore when they won a Super Bowl within five seasons removed from Cleveland. 
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December 16, 1946 - Bob Fenimore from University of Oklahoma A&M was the first pick in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

December 16, 1962 - New York Giants Quarterback Y. A.Tittle set the NFL’s passing touchdowns in a season record when he threw 6 scoring strikes in one game against the Dallas Cowboys to put his season total at 33.  The Giants signal caller had a total of 346 yards passing on the day with 2 interceptions as New York outscored Dallas 41-31 per Pro-Football-Reference.com.

December 16, 1972 - The Miami Dolphins closed out the 1972 regular season with a 16-0 blanking of the Baltimore Colts. The significance of course is that they became the first undefeated NFL team with a  perfect 14-0 record per ESPN.com. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII on January 14, 1973 to go undefeated in the postseason to so far be the only team since the AFL/NFL merger to do so. The 2007 New England Patriots got close with a 16-0 regular season but lost the Super Bowl to the Giants.

December 16, 1973 - O.J. Simpson became the first NFL running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and he did it in a 14 game regular season for the Buffalo Bills.

December 16, 1979 - Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas - Legendary quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Roger Staubach threw 3 touchdown passes for a total of 336 yards in his last NFL regular season game with the Cowboys. DFW.CBSlocal.com tells us in their article that the Cowboys trailed the Redskins on the scoreboard by 17 points during the first half. Dallas needed everybit of Roger the Dodgers' efforts for the comeback too as the Cowboys edged out a 35-34 win over Washington Redskins.  

December 16, 2013 - The 79th Heisman Trophy Award went to Jameis Winston, Florida State’s talented quarterback. Heisman.com tells us that Jameis was the first freshman to have his team win the national Championship and win a Heisman in the same season. On the year Winston threw for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns.  

December 16, 2019 - Drew Brees went 29 of 30 in his passes for 307 yards & 4 TDs for a record 96.7% pass completion against the Indianapolis Colts. In doing so Brees also broke former Colt Peyton Manning's NFL record of 539 career touchdown passes as New Orleans Saints buried Indianapolis 34-7.

December 16, 2021 - Just 13 games into the NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars fired first year Head Coach Urban Meyer after a 2-11 start to the season. Meyer had previous experience at the colelge level winning National Champioships at both Florida and Ohio State. Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell will act as the interim coach for the balance of the 2021 season. Jags owner Shad Khan had this statement on NFL.com;

"After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban's tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone."

Meyer had some allegations earlier this season that disappointed the Jaguar brass. After an early season loss on Thursday Night Football, the Coach skipped flying back with the team and was later photographed at a Cincinnati night club getting a close up and personal dance from a young lady that was not his wife. This situation plus the tryout of his former Florida player Tim Tebow, NFL fines for violation of organized team activities and some questionable hirings after joining the organization all contributed to the coach's dismisal.

December 16, 1913 - Greece - Gust Zarnas the guard from Ohio State University is born. Zarnas was no ordinary lineman, according to the footballfoundation.org the Buckeyes would run trick plays using Zarnas as an offensive weapon. The story goes that in the 1937 game opposing Indiana University, Gust came out of his guard position, took a hand-off from one of the backs and threw a forward pass for a 57-yard completion to a teammate. Gust received All-America honors in 1937 not just for his tricks but also for his solid blocking and all around solid play. The National Football Foundation selected Gust Zarnas to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

December 16, 1914 - Chicago, Illinois - Northwestern University’s fine guard Steve Reid came into this life. Reid was a captain and a three year letterman for the Wildcats and received All-America criteria for his great line work per the NFF website. His best skill set was pulling and blocking ahead of ball carriers. Steve Reid found his way into the legendary museum of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

December 16, 1962 - Lubbock, Texas   - The safety from the University of Texas Jerry Gray celebrates his birthday. Jerry was a two time All-America selection who had 297 career tackles and 16 interceptions while with the Longhorns. The NFF voters chose Jerry Gray to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

December 16, 1963 - Liverpool, New York  - Tim Green the defensive tackle from Syracuse University came into this world. Green was a two-time Academic All-American as he registered 24 collegiate sacks in his career. Tim Green was selected by the NFF to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. After school Tim was a first round Draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons taken 17th over all in 1986.