December 25

In this edition of the Football History Headlines, we discuss the Big Gridiron Events of Christmas, the first forward pass, and many more Hall of Fame 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!

December 25, 1894 - San Francisco, California - The first intersectional college football game was played as the University of Chicago played Stanford University. The game was most likely established between the two coaches who were together at Yale University over a decade earlier. Stanford’s coach was the Father of Football Walter Camp who used to coach the University of Chicago’s Head Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg as shared by SwannGalleries website.  I also highly recommend that you get a copy of Jennifer Taylor Hall's excellent book "Amos Alonzo Stagg: College Football's Man in Motion" that has some great insight on this story in even greater detail. Stagg and the Maroons traveled well and put it to the Cardinal 24-4. Stay tuned for the December 29 rematch though in a few days right here on the Pigskin Dispatch Football History Headlines for December 29.

December 25, 1905 - Wichita, Kansas - An experimental game trying never before used rules as Fairmont entertained Washburn College. After the legendary October 9, 1905 conference of President Teddy Roosevelt meeting with a braintrust of college legends such as Walter Camp, Arthur T. Hildebrand, and William Reid among others to reform football after over 18 deaths occurred as a result of action on the field during the 1905 season. According to the Kansas.com story on the subject several rule changes, including 10 yards for a first down and legalizing the forward pass, had long been talked about but not acted upon but now with Roosevelt’s mandate these were among the innovations needed to keep the game going by making it safer for players. Allegedly this Christmas Day game in Wichita was the laboratory to see what these revisions could do towards safety. The details are a bit murky per the article but the first forward pass may have occurred in this contest. It has long been thought that Paul Veeder of Yale to Bob Forbes in 1906 or Louis quarterback Bradbury Robinson completed the first legal pass on September 5, 1906 when he threw 20 yards to Jack Schneider  as the first completions of a pass but that might not be the case. The Kansas article goes on to say that though the game Christmas Day game in Kansas was documented by a December 26, 1905, Wichita Daily Eagle write up it didn’t really account for who or what team threw the pass first and it may not have made the “official” record list because after all the game was an experimental exhibition. Even so the fact that it was played with the new rules is monumental to Gridiron history! Some 45 years after the game, Bliss Isely who was one of the Fairmount College players in that game wrote in his 1956 article for “This Week: The National Sunday Magazine,” Bliss Isely wrote that Roosevelt didn’t want to wait for the 1906 season and that he wanted them tried out as soon as possible. The article goes on to say Isley wrote “when no big-league teams accepted the challenge,” Fairmount team manager and left guard Roy Kirk booked a game with Washburn and wired Roosevelt, telling the President that the game would be played under experimental rules. As to who tossed the ball forward legally first Mr. Isley may have the answer to that too as he said in a description of the play was Davis running right, avoiding a tackle and throwing a two-hand underhand pass to Solter, who had broken right toward the sideline. “Solter grabbed it easily and crashed ahead for a first down,” Postscript : Jan. 12, 1906, in New York, sweeping rules changes were approved. Many were the same ones used in the Washburn-Fairmount game and the rest is history!

December 25, 1971 - The Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs played in a very memorable game on Christmas Day in the AFC Divisional contest. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame it ended up being the longest NFL game ever as it went to 2 overtime sessions before Miami Kicker Garo Yepremian booted a 37 yarder to advance the Dolphins in a 27-24 thriller! Kansas City’s Ed Podolak  performed an amazing 350 yards of all-purpose yardage in the losing effort.

December 25, 1989 - Chris Doleman registered 3 sacks of the Bengals quarterback and Kicker Rich Karlis nailed five first half field goals to propel the Minnesota Vikings to a 29-21 victory over Cincinnati to secure the NFC Central Division and shut the door on the Bengals playoff chances per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

December 25, 1993 - The final weekend of the season saw Houston Oilers matched up against the San Francisco 49ers. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame these two offenses were the top scoring units in the League on the season but it was the defenses that stood up tall that day as the Oilers escaped with a 10-7 victory! 

December 25, 2004 - KC return specialist Dante Hall set the table with a 49 yard kickoff return so that Kicker Lawrence Tynes could knock through the game winning FG with 22 seconds left to lift the Chiefs to a 31-30 win over the Raiders. Tynes had missed two earlier kicks in the game per the story on Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

December 25, 2002 - Las Vegas, Nevada - History was made at the Las Vegas Bowl game between New Mexico and UCLA per the SI.com website story. Katie Hnida of the Lobos became the first woman to play in a Division I-A bowl game, kicking an extra point attempt that was blocked. Ms. Hnida the next season on August 30, 2003 became the first young lady to score at the Division I-A level.

December 25, 2006 - The New York Jets win 13-10 over the Miami Dolphins during a torrential rain storm. Fourth quarter touchdowns by both teams during a break in the weather provided most of the scoring and a 30 yard field goal by Kicker Mike Nugent with 10 ticks of the clock remaining sealed the win for the Jets as told by an article on the Pro Football Hall of Fame site.

December 25, 2010 - According to the Profootballhof.com website Arizona Cardinals defensive playmakers Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Greg Toler each had a pick six to lead the Cards to a 27-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

December 25, 2011 - Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers tosses 5 touchdown passes to prevent the Chicago Bears to earn a Wildcard spot in the playoffs in a Packers 35-21 victory per a Pro Football HOF story.

December 25, 2016 - The AFC North game that would determine the winner of the Division the Baltimore Ravens looked pretty good as they held a lead late in the fourth quarter. But according to an archived Pro Football Hall of Fame site story the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were not done yet as with seconds left, Brown caught a pass at the Ravens one. It looked like he would be short of the goal line as Safety Eric Weddle and Linebacker C.J. Mosely was in contact with the receiver almost immediately. Somehow number 84 for the Steelers ducked and stretched to get the ball to briefly cross the stripe for the score to lift Pittsburgh to a 31-27 victory over their rivals. 

December 25, 1941 - Muenster, Texas - Texas Tech’s wide receiver David Parks was born. The National Football Foundation states that Parks was the first Red Raiders to reach the acclaim of the Associated Press All-America team as he rewrote almost every Texas Tech receiving record in his collegiate career. Some of these items were a 98 pass play, 1090 career receiving yards and 80 career receptions. The College Football Hall of Fame welcomed David Parks into their membership in 2008.

December 25, 1943 - Houston, Texas - Howard Twilley the great wide receiver from the University of Tulsa celebrated his birth. Footballfoundation.org tells how  Twilley led the nation in 1964 and 1965 in receiving yardage, touchdowns and the amount of catches. These numbers earned him All-America status for both seasons as well as being voted as the runner up in theHeisman voting in 1965.  The NFF voters selected Howard Twilley to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

December 25, 1945 - Foley, Alabama - The Crimson Tide’s legendary quarterback Ken Stabler was born. Ken performed one of the most memorable plays in Alabama football history when he did his famous “Run in the Mud” play against Auburn in the 1967 Iron Bowl. The “Snake” as he was called was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 1968 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons in the League per the Pro Football HOF bio on him. Besides the Raiders, Ken spent time on the New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers rosters too. He is best known as the leader of the Silver and Black offenses of the 1970’s though including Super Bowl XI where the Raiders took apart the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 on timely passing by Stabler who went 12 of 19 on the day with 180 yards to keep the Purple People Eaters Defense on their heels. For his career Stabler had a 0.661 winning percentage as a starter throwing 194 TD passes for well over 27,000 career yards and he even led his team to five straight Conference Championship Games. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Ken Stabler in 2016.  

December 25, 1946 - Stow, Ohio - Larry Csonka the tough running back from Syracuse was born. According to the NFF website, Csonka claimed he never lifted traditional gym weights to get in shape but garnered his physical fitness by working on the family farm. Zonk was in the top twenty of the nation’s leading rushers in three straight years from 1965 through 1967 and in ‘67 he earned a unanimous All-America status. In fact Csonka broke many Orange records by great rushers like Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little and Jim Nance. Larry pulverized defensive lines registering 14 collegiate 100 yard games in his career with a 4.9 yard average carry. The College Football Hall of Fame welcomed hard nosed runner Larry Csonka into their membership in 1989. In eleven NFL seasons had over 8000 yards rushing and a 4.3 yard average per carry. Larry Csonka ran his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. After school Larry was the first pick in the 1968 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played in 5 Pro Bowls and was the MVP of Super Bowl VIII. He played a total of 12 seasons of professional football with the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants in the NFL and the 1975 season in the WFL.

Pictured above in the banner is a piece titled "Cheerleader and football player sitting on giant football with Chicago flag" drawn by F. Earl Christy circa 1907.  The University of Chicago Maroons are the subject matter. It was donated to the U.S. Library of Congress and is part of thier fine collection.