December 7

In this edition of the Football History Headlines we discuss NFL Games on the day of the Pearl Harbor Attack as well as many more Football Hall of Fame Legendary stories.

As we flip the calendar page, we delve into another chapter of pigskin history. From legendary comebacks that defied the odds to record-breaking performances that left fans speechless, remarkable moments unfolded on this very date. So, buckle up and get ready to relive iconic plays, celebrate trailblazing athletes, and revisit the captivating stories that continue to shape the ever-evolving narrative of professional football. Let's lace up our cleats and journey back in time to witness the incredible feats that transpired on this historic day in the NFL!

• December 7, 1940 - Lansdowne Park, Ottawa - playing for the Grey Cup was Ottawa defeating Toronto Balmy Beach, 12-5
• December 7, 1941 - Chicago’s Comiskey Park - The Sportsthenandnow.com website tells us that the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cardinals was the regular season finale as this was the day that FDR claimed “ a day that will live in infamy.” The Cards entered the game with a dismal 3-6-1 record while George Halas’s Bears were flying high at 9-1. The Cardinals raced early to a  two touchdown lead before the Bears closed the gap by the half being down 17-14 in the locker room. The lead went back and forth early in the second half until Sid Luckman and the boys put the game away with some late unanswered scores to secure a Bears 34-24 victory.
• December 7, 1941 - Polo Grounds - Meanwhile in the Big Apple the Brooklyn Dodgers football team dismantled the New York Giants 21-7. The PA announcer at the game, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, announced that all military personnel must leave and report to their units in the midst of the fans enjoying the last game of the season to celebrate “Tuffy Leemans Day” in honor of their beloved Giants running back.iframesrc="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cYDg4FqlBEc"
• December 7, 1941 - Griffith Stadium, Washington D.C. - The stadium management decided not to announce the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to the crowd of nearly 27,000 at the Washington Redskins versus Philadelphia game per the Boundary Stones website. The next morning, The Evening Star tried to make some sense of the Redskins’ decision to keep the news from their fans. Beneath the headline, “It Could Only Happen in Washington,”  In the game though it was a good one that could keep the fans distracted for a short time before they would get the serious news of war. When the game was over, it also marked the close to the season with Washington a 20-14 winner on a Sammy Baugh three TD day.
• December 7, 1949 - The 15th Heisman Trophy Award went to Leon Hart who played for Notre Dame as an end. According to Heisman.com Hart is the largest player to ever win the award as he was 6’-5” tall and weighed in at 260 pounds. The bio on Leon goes on to say that  Hart caught 19 passes for 257 yards and five touchdowns, rushed 18 times for 73 yards, blocked for a top ranked Notre Dame backfield and recovered three fumbles on defense to establish the case for his Heisman votes over second place finisher Charlie Justice of North Carolina.
• December 7, 1963 - Instant replay is first used on TV at the collegiate level in the Army/Navy Game. Wired.com covered the story and tells us that the big game was played before a nation still in mourning over the November 22 assanation of President John F. Kennedy so this date was chosen to be the time for the earlier postponed slot. The game was rescheduled and played at the request of the First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis to try and heal a wounded nation. The CBS network decided it might be a good time to try out the fairly new innovation of instant replay. The drawback of the technology at the time was that it did not have the slow-motion aspect attached to it yet, nor could they zoom in on anything. The CBS production team used a 1,300-pound machine to wind back the reel and show a touchdown over again as commentator Lindsey Nelson warned viewers, "Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!" Oh and as for the game, Heisman winner Roger Staubach led the Midshipmen to a 21-15 victory over Army in front of 102,000 fans.iframesrc="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6j7CnIqIhNk"
• December 7, 1985 -  Bo Jackson the running back from the Auburn Tigers won the 51st Heisman Trophy Award. Bo’s Bio on the Award’s website tells us that he was a two time All-America selection and ran for 4,303 college career yards. Even while battling some injuries during the 1985 season, Jackson managed to pound out 1786 yards on the ground for the Tigers and run in 17 touchdowns. After college Bo was a professional two sport star as he played in the MLB and in the NFL with the LA Raiders.

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• December 7, 1996 - At the 5th SEC Championship Game it was the #4 Florida Gators swimming past the #11 Crimson Tide with a final score of 45-30.
• December 7, 1996 - The first Big 12 Championship Game was held as Texas stunned #3 Nebraska by two scored in a 37-27 upset.
• December 7, 2013 - The 22nd SEC Championship Game saw an offensive explosion as the #3 Tigers of Auburn got past #5 Miizzou 59-42.

December 7, 1888 -  - Harvard’s tackle Hamilton Fish III celebrated his birth. The NFF tells us that He was All-America twice, and in 1923 Walter Camp named him to his all-time All- America team.The National Football Foundation selected Hamilton Fish to be inducted into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

December 7, 1973 - Alexander City, Alabama - Terrell Owens the strong wide receiver from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was born per the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website.  Standing at 6’-4” tall and weighing in at 240 pounds of lean muscle, Terrell Owens was a force for defensive backs to reckon with when the 49ers drafted him in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. For his career he caught 1078 passes for 15934 yards, second only to Jerry Rice and 153 touchdowns good enough for third all time behind Rice and Moss. Besides the Niners Terrell played for the Eagles, Bills, Bengals and the Cowboys organizations too. He was an All-Pro 5 times and played in 6 Pro Bowl Games. Terrell Owens was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018’s enshrinement class.