February 2

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss Super Bowl XLVIII, Super Bowl LIV, Vince Lombardi and George Halas as well as many more 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!

February 2, 1913 - The New York Giants baseball club signed Jim Thorpe. If you remember it was this was right after his Olympic Gold medals earned at the 1912 Games were stripped from him due to playing a little bit on the diamond in 1910. Thorpe was a great athlete but his dabbling in Major League baseball for 6 of the next 8 years were not his top moments in athletic history. He resumed football in 1920 when the fledgling NFL under the guise of the APFA hired Thorpe to be their marquis players and president to give the League credibility per the History.com website article.  

February 2, 1959 - Vince Lombardi signed a 5 year contract to coach the Green Bay Packers. What he did in the next decade with that franchise may never be repeated again in the NFL. Per the PFR Lombardi led the Pack to three NFL Championships and two Super Bowl victories is a pretty good item to have on your coaching legacy!

February 2, 1986 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu - At the NFL Pro Bowl for the 1985 season the NFC beat the AFC, 28-24. The MVP of the game was Giants Quarterback Phil Simms.

February 2, 1992 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu - NFC outlasted their AFC counterparts, 21-15 at the NFL Pro Bowl. Michael Irvin, the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, earned the MVP of the game.

February 2, 1997 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu - Quarterback Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars won a game MVP honor as he helped his AFC teammates overcome the NFC in an exciting overtime 26-23 victory at the NFL Pro Bowl for the 1996 season.

February 2, 2003  - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu - At the 2002 seasons NFL Pro Bowl, the AFC dominated the NFC with a final score of 45-23, the contest’s MVP was Dolphins running back Ricky Williams.

February 2, 2014 - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey - Super Bowl XLVIII was a fairly one sided affair as the Seattle Seahawks knocked around the Denver Broncos, 43-8. The famed Legion of Doom defense of the Seahawks made life miserable for veteran QB Peyton Manning, as they picked off two of his passes and harassed and hurried the legendary thrower all game. The game started with a bad snap by the Bronco which led to 36 unanswered points until Denver finally got on the board with Manning pass to Demaryius Thomas TD strike of 14 yards on the last play of the 3rd quarter. Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith took home the game’s MVP trophy per the PFR.

February 2, 2020 - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida - Super Bowl LIV saw a team that had not been in the big game in a half century!  The Kansas City Chiefs were down in every playoff game leading up the Super Bowl and the big game was no different. The San Francisco 49ers held a 20-10 lead with over six minutes to play in the game only to watch it evaporate with Mahomes orchestrating 21 unanswered points in less than 6 minutes! The Kansas City Chiefs captured the NFL title with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20. The young gun Patrick Mahomes quarterback of the Chiefs grabbed the MVP honors and gave Kansas City its first championship victory in 50 years! Mahomes threw 2 picks but also had a couple of TD tosses as he passed for 286 yards and ran another score in with his legs per the Pro Football Reference.

February 2, 2022 - The Washington Football Team of the NFL, after departing two years ear;ier from the nickname of Redskins announced that they would now be the Washington Commanders going forward. The franchise rolled out three different uniforms, two of them with the traditional maroon and gold and one that sported almost entirely black in color from helmet to pants.

February 2, 1895 - Where would we be in Pro Football without the great contributions of George Halas who was born on this day. Maybe a better question would be if we have Pro football without Mr Halas. Halas was a very good player, In College Halas caught a Touchdown pass from Paddy Driscoll as the Great Lakes Naval Station team cruised to a 17-0 Rose Bowl victory  over the Mare Island Marines squad. Halas went on to help organize and coach the Decatur Staleys, was handed ownership of the franchise by Mr Staley himself and then moved the team to the Windy City and re-branded them as the Chicago Bears. In 1920 Papa Bear met with other professional teams across the midwest to organize the APFA, the early name of the NFL in Ralph Hay’s Hupmobile Showroom over a bucket of beer! Halas also coached the Bears squad for 40 seasons stepping away once to serve in World War II. George Halas according to his bio on the HOF site finished with 318 regular-season wins and 324 total victories which were both long-standing NFL records until Don Shula surpassed them in 1993. His Chicago Bears teams won six NFL titles, the first coming in 1921 after the Staleys moved to Chicago. The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognized George Halas when they enshrined him in the inaugural induction ceremony in 1963.

February 2, 1952 - Bemidji, Minnesota - The awesome University of Notre Dame Tight End, Dave Casper was born.  The NFF has an excellent bio on Dave Casper in which they state that  he earned All-America honors on the field and in the classroom. Casper led the Fighting Irish to a national championship while earning consensus All-America honors. Casper caught three passes for 75 yards in No. 5 Notre Dame’s 24-23 win over No. 1 Alabama in the 1973 Sugar Bowl. The National Football Foundation voters selected Dave Casper for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. As we learned a few days ago in the Football History Headlines, Casper was picked in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played 10 seasons with the Silver and Black and one with the Vikings and was named as an All- Pro in four consecutive years according to the ProFootballHOF.com site garnering the honor five times overall in his brilliant career. Casper was part of NFL history as he scored on the infamous Holy Roller Play that led to a Raiders victory over San Diego. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Dave Casper into their museum of legends in 2002.  

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was taken by photographer Jack Delano circa 1941 in the photo titled  " Chicago, Illinois "