February 27

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss the 1959 Chicago Cardinals-LA Rams blockbuster deal with historian Joe Ziemba as well as many more HOF Legendary stories.

Gridiron ghosts are stirring! Today's date is etched in the annals of NFL history. From legendary comebacks to record-breaking performances, monumental trades to heart-wrenching defeats, the pigskin has witnessed its share of drama on this very day. Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the iconic moments, game-changing plays, and unforgettable figures that forever marked their place in the grand narrative of professional football. So, gear up, football fans, as we delve into the captivating stories that unfolded on this historic day in the NFL!

In honor of having Chicago Gridiron Historian Joe Ziemba with us we post the picture in the banner above which is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by photographer George R. Lawrence Co. circa 1905 and is titled " Western Championship, Chicago - Michigan at Marshall Field, Chicago, attendance, 27,000."

1933 -  Birmingham, Alabama - Dr. Frank L. McVey, the acting president of the Southern Conference held a formal meeting of member school presidnets to form what would officially known as the Southeastern Conference per an article on secsports.com. There is more SEC's formation history on a post we had in December.

1959 - The Chicago Cardinals traded promising running back Ollie Matson to the Los Angeles Rams for a total of 9 players. LA's General Manager Pete Rozelle gave up seven roster players, a 1959 second round draft pick and a player to be named later in the deal for Matson according to our guest Joe Ziemba. To get more information pick up a copy of Joe's excellent book "When Football was Football; The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL" as well as listening to his awesom podcast "When Football was Football."

1932 - West Columbia, Texas - Baylor’s standout Tackle, Jim Ray Smith arrived into the world. For more on this legend, simply click his name.

1972 - East St Louis, Illinois - Dana Howard the great linebacker from the University of Illinois was born.  The National Football Foundation describes Dana as a “tackling machine!” The NFF’s Bio on Howard states that Dana Howard became the first player in school history to earn a major national award when he received 1994 Butkus Award as the best linebacker in the nation. Dana was a two-time First Team All-American in both 1994 and had the distinction of unanimous in 1994. When Howard stopped playing collegiate football he was Illinois’ all-time leading tackler with 595 career stops, which was a Big Ten record at the time.  Dana Howard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Dana was picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1995 NFL Draft in its 5th round. Howard also spent time with the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears. Dana also played football overseas for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe.

1976 - The stalwart tight end from the University of California, Tony Gonzalez was born. Tony was the 13th overall  pick in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Pro Football Hall of Fame tells of how he was an impact player right from the onset and in his seventeen year career he never caught  less than 59 passes in a season. He played with KC for many seasons and then was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. His 1325 pass receptions ranked as the second most in NFL history when he retired and he still has the record with 16 consecutive seasons of over 50 receptions in a season.Tony Gonzalez received his Gold Jacket and posed for his bronze bust in Canton in 2019.