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February 5

On This Gridiron Day February 5: The Greatest Comeback and First Overtime In Super Bowl History Occurred!

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February 5 Football History

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss Super Bowls LI, XL, XLII & XLVI as well as Ed Sabol, Roger Staubach and Vince Lombardi and many more Hall of Fame Legendary birthdays and 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!


About the Photo Above

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was taken by photographer Balthazar Korab Studios  titled "Ford Field, Entrance


Football History Headlines

February 5, 1969 - Vince Lombardi became a part owner, a Vice President, General Manager, head coach, given lifetime supply of Twizzlers and whatever else it would take to get him to leave Green Bay, to join the Washington Redskins franchise. The Slice The Life website shares a great article on the subject. Lombardi who was the legendary head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959-67 turned that franchise from the doormat of the League into a perennial Champion for most of a decade! After what is now referred to as Super Bowl II, Lombardi seemed to have hit a wall where the coaching juices had burned up, he was spent so he spent the 1968 season as the Packers general manager but found not being in charge of the sideline made him anxious.  The word on the street was that Vince Lombardi was looking to return to coaching and the immediate suitors for his service included the Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Patriots but the Redskins President Edward Bennett Williams pushed all of his chips to the center of the table and offered Lombardi a part ownership of the team. There was a lot happening in D.C. at that time, Nixon just entered the White House, Ted Williams was hired as manager of the Washington Senators MLB club and across the NFL Chuck Noll was hired by the Steelers while Oakland put John Madden on the payroll and now Lombardi with the Redskins! VInce Lombardi was able to serve one season of his contract with the team, but improved them to a 7-5-2 record but unfortunately was diagnosed with an aggressive form of colon cancer in early 1970 and died on September 3, 1970 at 57. We will never know what the great coach could have done with the franchise from there but he did lay a foundation where the Redskins appeared in Super Bowl VII in 1973 and gave the undefeated Dolphins a run for their money and moved on to bigger and better things in the 1980’s.

February 5, 1995 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu- The AFC stars knocked around the NFC squad, 41-13 in the 1994 season’s NFL Pro Bowl game. The Most Valuable Player of this contest was none other than Marshall Faulk who at the time played for the Indianapolis Colts as a running back.

February 5, 2006 - Ford Field, Detroit - The big story line going into Super Bowl XL was that the Motor City’s favorite son (Sorry Arnie Chapman it’s not you), The Bus, Jerome Bettis may retire after the game. Bettis was the starting fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was coerced out of retirement a year earlier by Rookie Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who promised him a championship if he returned. The Steelers would face a tall challenge from the Seattle Seahawks led by veteran coach Mike Holmgren per a Bleacher Report article. The game is forever remembered unfortunately for what many call phantom officiating as Seattle had a couple of close calls not go their way including a goal line play where Roethlisberger ran a QB sneak and conclusive evidence to overturn a TD called on the field was not apparent. Then  later an apparent touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Darrell Jackson was negated by an offensive pass interference foul against Jackson. The Seahawks settled for a field goal. With the Steelers leading 14-10 early in the fourth quarter, a Hasselbeck completion to Jerramy Stevens at the 1-yard line was negated by a holding penalty on offensive lineman Sean Locklear. Ford Field was populated with 80% Steelers fans based on comments by broadcaster Al Michaels and this added to the sour taste that Seattle fans had of the game. The Steelers did make some big plays though including a Willie Parker 75 yard TD run and a gadget play where on an apparent end around, wide out Antwaan Randle El stopped and launched a 43 yard TD strike to fellow receiver Hines Ward. The Pittsburgh Steelers overcame the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10 with the game’s MVP going to  Hines Ward.  

February 5, 2011 - The legendary filmmaker, Ed Sabol, co-founder of NFL Films, was elected for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor. Ed’s NFL films creation is an interesting story according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website. Apparently in 1962 Ed created a company named Blair Productions, after his daughter. In order to get the exclusive right to the 1962 NFL Championship game filming, Ed doubled the next closest bid of $1500. Commissioner Pete Rozelle accepted the offer and Blair Productions was in business rolling tape at the New York Giants vs Green Bay Packer Title game! Two years later after experiencing success, the company was renamed NFL Films. Sabol used multiple cameras to capture aspects of the game that the average television viewer did not get a chance to see such as the sidelines. When he mixed that with the legendary voice of narrator John Facenda, wow what an experience fans could have in their living rooms!

February 5, 2012 - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis - We reflected yesterday that at Super Bowl XLII the Giants rained on the Patriots perfect season The two teams met again 4 years and a day later in Super Bowl XLVI. But there was a familiar vibe to the game. The Giants defense again pressured Tom Brady and kept the Juggernaut New England offense off kilter most of the evening. Another similarity was that Eli Manning led the G-men on another near game ending drive. The Washington Post reports that the Giants, who were trailing by two points, drove 88 yards to the winning touchdown on a six-yard run by tailback Ahmad Bradshaw with 57 seconds left. New York Giants once again defeated the New England Patriots in the big game, this time by the score of 21-17. Eli Manning was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player.  

February 5, 2017 - NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas - Super Bowl LI was one of the greatest comebacks in modern football history. The Atlanta Falcons looked unstoppable as they shredded the New England Patriots for most of the beginning of the game. The halftime score was 21-3 and in the third quarter it got even worse for the Patriots as Atlanta went up 28-3 after Quarterback Matt Ryan found Tevin Coleman on a six yard TD pass in the middle of the third. That when everything changed though. The Patriots then reeled off 25 unanswered points in a little over a quarter to tie the game with 57 seconds left with James White’s on yard TD run and a subsequent 2 point conversion to send the game into the Super Bowl’s first overtime in history per ESPN.com.  In the extra session the Patriots drove 75 yards in 8 plays and White ran in another short touchdown to lift the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28. It sounds like a broken record but the MVP was once again Tom Brady of New England.


HOF Birthdays

February 5, 1915 - Fairfield, Alabama - The awesome center from Auburn University Tigers, Walter Gilbert was born. The National Football Foundation selected Walter Gilbert for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956.

February 5, 1942 - Cincinnati, Ohio - The Dallas Cowboys and Naval Academy’s legendary Quarterback Roger Staubach celebrated his day of birth.  

February 5, 1943 - Flint , Michigan - Craig Morton the quarterback from California was born.  In 1964 Craig was named as an All-America selection  by the Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association, Sporting News, and Time Magazine though his team finished with a 7-7 record. The National Football Foundation selected Craig Morton for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. After he left Cal he  played 18 years in the NFL, playing with the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos.

Amazingly enough these two quarterbacks that share the same birthday, were the starting signal callers on the two Super Bowl teams of SB XII, Staubach with the Cowboys and Morton with the Denver Broncos. The Cowboys triumphed 27-10 on January 15, 1978.

February 5, 1947 - Jacksonville. Florida - The top notch wide receiver from Florida State Ron Sellers celebrated his arrival into the world. According to his bio on the Footballfoundation.org website Sellers in three seasons at Florida State caught 212 passes for 3,598 yards. His career yardage was a national record in 1968 and lasted 19 years. Ron Sellers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ron spent five seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Cowboys and Dolphins.

February 5, 1950 - Montgomery, Alabama - Wide Receiver Terry Beasley of Auburn was born. Beasley was on the Heisman ballot, finishing 8th after catching 55 passes for 12 touchdowns in 1971 and the man that won the award was his Quarterback Patrick Sullivan. The National Football Foundation selected Terry Beasley for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.  

February 5, 1951 - Fresno, California - The great Southern Cal tight end, Charles Young arrived into this life. Charles was a unanimous First Team All-America in 1972 as he was part of the Trojan’s National Championship team that season per the NFF.  Charles Young was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. After school, Young earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 and went on to play for 13 seasons in the NFL with four teams. He earned All-Pro honors four times and won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers in 1983.


Topics Related to February 5

 

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