January 25

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss many Super Bowls and Pro Bowls played on January 25 as well as many more Hall of Fame Legendary stories.

Football fans, delve into the past! Today's date is etched in NFL history. From legendary trades that shook the league to record-breaking performances on the gridiron, exciting moments unfolded on this very day. We'll explore game-changing events, iconic players who dominated the field, and pivotal decisions that altered the course of franchises. So, buckle up and get ready to revisit the fascinating stories that make NFL history so captivating!

• January 25, 1981 - Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans - The Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders squared off against each other in Super Bowl XV. Both teams had great stories coming into the contest. The American Football Fandom site has an insightful article on the game. In the week leading up to the game, President Ronal Reagan was sworn in and the Iran Hostage crisis had just ended. In light of those recent events there was a definite patriotic vibe to the events at the venue itself as the pregame ceremonies honored the end of the crisis. The Raiders were playing in the franchise's third Super Bowl and had beaten the Oilers, Browns and Chargers in the playoffs to win the AFC from the Wild card position. The Eagles were playing in their first Super Bowl under a young Coach with a style new to the NFL in Dick Vermeil. The Raiders, guided by Quarterback Jim Plunkett jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and the Eagles were ill equipped to recover from it. And when they did try Raiders linebacker Rod Martin picked off Philadelphia quarterback Ron Jaworski three times for a Super Bowl record.  The Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10. Jim Plunkett was voted as the MVP of the game after completing 13 of 21 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Plunkett was the second Heisman winner after Roger Staubach to be named a Super Bowl MVP and the Raiders were the first franchise to win it all from the wildcard spot.
• January 25, 1987 - Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California - Super Bowl XXI was played between the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants per a Newsday article from the day after. Broncos QB John Elway was under siege all day from a Giant defense that featured the likes of Harry Carson, Leonard Marshall and Lawrence Taylor. In fact he was sacked four times in the game and one was for a safety in the second quarter. Phil Simms completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns and was named the game's MVP as the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-20. One of the greatest scenes from the postgame was New York franchise owner Wellington Mara handing the Lombardi Trophy to Coach Bill Parcells in jubilation of the Giants first Super Bowl victory.
• January 25, 1998 - Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego - Super Bowl XXXII was a matchup of two legendary gunslinger QBs as Green Bay’s Brett Favre took the field for the Packers and The Broncos had their signal caller John Elway per a Washington Post article. Elway and company put on a late drive in the fourth. Running back Terrell Davis found paydirt with a one-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 45 seconds remaining and broke the 24-24 tie. The Denver Broncos beat Green Bay Packers, 31-24 with Bronco running back Terrell Davis voted as the game’s MVP after rushing for 157 yards  and three TDs against one of the NFL's best defenses. 
• January 25, 2015 - University of Phoenix, Glendale, Arizona - The NFL was trying some different things to make the stale Pro Bowl a bit more interesting to viewers. The NFL.com described it as the second season that used an unconferenced format with players selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players. The 2014 season’s NFL Pro Bowl pitted a Team coached by Michael Irvin to play a Team of Pro Bowlers of Chris Carter. The Irvin squad won the game 32-28. The Pro Bowl  MVPs were Houston’s J. J. Watt  and Matthew Stafford the Detroit Lions quarterback.

• January 25, 1924 - Martins Ferry, Ohio - Ohio State lineman and place kicker Lou “the Toe” Groza was born.
• January 25, 1935 - Crosbytown, Texas - Don Maynard the durable wide receiver from Texas Western celebrated his birth. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quotes Maynard as stating that his record that he is most proud of is the fact that he was the first to achieve 10,000 yards receiving in an NFL career. The legendary wideout attributed the accomplishment of this feat by his playing longevity which lasted for 15 seasons. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined the gridiron feats of Don Maynard in 1987.
• January 25, 1942 - Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Carl Eller the stud University of Minnesota tackle arrived into this life. After a great 1963 season Carl was a first team choice on eight of the  nine major All-America teams just missing out on being unanimous. The NFF tells us that Eller played both sides of the ball for the Gophers at tackle. The National Football Foundation selected Carl Eller’s collegiate career to be honored in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. As a professional he was moved exclusively to defense after being selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Eller became a fixture in one of the greatest defensive lines in history the Vikings infamous Purple People Eaters as he was teamed up with the great Jim Marshall. He played 16 seasons as a D End for Minnesota amassing 44 sacks per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2004 Carl Eller received the great honor of being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• January 25, 1944 - La Porte, Texas - Michigan State’s talented wide out Gene Washington celebrated his birth. The FootballFoundation.org bio for Gene lists that Washington started as a sophomore Washington would go on to set Michigan State season records for wide receivers in receptions and yards. Gene is in rare company as he was a two-time First-Team All-American. The Spartans teams that Gene was a part of earned two shared national titles.  The National Football Foundation selected Gene Washington for the College Football Hall of Fame entry in 2011. Gene was a first round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings who selected him eighth overall. He played seven seasons in the NFL both with Minnesota and the Denver Broncos. His stat line shows that he caught 182 passes and 26 touchdowns as a pro. Washington was a two-time Pro Bowler and was named a First Team All-Pro in 1969.  
• January 25, 1985 - The great Linebacker from Mississippi, Patrick Willis was born. The NFF tells us that Patrick won both the Butkus Award and the Jack Lambert Awards after the 2006 season at Ole Miss recognizing him as the Nation’s top college linebacker as well as being selected as a consensus First Team All-American. The National Football Foundation voters chose Patrick Willis to gain entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019. Willis was the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers where he played for 8 seasons.  Patrick won the 2007 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection.  There were two different seasons where he led the NFL in tackles and won the professional Butkus Award in 2009.

The photgraph associated with this edition of the Football History Headlines in titled " A "mountain man" rides a stallion during pregame festivities at a Denver Broncos National Football League game " by the US Library collection and was taken and donated by photographer Carol Highsmith in 2014.