January 29

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss a draft class by one team in 1974 that will never be matched as well as many more Hall of Fame Birthdays and 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!

January 29, 1963 - The First Inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced. The list is a phenomenal class of legends according to the History and Headlines website. The first class of the enshrined held eleven superstar players of the professional gridiron past such as Jim Thorpe, Red Grange, Sammy Baugh, Dutch Clark, Don Hutson, Mel Hein, Johnny McNally, Ernie Nevers, Bronko Nagurski, Cal Hubbard and Pete Henry.  Also inducted on this day were  a handful of owners and coaches which included Curly Lambeau, George Marshall, Tim Mara, Bert Bell and Joe Carr. Then another special man that both got in as a player, a coach and as an owner in George Halas. The article goes on to say that in 1963 three were but two rooms to show off the museum's wares where as in 2017 there were five buildings bulging with pigskin nostalgia! One of our faithful football friends, Mr. Peter Stellato, suggests the following video on this first Hall induction. Thanks Peter!!

January 29, 1964 - NBC purchased the TV rights of AFL for five seasons (1965-69) for $36 million. According to a Newsday.com article the money raised in this deal helped the AFL fund recruiting players away from the NFL and fueled the rivalry which eventually helped with the AFL-NFL merger just a few short years later. The two sides had to wait until the 1965 season to start as ABC had one year remaining on its AFL contract to televise the 1964 season.

January 29, 1974 - The 1974 NFL Draft the Dallas Cowboys took Ed Too Tall Jones from Tennessee State as the first pick in the draft. Players that have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame per the PFR are Lynn Swan, Jack Lambert, John Stalworth and Mike Webster who were Pittsburgh’s picks at 21, 46, 82 and 125 respectively. Dave Casper whom Oakland chose at 45. Yes you heard it correctly there are 5 hall of Famers from this draft class and four of them were picked by the Steelers. Is it any wonder why they had so much success in the mid to late 1970’s?

January 29, 1979  - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - The NFC outlasted the AFC squad in the NFL Pro Bowl 13-7.  Vikings receiver Ahmad Rashād
Was awarded the Most Valuable Player honor for the game.

January 29, 1984 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu - At the NFL Pro Bowl for the 1983 season it was once again the NFC who triumphed over their AFC counterparts in a big way 45-3. The MVP of this game was Quarterback Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins.

January 29, 1989 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu - It seems that NFC squad just could not lose in NFL Pro Bowls played on this day. Once again the NFC defeated the AFC in a big way, with a score of 34-3 The MVP was Randall Cunningham the Philadelphia Eagles mobile quarterback.

January 29, 1995 - Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida - Super Bowl XXIX had the  San Francisco 49ers beat up on the San Diego Chargers, 49-26; The game’s MVP was Niners quarterback Steve Young who threw for 325 yards and 6 touchdowns in the game and had a whopping QB rating of 134.8 per the Pro Football Reference. Jerry Rice scored on three of those passes in the game.

January 29, 2002 - The San Diego Chargers hired Marty Schottenheimer as their head coach. Schottenheimer was the 13th head coach in the franchise’s history.

January 29, 2012 - NFL Pro Bowl was played once again at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu. This time the AFC outscored the NFC squad, 59-41. The game’s MVP was wide receiver Brandon Marshall who played for the Miami Dolphins during the season.

January 29, 2017 - Orlando, Florida - Another NFL Pro Bowl and the AFC knocked off the NFC, 20-13. Dual MVPs of the game were KC’s tight end Travis Kelce and Lorenzo Alexander the fine linebacker of the Buffalo Bills.

January 29, 1896 - Jackson, Mississippi - The quarterback of Mississippi College Edwin Hale was born. Friends called him Goat and according to the NFF the story why he was called that is entertaining. Hale got his nickname while still playing for Central High School in Jackson, Mississippi. In one game he battered through the line, and scored a touchdown, but ran past the end zone until his head hit a wooden building, loosening several planks. In 1921 Hale scored 23 touchdowns and drop-kicked 23 extra points. The National Football Foundation inducted Edwin Hale into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1963

January 29, 1927 - Donora, Pennsylvania - Arnold Galiffa, the one time quarterback of the Army team celebrated his birth. Arnold was the Army QB from 1946 through 1949 and during that time the Cadets suffered only two losses.The National Football Foundation selected Arnold Galiffa and all of his college Gridiron accolades for entry into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. After his service was over Arnold played pro football with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers according to the NFF. 

January 29, 1964 - Allentown, Pennsylvania - Andre Reed the burner receiver from Kutztown University was born. Andre spent 16 seasons in the NFL after Buffalo picked him in the fourth round in 1985. Red caught 951 balls for 13,198 yards and was a member of the Bills teams that made it to 4 straight Super Bowls. He was a favorite target of Jim Kelly and for his career he caught 88 TDs. Reed played in 7 Pro Bowls and had a tremendous knack of getting massive amounts of yardage after his catches. Andre Reed was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

January 29, 1968 -   - The great defensive back from Southern University, Aeneas Williams was born. Aeneas played in the NFL for 14 seasons after being the Arizona Cardinals . The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Aeneas Williams in 2014. 

Today's banner photo is an honor for us to display the great political cartoon from the early twentieth century and was the work of Uddo J. Keppler. The work was contributed to the US Library of Congress collection by J. Ottman Lith Co. and is titld " Steel Trust, Tool Trust, Tobacco Trust, Clothing Trust, Leather Trust, Oil Trust, Coal Trust, [and] Beef Trust" tackling a "Consumer" with a football labeled "Tariff Revision" during a football game at a stadium labeled "Stand Pat A.C."