January 8

In this episode of the Football's History Headlines, we discuss legendary Head Coach Joe Gibbs times with Washington as well as many more Hall of Fame Legendary stories and birthdays.

Gridiron fans, gear up for another exciting day of football history! Dive into the archives and relive the moments that shaped the game we love. Today's headlines take us back in time, exploring everything from legendary quarterback duels that captivated a nation to groundbreaking rule changes that redefined the sport. So, whether you're a die-hard traditionalist or a stats guru, we have something for everyone. Let's lace up our virtual cleats and take a trip down memory lane!

January 8, 1972 - NCAA announces freshmen can play on teams starting in fall season sports according to the Chicago Tribune.

January 8, 1984 - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - The Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 30-14 to win the AFC Championship and capture the Lamar Hunt Trophy to represent the Conference in the Super Bowl. 

January 8, 1984 - RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. - At the NFC Championship game the Washington Redskins outlasted the San Francisco 49ers, 24-21. According to WashingtonFootball.com the Niners were down by 21 points in the fourth but staged a comeback. Two questionable penalties and a field goal did them in as Washington advanced to their second consecutive Super Bowl.

January 8, 1989 - Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati - AFC Championship had the Boomer Esiason led Cincinnati Bengals knocking off the Buffalo Bills, 21-10 for the right to play in the Super Bowl.

January 8, 1989 - Soldier Field, Chicago - At the NFC Championship it was the San Francisco 49ers taking care of business as they defeated the Chicago Bears, 28-3.

January 8, 1998 - The General Manager of the New York Football Giants, George Young resigned to accept a position with the League.

January 8, 2007 - BCS National Championship once again had the top two teams in the polls squaring off against each other to produce a champion.This year it was Ohio State who held the top spot and their  opponents were the Florida Gators. Sports-Reference.com shows how the game was a route as #2 Florida demolished #1 Ohio State, 41-14.

January 8, 2008 - Joe Gibbs retires, for the second time, as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Gibbs held the same position with the club from 1981 through the 1992 season and in that span he led the Redskins to eight playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl titles. And he  did it with three different starting quarterbacks! The second time around were three solid years but not to the heights the franchise had  the first time around. 

January 8, 2009 - Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens - Number 2 Florida and top ranked Oklahoma met in the 11th BCS National Championship,. The Sooners put up their great Heisman winning quarterback Sam Bradford against Florida’s Heisman winner in 2007 Tim Tebow. Tebow and the Gators got the better of this game as according to ESPN.com Tebow passed for 2 TD as Percy Harvin rushed for a 121 to lead Florida over Oklahoma, 24-14.

January 8, 2012 - Speaking of Tim Tebow...At the AFC Wild Card Playoff, the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the underdog Denver Broncos, 29–23. The game went into overtime and on the first play of the extra session Tim Tebow found receiver Demaryius Thomas on an 80-yard touchdown pass 
To give Denver the upset.

January 8, 2018 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta - The College Football National Championship hosted two strong SEC foes with #4 Alabama taking on #3 Georgia for all of the marbles. The website CollegeFootballPlayoff.com tells about all of the action. The Bulldogs dominated play in the first half and led 13-0 at the break. TIde Coach Nick Saban though had a secret weapon. Saban turned the game over to his backup true freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tua was remarkable as he steered the offense and led the team to a comeback with 20 points over two quarters to force overtime. The freshman QB ended up becoming the game’s MVP as he tossed  three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver DeVonta Smith. The Tide rolled over Georgia, 26-23 to claim their 5th title in 9 years.

January 8, 1922 - Jamesville, New York -  The great guard from PennState University, Steve Suhey was born. Check out his Bio by clicking his name.

January 8, 1927 - Gates, Tennessee - The University of Indiana’s swift halfback George Taliaferro celebrated his birth. The NFF says that Taliaferro was an instant success as a freshman at Indiana in 1945.  George was a scoring machine as that year he put up three touchdowns, including an 82-yard interception return and a 95-yard kickoff return. He finished his incredible freshman season as the Hoosier’s leading rusher with 719 yards. Taliaferro followed that year up with a few more solid ones to eventually become the MVP of the team in 1948.The National Football Foundation selected George Taliaferro to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

January 8, 1959 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Mark Hermann the Purdue Boilermaker quarterback was born. When Mark graduated from Purdue he was the top passer in NCAA college football history. Mark was the first in history to break two passing thresholds in a college career the 8000 yard plateau and then the 9000 yard one as well! The Footballfoundation.org web bio shares that Hermann held nine passing records at the time, the foremost being 707 passing completions and being responsible for 9188 yards through the air. Hermann finished as a unanimous All-America in 1980. The NFF voters sent Mark Hermann into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Today's photo that is part of the US Library of Congress Collection is titled "Daytona Beach, Florida. Bethune-Cookman College" circa 1943 and was donated by photographer Gordon Parks.