May 10

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss rules changes as well as many more Hall of Fame Legendary stories.

Gridiron ghosts are stirring! Today's date is etched in the annals of football 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!

May 10, 1890 - Rules convention put in place that an injured player removed from the game could not return to the contest. Players were getting injured but still staying on the field when they should have been being treated by medical staff. Note this was of course eventually overturned. But there was a substitution rule that lasted until about 1941 where the players could be substituted for during the game but unlike today’s rules they could not return to the game during the same period or intermission they left in. (Spaldings NCAA Rule book 1933.) When they did return they had to report to the Umpire prior to replacing another player. So players leaving the field for whatever reason had to be careful.

May 10, 1917 - Montreal, Quebec - Charlie O'Rourke the Boston College quarterback of 1938 through the season of 1940 was born.  The National Football Foundation selected Charlie O’Rourke for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972. 

Here is more about this legendary player...

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by Lorin DeLand & Walter Camp circa 1896 and is titled " Football / Walter Camp and Lorin F. Deland. "