May 11

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss a couple of College Hall of Fame players as well as their Legendary stories.

Football history enthusiasts, delve into the gridiron's past! On this very date, history unfolded on the field in several ways. We might be celebrating a record-breaking performance by a legendary player, a trade that sent shockwaves through the league, or even the birth of a new franchise that would leave its mark on the game. Let's lace up our cleats and travel back in time to see what iconic moments transpired on this date in American football history!

May 11, 1874 - Germantown, Pennsylvania - Princeton University’s brilliant end/ tackle, Langdon Lea was born. Langdon was often called “Biffy” by friends and he is credited as being Princeton University’s first ever “official” football coach according to the National Football Foundation’s bio on him. Biffy became the cornerstone of the Tigers defense in an era when defense dominated the sport. Lea would garner the first of his three All-America awards as a sophomore in 1893, leading the Orange and Black to an untainted 11-0-0 record. The bio goes on to describe Lea as swift, aggressive and agile as Langdon roamed the field from his end or tackle position like a big cat stalking his prey of ball carriers.  Lea was denoted as a smart blocker and tackler, Lea captained the Princeton team which finished 10-1-1 in 1895. Yale was the only team to rattle the Tigers that season, dropping the Orange and Black, 20-10 to place the single mark in the “L” column. Up until 1901, players or alumni served as coaches of the Princeton teams but that year, school officials decided to name Lea as their first formal coach. He promptly led the team to a 9-1-1 record however that season was his only one at the helm of the Tigers with the title of Coach. During Biffy’s four seasons wearing the Orange and Black, he anchored a defense that posted 35 shutouts in 47 games. He was not soon forgotten either as fifty years after he played his last game for the Tigers, he was still being named to All-Time Eastern teams. Langdon Biffy Lea received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964    .
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May 11, 1983 - Santa Ana, California - Southern California’s quarterback from 2003 to 2005, Matt Leinart celebrates his date of birth. The Trojan signal caller had one of the top careers in the history of any collegiate player. Matt took home the prestige of the 2004 Heisman Trophy while guiding his USC squad to consecutive national championships according to the National Football Foundation’s bio on him. Leinart was a two-time First Team All-American, Leinart earned consensus honors in 2004 when besides earning the Heisman he also claimed the Walter Camp Award, Manning Award and AP Player of the Year honors. Matt was also a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year as  the Trojans claimed consecutive AP national titles after wins in the 2004 Rose Bowl, where he earned MVP honors, and the 2005 Orange Bowl. In 2005, Leinart finished third for the Heisman and led USC to a national championship game appearance in the 2006 Rose Bowl. Amazingly Pete Carroll coached the Trojans during Leinart’s tenure, lost only twice in that span posting a lofty record of 37-2. He once threw 212 completions without an interception among many other Pac-10 Conference records. The standout QB held a school-record three 3,000-yard passing seasons and set 12 other USC records by career’s end. Currently ranked third in school history with 10,693 passing yards, Leinart’s 1.85 percent interception ratio was an NCAA-record, and his 94.9 winning percentage was a school record and second-best in NCAA history. Leinart’s number 11 USC jersey was retired after his last game wearing the uniform. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Matt Leinart into their legendary museum in 2017. Leinart was selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL Draft, playing for the Cardinals, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills during his career.

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by Walter Camp circa 1896 and is titled " American Football  Book Cover ."