May 21

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss and celebrate Bud Grant, Johnny Majors and Ricky Williams among other as well as many more legendary gridiron stories.

May 21, 1949 - The Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the day is from the Republican and Herald from Pottsville, Pennsylvania when they printed off; “Mich. State Returns to West Conference!” This was in reference to the Spartans having rejoined the Big Nine Conference to again make it the Big 10. The Spartans were eligible to compete in their new Conference in every sport except football in the 1950-51 season. Football would have to wait until the 1953 season to have a standing in the Big 10 Conference because the gridiron schedules had already been finalized for the nine member teams for the next three seasons in December 1948.

Here are some bios on  birthday boys that are either in the College Football Hall of Fame or the Pro Football Hall of Fame that were born on this day. There is plenty more about them to read by either clicking their high-lighted name or at the top of this page clicking the "On This Day in Football History" and going to May 21 Football History.

May 21, 1935 - Lynchburg, Tennessee - Johnny Majors the 1954 through 1956 season star halfback of the Tennessee Volunteers football program was born. The National Football Foundation selected Johnny Majors for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.  His contributions of coaching up winning football was not over though as he returned to coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 1993, the same school Majors won a national title with in 1976.

May 21, 1940 - Bryan, Texas - James Saxton Jr. the great university of Texas halfback from 1959 to 1961, arrived via stork delivery.  James Saxton Jr. was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 after the National Football Foundation tabulated their votes. 

May 21, 1943 - Dornsife, Pennsylvania - Penn State defensive tackle Glenn Ressler was born. According to the National Football Foundation’s bio on him Glenn was the center for Penn State and he also played middle guard on defense. His excellence at his assignments won him the  Maxwell Award in 1964 which is the award that is given to the nation's best player. The award was 28 years old in 1964, and Ressler was the fifth lineman to win it. He was all east twice and consensus All-American in 1964. In 1963 he had 15 unassisted tackles when Penn State upset # 1-ranked Ohio State 26-0. The Associated Press and Sports Illustrated named him Lineman of the Week. Glenn Ressler received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.  

May 21, 1943 - Corpus Christi, Texas - Johnny Roland the Missouri two way  running back / defensive back from 1962 and 1964 to 1965 arrived into this life. The FootballFoundation.org says s a sophomore in 1962, he was a running back. He rushed for 830 yards, seventh best total in the nation, and scored 78 points, ninth in the nation. He rushed for 155 yards against Oklahoma State, 104 against Iowa State. When he returned for his junior year in 1964, Coach Dan Devine moved him to defensive back. He made All-America at this position in 1965. Roland stood 6-2, weighed 198, and was a power runner. In 1965, Roland also returned 42 punts and kickoffs for 690 yards, averaging 16.4 yards on each. Missouri retired his jersey, No. 23.  Johnny Roland’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1998.    He had an 8-year playing career in the pros with St. Louis and the New York Giants. Then came a career as assistant coach -- with the Green Bay Packers 1974, Notre Dame 1975, and various pro teams after that.

May 21, 1958 - Berea, Ohio -  Jim Ritcher the North Carolina State center from 1976 to 1979 was born.  According to the National Football Foundation in 1979 Jim was the very first player at the center position to take home the Outland Trophy, which was named for the nation's best interior lineman! The award had been in existence 33 years and had never been won by the center, the most interior lineman there is!  Ritcher was a two-time All-America and two-time winner of the Jacobs Trophy as the best blocker at his position in the ACC. Jim Ritcher’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1998. Ritcher had a nice long pro career as he played 16 years in the National Football League with Buffalo and Atlanta.

May 21, 1977 - San Diego, California - Texas running back Ricky Williams arrived to claim his date of birth. Ricky wore the Longhorn burnt orange from 1995 to 1998 and completed his collegiate career as the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 6,279 yards per the NFF. Ricky was a unanimous First Team All-American in both his junior and senior seasons taking home the 1998 Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, and he was the first-ever two-time recipient of the Doak Walker Award. The two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year won back-to-back NCAA rushing titles in 1997 and 1998, and he set 21 NCAA records, including all-purpose yards (7,206) and rushing touchdowns (72). The powerhouse back reached a milestone reached by only a very few talented players as he posted three straight 1000 yard seasons on the ground.     Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 following his All-America career at Texas. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Ricky Williams into their legendary museum in 2015. with the fifth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, Williams would go on to spend eleven seasons in the NFL with the Saints, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens and one season with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He also holds a Miami Dolphin record with (24) 100 yard games! 

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by World Telegram & Sun photo by F. J. Higgins circa 1891 and is titled " Football team -- 1891 -- Rutgers University ."