May 4

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss 4 special College Football Hall of Fame players born on May 4 as well as many more HOF 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 and college fields!

The picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by unknown source circa 1924 and is titled " The four horsemen of the football eclipse [sic] (Notre Dame backfield)  ."

May 4, 1903 - Davenport, Iowa - The famous Notre Dame fullback of 1922 to 1924, Elmer Layden was born. The National Football Foundation has a really good bio on Layden that says that he was one of the famed Fighting Irish Four Horsemen. He was the heaviest of the four at 162 pounds but yet his nickname was “thin man.” New Year's Day, 1925, at the Rose Bowl, and the final curtain call for Notre Dame's famed Four Horsemen. Their opponent was the Stanford Cardinal team, who had prepared for the Irish offensive firepower which had been headlined across the nation. Instead, it was the defensive prowess of Elmer Layden which buried Stanford. The Los Angeles Times had an article the next day that stated “BREAKS DECIDE ROSE BOWL FRAY, Cards outscore Notre Dame in all but points.” The article says that the Stanford defense prevented the Irish from even registering a first down in the second half! Layden scored first on a three-yard run before turning a pair of pick sixes  of 78 and 60 yards! Knute Rockne could afford to play a bit more conservatively in the back half of the game when your defense is churning out points like that with splash plays. Elmer had tallied three of four Irish touchdowns to provide a final triumph in a perfect 10-game season which brought Notre Dame its first undisputed national championship. Layden’s unique running style at fullback was equally uncanny. "He developed a straight-line dive that made him one of the most unusual fullbacks in football", stated coach Knute Rockne. The Irish posted a combined record of 27-2-1 during Layden's varsity career. Elmer Layden’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1951. The prolific player later became the head coach at Duquesne and then served as Irish coach from 1934 to 1940, compiling a record of 47-13-3 before leaving to become Commissioner of the National Football League for six seasons.

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Here are the bios on some 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 4 Football History.

May 4, 1910 - Milton, Massachusetts - Barry Wood the Harvard University quarterback from 1929 to 1931 arrived into this life.  The National Football Foundation selected Barry Wood for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

May 4, 1928 - Ponca City, Oklahoma - Michigan State’s fine tackle of 1949 to 1951, Don Coleman was born. Coleman’s good name and collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1975.  

May 4, 1938  - Hampton,    Arkansas - Wayne Harris who played center for Arkansas from 1958 to 1960 arrived into this life.  Mr. Harris was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 after the National Football Foundation tabulated their votes.