November 1

In this edition of the Football's History Headlines we discuss the creation of the New Orleans Saints as well as many more Hall of Fame Legendary stories involvings stars such as Tom Mack, Ted Hendricks, and more.

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!

November 1, 1966 - Pontchartrain Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana-  NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made the announcement that the League had awarded the 16th franchise in the NFL to the New Orleans Saints franchise. The Saints ended up playing their very first game on September 17, 1967 and the first play was a very memorable 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by rookie John Gilliam against the Los Angeles Rams, as the Saints won the game 27-13 in front of over 80,000 at Tulane Stadium. You can get more details on the story on this great article from nola.com. 

November 1, 2003 - The University of Arkansas vs. the University of Kentucky football game tied an NCAA record for the longest ever played. The regular session of this game was extended by 7 overtime periods until a final outcome was acheived. The Razorbacks ended up finally coming out on top with the 71-63 victory over the Wildcats when Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen fumbled the football on a quarterback keeper play, ending the game.

Slade Cutter - Navy

November 1,1911   - Oswego, Illinois -  Slade Cutter a tackle for the Navy Midshipmen was born on this day.  Slade in high school didn’t set out to play football. In fact he was a musician and played the flute. It wasn’t until he entered Severn Preparatory School in Maryland that the football coach there, a guy by the name of Paul Brown, yes that Paul Brown, asked him to try  out for football. The National Football Foundation bio on Cutter goes onto say how he made the Severn team and then later became an All-American with the Naval Academy team. Cutter also won two letters in lacrosse and three in boxing and was the collegiate heavyweight boxing champion. During World War II Slade commanded a submarine the USS Seahorse and he and his crew sunk 19 Japanese ships. In 1957 Cutter was quoted talking about officers who played football and then had troops under their command: "There is a grapevine in the ranks of all the services. The men make it their business to find out who their officers are. There is a special respect for those who would carry the ball on a football field, throw a wicked block, or make a dead-stop tackle."  Slade Cutter was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. 

Tom Mack - Michigan

November 1, 1943 - Cleveland, Ohio -  Tom Mack the 1965 All-American guard out of the University of Michigan was born. Tom was the Los Angeles Rams 1st round pick in 1966 and boy what great pick he was. Mack played 13 seasons for the Rams and in that span he went to 11 Pro Bowls, never missed a game as his streak was 184 straight and was an All -NFL selection 5 times! Pretty amazing numbers for anyone but especially someone playing offensive line!  Tom Mack entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame at 1999’s enshrinement ceremonies. 

Tom Curtis -Michigan

November 1, 1947  - Cleveland, Ohio - Marked the birth of a safety from the University of Michigan, Tom Curtis.  Curtis played for the Wolverines from 1967 through the 1969 season where he was selected as a consensus All-American in 1969. The footballfoundation.org site also tells how Tom set records at Michigan for interceptions in a game, season with 10 adding 431 return yards to them. His career interception mark of 25 picks ranks second in Big Ten history and is tied for  fourth to this day in the NCAA record books! The National Football Foundation inducted Tom Curtis into their College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Tom Curtis moved to the pro game after college, playing for the Baltimore Colts in 1970 and the 1971 seasons and was a member of the Super Bowl V championship team.

The Mad Stork - Ted Hendricks

November 1, 1947 - Guatemala City, Guatemala -  Ted Hendricks the linebacker from the University of Miami, Florida came into this life. According to the National Football Foundation’s website bio on the player,  Ted Hendricks stood 6- 7 and weighed in at 218-pound while at the University of Miami and his angry style of play along with his long lanky physical stature had peers dub him as the “Mad Stork”. As a defensive end during his three seasons with the Hurricanes, Ted received All-America recognition 3 times by totaling 327 tackles and that averages out to a remarkable 109 tackles per season. Pretty good numbers for a DE! Ted was also an above average student at Miami majoring in Math with a minor in psychology. The NFF selected and placed Ted Hendricks into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Ted was the number pick of the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 NFL Draft and he played pro football as a linebacker, 1969-83, with the Colts, Packers and Raiders, and was a member of four winning Super Bowl teams. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s bio, in his career, Ted intercepted 26 passes, which he returned for 332 yards and a touchdown. He also recovered 16 opponents' fumbles and scored a record-tying four safeties. Hendricks scored touchdowns on an interception, a fumble return, and a blocked punt. In all he blocked 25 field goals/points after attempts in his pro career scored 4 safeties and played on 8 Pro Bowl teams.  In 1990, Ted Hendricks was honored by being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Steve Hutchinson - Leading the way

November 1, 1977  - Fort Lauderdale, Florida -  Steve Hutchinson a guard from the University of Michigan was born. The profootballhof.com website states that Steve was 6’4”, 315-pound and was drafted in the first round, the 17th player taken overall, of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He played 12 NFL seasons both in Seattle and with the Minnesota Vikings. In that span he made 7 Pro Bowl teams, and was selected to the All Decade team of the 2000’s and even played in Super Bowl XL with Seattle. Steve was an integral part of an offensive line unit that blocked the way for Shawn Alexander to earn the Associated Press’ NFL MVP honors in 2005 after rushing for a team-record 1,880 yards and setting an NFL record with 28 touchdowns, 27 of those on the ground.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame selected Steve Hutchinson to enter their ranks in 2020.