November 14

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss the Marshall Tragedy of 1970, show you the oldest game footage of a football game, and many more Legendary stories and reflections of the players enshrined in the Halls of Fame.

Football fans, delve into the past! Today's date is etched in NFL history. From legendary trades that shook the league to record-breaking performances on the gridiron, exciting moments unfolded on this very day. We'll explore game-changing events, iconic players who dominated the field, and pivotal decisions that altered the course of franchises. So, buckle up and get ready to revisit the fascinating stories that make NFL history so captivating!

Oldest film of a football game?

November 14, 1903 - How about this treasure! The video below claims to be the oldest known existing copy of football football in the world as Princeton traveled to New Haven to take on Yale. The Tigers overcame the Eli 11-6 in this historic game.

Harvard vs. Dartmouth 

November 14, 1903 - The Crimson and the Big Green clashed in a early football rivalry at Harvard. Dartmouth blanked the Harvard eleven on this day 11-0.

1903 photo taken by an unknown between Harvard and Dartmouth. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Sid Luckman Day at the Polo Grounds?

November 14, 1943 - Polo Grounds, New York - I am not sure if it has ever occurred before but the home team held a special promotional day for the opposing quarterback. Yes the New York Football Giants promoted their game against the Chicago Bears on November 14, 1943 as Sid Luckman Day according to the goldenrankings.com website. Sid had grown up in Brooklyn and was a high school sports legend at Erasmus High. After that he turned down offers from larger colleges and played at local Columbia to star as a single-wing tailback. The folks around New York loved Sid Luckman because he was one of them, but the only problem was that George Halas used the first pick in the 1939 NFL Draft to claim Luckman for the Bears. The pick was a great one for Chicago as they went to three straight NFL Championship games winning the first two but then losing the third to Washington in 1942. Sid did not disappoint his hometown fans by his play but he did break their hearts as he picked apart their beloved Giants. Sid Luckman passed for 7 touchdowns versus the NY Giants that day and the Bears triumphed big by the score of 56-7.

A side by side photo of Sid Luckman with and without the ball in 1939. What trouble he was for a defense! Courtesy the US Library of Congress

 Georgia v. Auburn , 1959

November 14, 1959 - Athens, Georgia - The number 12 Georgia hosted No. 8 Auburn in a big SEC game. Auburn came out of the gates swinging as they built a 13-7 lead on two long field goals by Hall of Famer and 1960 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Ed Dyas. Their touchdown was done via a quarterback sneak by Bryant Harvard. Georgia’s comeback began with less than three minutes to play when Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton hit Don Soberdash for two crucial completions to set up a touchdown pass to Bill Herron with 30 seconds left. Kicker Durwood Pennington became the real hero with the game-winning point after. Georgia defeated  Auburn, 14-13 in a thriller. Georgia’s victory over Auburn was its first over College Football Hall of Fame coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan and the Tigers in seven seasons and it clinched the Bulldogs’ first SEC title since 1949. https://footballfoundation.org/news/2015/11/5/_55462.aspx

Cuozzo makes his mark

November 14, 1965 - According to barstoolsports.com the Baltimore Colts third-year backup QB Gary Cuozzo made his first NFL start, replacing the injured Johnny Unitas who was the reigning NFL MVP.  Cuozzo lit up the Vikings for 5 TDs in a 41-21 rout in Minnesota. For the record, Unitas never threw more than 4 TD passes in a game in his entire career!

The Marshall Tragedy

November 14, 1970 - Kenova, West Virginia - A good portion of the Marshall University football team passed away in the horrible crash of a chartered Southern Airways DC-9. All 75 people on board were killed.  According to history.com’s story on the accident the crash occurred about two miles away from the Tri-State Airport in Kenova as the group was returning from a football game they played against East Carolina University. The victims included 37 players of the Thundering Herd, along with the University’s A.D., the teams coaches, doctor and about 25 boosters. It was one of the largest tragedies in sports history.

Sherk is a Sack Machine 

November 14, 1976 - Cleveland Municipal Stadium- When the Philadelphia Eagles visited the Cleveland Browns they knew the Browns had a pretty good defense. What they didn’t realize was that hidden in the Cleveland lineup was a one man wrecking crew, Jerry Sherk.  Sherk was in the Eagles backfield almost as much as quarterback Mike Boryla.  Sherk set a club record with 4 sacks, Cleveland won the game 24-3.

Shula Sets Record

November 14, 1993 - Miami Dolphins longtime Head Coach  Don Shula becomes the winningest Coach in NFL history. When the Dolphins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 19-14 and it gave Shula his 325th victory in pro football to move him past the long standing record of Papa Bear George Halas.

Buffs Get back on Track 

November 14, 1998 - Boulder , Colorado - In 1998, the CU Buffalos went into the game against the Iowa State Cyclones with a 6-3 record, but had lost three out of the previous four games after a 5-0 start. The Bleacherrport.com website goes onto say that the 5-0 record had earned Colorado a No. 14 ranking, but losses to No. 5 Kansas State, as well as unranked Kansas and Missouri, had dropped the Buffs out of the polls. Senior tailback Marlon Barnes rushed for a career-high 237 yards and two touchdowns as CU got back on track and rolled to a final score of Colorado 37, Iowa State 8.

Titan Up

November 14, 1998 - The Tennessee Oilers changed their name to the Titans officially on this day. According to a story of CBS, franchise owned at the time, Bud Adams stated, "We wanted a new nickname to reflect strength, leadership and other heroid qualities." The franchise started in 1960 as the Houston Oilers as part of the American Football League, and even won the AFL's first two championship games and played and lost in two others dueing the brief existence of the League before merging with the NFL in 1970. Adams moved the teams from Houston to the state of Tennessee in 1996.

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