October 10, 1894 - Walter Gordon was a guard/tackle from the University of California from 1916 through the 1918 season. Walter grew up in Atlanta , Georgia and was the grandson of a slave. Mr. Gordon became one of the first black football players on the West Coast. The National Football Foundation’s bio on his tells us that Gordon was a great lead blocker on offense and a hard-hitting tackler on defense. The National Football Foundation selected him to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975. After graduation, Walter joined the Berkeley Police Force, went to Law School and became a lawyer in 1922. He coached football and did some scouting for California University and eventually President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him the Governor of the US Virgin Islands.
October 10, 1920 - Frank Sinkwich was a halfback from the University of Georgia. It is reported by the NAtional Football Foundation that Frank did not desire to play halfback, due to the fact that in that era of play the halfbacks were the ones who threw the passes. His head coach thought otherwise though, and Coach Wally Butts was right. The awkward, flatfooted Sinkwich worked hard at the halfback position after many hours of practice he became a great passer. In 1942 he set a National Record for total offense with 2187 yards and over 1300 of those through the air. The big stage is where the player really shined through like in the 1942 Orange Bowl where Sinkwich put up a remarkable 382 all-purpose yards in the game. The National Football Foundation selected him to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
October 10, 1922 - Merv Pregulman was a center and tackle from the University of Michigan. According to mgoblue.com Merv was an All-American at defensive tackle but also played center and guard on offense well. The Green Bay Packers drafted Pregulman in the first round of the 1946 NFL Draft and he played there one season before going to Detroit to play with the Lions for two more years before playing his last season with the New York Bulldogs in 1948. The National Football Foundation selected him to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
October 10, 1946 - Dwayne Nix was a former Texas A & I tight end. Dwayne was a Texas football star right from the beginning per footballfoundation.org bio on him. In three consecutive years the youngster made the Associated Press Little All-America team. His college team the Texas A&I Javelinas went undefeated in the NAIA when he was a junior, and the next season they won the National Championship in NAIA football. The National Football Foundation selected him to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
October 10, 1969 - Brett Favre played in the National Football League for 20 highly productive seasons where he was a 3 time NFL player of the Year and made it into 11 Pro Bowls! Do we need to say anything more? Of course we do! Favre attended Southern Mississippi University where he was a four year starter at quarterback. Brett was later picked by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2nd Round and 3rd overall of the 1991 NFL Draft according to his bio on profootballhof.com. Favre saw very limited action as a Falcon and so the next season he was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a first round draft pick. When starter Don Majikowski was injured in Week 3, Brett Favre became the starting QB of the Pack and never looked back. He started that season on a torrid pace that saw him go over 3000 plus yards of passing in 18 straight seasons in the NFL. In 1995 and the two following seasons he took the Packers to the NFC Championship game and won Super Bowl XXXI. Brett played with the PAckers through the 2007 season and then a season with the New York Jets before playing out his final two years with the Minnesota Vikings. Like wine, Favre seemed to get better as 2009 may have been his best season ever as he finished the year with a 107.2 QB rating and tossed for 4,202 yards. Bret Favre was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
