October 27

For the Football History Headlines on this day we discuss how Dan Marino got the starting job at Pitt, pro football's first pass as well as many more Hall of Fame Legendary stories.

Football history enthusiasts, delve into the gridiron's past! On this very date, history unfolded on the field in several ways. We might be celebrating a record-breaking performance by a legendary player, a trade that sent shockwaves through the league, or even the birth of a new franchise that would leave its mark on the game. Let's lace up our cleats and travel back in time to see what iconic moments transpired on this date in American football history!

First Pro Pass

October 27, 1906  - Per the profootballhof.com website the very first documented pass completion in a professional football game came when George Peggy Parratt of the Massillon Tigers threw a completion to Dan “Bullet” Riley in a victory over a team that was comprised of a combined mix of Benwood players and Moundsville players.

In 2022 our friend Gregg Ficery believes he may have found an earlier completed pro football forward pass. Gregg's Great-Grandfather is Bob Shiring, who played center for the 1906 Massillon Tigers. Shiring snapped the ball to Parratt on October 27 of that year but he also provided to the ball a week earlier to a different Tigers QB. You can learn more about it in 1st Pro Football Forward Pass.

Selmon Brothers Inc.

October 27, 1973 - NFF tells us 1988 College Football Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon and his brothers Lucious and Dewey combined for 26 tackles as Oklahoma downs Kansas State 56-14 in the 16th game of a 37-game unbeaten streak for the Sooners.

Dan the Man

October 27, 1979 - Per the National Football Foundation's website, No. 12 Pittsburgh freshman quarterback and future College Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino passed for 227 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers sunk undefeated No. 17 Navy Midshipmen, 24-7. Pitt starting quarterback Rick Trocano went down early in the first quarter and never regained his starting spot from Marino. The Midshipmen jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter before giving up 24-straight points in the losing effort.

Wake Forest Big Day!

October 27, 1979 - From Wake Forest Athletic Department-  James McDougald rushed for four touchdowns, three in the second half, to lead 18th-ranked Wake Forest to a come-from-behind 42-38 win over Auburn at Groves Stadium.  The win improved Wake Forest’s record to 7-1 on the season.  

WIllie Totten Lights It Up

October 27, 1984 -  Per the NFF website, 2005 College Football Hall of Famer Willie Totten of Mississippi Valley State passes for 599 yards against Prairie View, the third best single-game performance in I-AA history. Totten threw for over 530 yards in a single game four times in his collegiate career.

Baltimore Bound

October 27, 1995 - Art Model and officials in Baltimore, Maryland finalized by them signing the contract to move the Cleveland Browns' franchise Baltimore. We of course later learned that the City of Cleveland would retain Brown's name and the former Browns franchise would become the Baltimore Ravens.

Holy War 13

October 27, 2001 - Per the On this Day website we are informed that the 13th edition of the College Football Holy Wartook place as Boston College beat Notre Dame 21-17 in Chestnut Hill.

Emmett Smith Breaks the Record!

October 27, 2002- Dallas Cowboys runner Emmett Smith breaks Walter Payton's career yards rushing record of 16,726 yards to become the NFL's All TIme Leading Rusher per the onthisday.com website. Smith ended up rushing for 109 yards in the game but the Cowboys fell to the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in the contest. Just to serve your memory, Walter Payton had held the record since October 7, 1984 when he surpassed the mark that Jim Brown had held for decades.

October 27, 1928 - San Antonio, Texas - William Kyle Rote a halfback from Southern Methodist University arrived into this world. Rote was honored in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964. Kyle played a short stint in minor league baseball then the joined on with the NFLs New York Giants where he played from 1951 through 1961 and was a team captain. Kyle Rote even made the Pro Bowl four times to cap off a brilliant career in football.

Bill George, I think He's Got it!

October 27, 1929 - Waynesburg, Pennsylvania - Bill George a linebacker from Wake Forest University was born.  Bill played in the NFL for 15 years for both the Bears and the Rams. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a neat piece on Bill George in his bio on their site. George made a now historic move that permanently changed defensive strategy in the National Football League.
On passing plays, George’s job was to bump the center and then drop back. George, noting the Eagles success at completing short passes just over his head, decided to skip the center bump and drop back immediately. Two plays later he caught the first of his 18 pro interceptions. While no one can swear which middle guard in a five-man line first dropped back to play middle linebacker and create the classic 4-3 defense, George is the most popular choice. Bill had 8 seasons where he was selected as an All-NFL player as well as 8 where he made the Pro Bowl roster. George’s 18 interceptions were surpassed only by his 19 career fumble recoveries.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Bill George in 1974