September 13

Here is what happened on September 13 in football hsitory: The Falcons scored a record amount of points in a quarter; QB Steve Deberg tossed for 5 TDs with the Bucs; and big day for the ladies of broadcasting in football history. Hear about it on our daily podcast right here!

As we flip the calendar page, we delve into another chapter of pigskin history. From legendary comebacks that defied the odds to record-breaking performances that left fans speechless, remarkable moments unfolded on this very date. So, buckle up and get ready to relive iconic plays, celebrate trailblazing athletes, and revisit the captivating stories that continue to shape the ever-evolving narrative of professional football. Let's lace up our cleats and journey back in time to witness the incredible feats that transpired on this historic day in the NFL!

September 13, 1981 - The Atlanta Falcons tie a record when they scored 31 points in the fourth qurter against the Green Bay Packers. At the start of the final stanza the Pack had a 17 point lead at home in the confines of Lambeau Field but the Falcon's quarterback Steve Bartowski and company had not given up even though they had not scored a point all day due in part to a stiffling Packer's defense.  The Falcon's defense became increasingly agressive with blitz packages that stalled the Green Bay offense and Bartowski found his top wide out Alfred Jenkins with some key strikes to move the Atlanta "O" down the field to paydirt. It looked like Green Bay at one point had found it's offense again as they moved the ball with passes from Lynne Dickey to wide out James Lofton, but a back breaking fumble by runningback Terdell Middleton and subsequent 57 yard scoop and score by Falcon's defender LB Joel Williams kept the game's momentum with Atlanta. Final score 31-17.

September 13, 1987 - Quarterback Steve DeBerg set a Tampa Bay Buccaneer record as he connects on 5 touchdown passes during a game against the Atlanta Falcons in a 48-10 romp by the Bucs. over their divisional rivals.

September 13, 1992 - The New York Giants come close to a late comeback win of their own against their divisional rival the Dallas Cowboys. Down 34-0 in the third quarter the G-Men put up 28 unanswered points but fall short as the "Boys step up late to hold onto a 34-28 "W."

September 13, 1999 - The Denver Bronco's officially retire quarterback John Elway's number 7 jersey.

September 13, 2018 - Internet Giant, Amazon live streams an NFL game with an all female broadcast team. During the Cincinnati Bengals versus Baltomore Ravens contest the voices of Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm graced the soundwaves to entertain the web viewing audience. The Bengals ended up on top 34-23. 

September 13, 2020 - A full slate of Sunday games kicked off the NFL regular season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most states of these games did not allow fans into the stadiums to watch the games live, but television coverage brought the action into the safety of most American homes. Big news items of this day were how players would respond to recent social events at the National Anthem, of which television would not air. A NFL record for the age of starting quarterbacks was reached as the Tom Brady led Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveled to face Drew Brees and the New orleans Saints. The Saints triumphed 34-23 after Brady threw 2 interceptions, including a pick six. The Washington Football Team played their first game after dropping the controversial Redskins nickname, as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-17. The Los Angeles Rams opened up their new home field that they share with the LA Chargers, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA as they knocked off the Dallas Cowboys 20-17.

September 13, 1898 - Glenn Killinger was a former Penn State University quarterback.  As World War I broke out Killinger was informed that at 17 year of age he was too young to enlist in the U.S. Army so instead he enrolled at Penn State in Metalurgical Engineering. While at the school he met a very influential person in his life, Coach Hugo Bezdek. Bezdek was quite an accomplished athlete in his own right (we will get into him in much more detail on his birthday April 1). The player and coach clicked, and Bezdek molded the young Glenn Killinger into a fine QB and a great basball player too! Killinger earned 9 letters in athletics at PSU for football, baseball and basketball. During the 1921 gridiron season, Walter Camp selected the great broken-field runner as the quarterback of the first-team All-American Football Players. The highly regarded sports writer, Grantland Rice described Killinger as "one of the best running quarterbacks."  Legendary coaches Pop Warner and John Heismann compared him to Jim Thorpe for being one of the geatest multisport athletes in America. After graduation Killinger played professional football for the NFL's Canton Bulldogs and New York Giants as wellas for the 1st AFL's Philadelphia Quakers. The athletic Killinger also played minor league baseball for 10 years and had a stint in the Big Leagues with the New York Yankees. Somehow he also fit in being the Head Football Coach at Dickinson College (1922), Rennsellaer Polytechnical Institute (1927-1931), Moravian College (1933), West Chester University (1934-1959 except 1944) and the North Carolina Flight School (1944).  His career college coaching record was 176-72-16. Glenn found the time to coach some college baseball and basketball too as well as being a minor league baseball manager to boot! The College Football of Fame chose him to enter their hallowed halls in 1971. 

September 13, 1915 - Clint Frank was a former Yale University halfback. At Yale he was  a two year captain of the team and earned the selection as an All-American player. In 1937 he won both the Maxwell Award and the Heismann Ward, beating out the legendary Byron "Whizzer" White, for his great play on the field.  Though he was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the 12th round of the 1938 NFL Draft he neversigned on and thus did not play football at the professional level. He eventually served his country in the Army Air Corp as a Lieutenant Colonel during World War II. The College Football of Fame selected Frank to enter the Hall in 1955's entry class per the National Football Foundation. 

September 13, 1922 - Zygmont Czarobski was a former tackle from the University of Notre Dame that played during the mid 1940's. Czarobski's FIghting Irish play was interrupted for a couple seasons as he served in the military during Word War II but he went right back after the war to finish his studies and his playing eligibility. Zygmont played pro football in the All-American Football Conference for the Chicago Hornets and Chicago Rockets. He was selected to enter the College Football of Fame in 1977.

Special thanks to the Pro Football Reference website.