September 26

September 26, 1920 - The first game featuring an American Professional Football Association team would be played on September 26, 1920 as the Rock Island Independents beat up on their non-league opponent the St. Paul Ideals 48-0. The APFA would change its name to the National Football League in 1922 so in essence this is the very first NFL game played involving at least one team that was in Ralph Hay’s organizational meeting on September 17, 1920.

September 26, 1977 - The first Overtime game is played by the Cleveland Browns franchise as they knock off the New England Patriots 30-27 in the extra period. The NFL adopted an overtime session in 1940 for divisional ties and in 1946 it opened this rule to championship games as well. It wasn’t until 1974 though when the League adopted the sudden death overtime for regular season games. So though it was the Browns first extra regular season session in history, keep in mind that the rule was only a little over 2 seasons old at that time.

September 26, 1967 - St. Louis Cardinal's kicker Jim Bakken is the first player to have ever kicks a record 7 field goals against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His longest that day was 33 yards and his shortest was 18 yards long. The Cardinals capitalized on their kicker's success that game as they defeated the Steelers 28-14 in Pittsburgh.

September 26, 1978 - New York District Court Judge Constance Baker Motley rules that women journalists can not be barred from the locker rooms after a game when men reporters are allowed into them. The case was officially titled Ludke v. Kuhn, as in Bowie Kuhn the former Major League Baseball Commissioner. Journalist Melissa Ludtke was the plaintiff in the case as she sued the MLB, Kuhn and some New York City officials to try and have the right to enter into the NY Yankees locker room after a game just like her male counterparts. The breakthrough court decision paved the way for female reporters to be able to enter locker rooms in most American sports events when their male associates are permitted.

September 26, 1983 - The New York Giants kicker Ali-Haji Sheikh boots a franchise record field goal of 56 yards. The record kick was made in the prime time lights of Monday Night Football and helped the Giants defeat the Green Bay Packers 27-3 at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Sheikh’s Giants record was broken in week 13 of the 2018 season when Alldrick Rosas knocked down a 57 yard field goal to help the G-men get past the Chicago Bears.

September 26, 2021 - The longest play in NFL history was tied when the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jamal Agnew returned a missed field goal 109 yards to paydirt by the Arizona Cardinals kicker Matt Prater on a 68 yard attempt. Also Antonio Cromartie had interception return of 109 and Cordarrelle Patterson with his 109 kickoff return previously set the tied record for the league play length.

September 26, 1871 - Joe Thompson was a former Geneva College and the University of Pittsburgh halfback that played in the early 20th century.  According to the National Football Foundation, Thompson was an Irish immigrant who brought a strong work ethic from across the pond to the American football field. He started his career at Geneva College and then did post-graduate studies at Pitt. In 1904 Thomomson and the Panthers enjoyed an undefeated 10-0 season! The next season he was the captain of the Pitt squad and with that post earned the respect of the school which propelled him into becoming the school’s Head Coach from 1908 through the 1912 seasons. His Pitt Coaching record was an outstanding 30-14-2. The team in 1910 did not allow a touchdown as they won every game! After graduating from the Pittsburgh Law School, Joe went into U.S. Military service and was a decorated hero in World War I as well as saw action in Mexico. The National Football Foundation selected Joe Thompson into their College Football Hall of Fame 100 years after his birth in 1971.

September 26, 1922 - Creighton Miller was a former halfback from the University of Notre Dame that played in the 1941, 1942 and 1943 seasons. Footballfoundation.org tells us that Miller loved the game of golf. He enjoyed chasing the small white ball so much that he often skipped spring football practices, much to the chagrin of Irish Head Coach Frank Leahy.  At the time it irritated immensely but Leahy was quoted later to say that Creighton Miller was the best halfback that Leahy ever coached. There is a lot of evidence in support of this too. During the three seasons that Miller played, the Irish had a record of 24-3-3, the running back led the nation in rushing in 1943 and were the National Champions in 1943. After graduation Miller attended the Yale Law School and while there served as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs football program. He used his Law Degree for the NFLPA from 1956 through 1959 as he served and the Association’s legal counsel. The National Football Foundation selected Joe Thompson into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1976.