September 30

Here is what happened on September 30 in football history: Football's first televised game; the longest play in NFL history occurred; and Mel Gray starts an unbelievable streak. We have a nice podcast of gridiron historic headlines in store for you in this edition. All of the news events concerning football for September 30.

We're diving into the archives to revisit the headlines that rocked the NFL landscape. From legendary draft-day decisions that changed franchises to record-breaking performances that left fans in awe, get ready to relive the electrifying moments that shaped the game we love. So, lace up your cleats and join us as we explore the captivating stories from the gridiron's rich past!

September 30, 1939 - The very 1st College game aired on TV was between Waynesburg College and Fordham University on station W2XBS broadcasted by NBC.  A convoy of cars carried 42 players and coaches almost 400 miles to Randall’s Island, New York to face powerhouse Fordham. Fordham’s head coach was Sleepy Jim Crowley who was one of Notre Dame’s famed Four Horsemen. Crowley was worried about his team overlooking an inferior Waynesburg squad according to an NCAA.com article. Crowley’s worry grew a bit as Waynesburg struck first blood taking the lead 7-0/ The Fordham Rams came back though rattling off 34 unanswered points for the 34-7 win. The game play was relayed to the Empire State Building and then broadcast by the World’s Fair experimental station W2XBS by RCA and NBC. Reportedly it only reached about 500 to 5000 home viewers, far less than 9,000 in paid attendance that watched the game live. The experiment opened up the possibility of broadcasting football on TV though and what a perfect fit it was. Later that same year NBC started televising NFL games.

September 30, 1973 - St. Louis Cardinals receiver Mel Gray starts his streak of 121 straight NFL games with a reception. Who would have known that game where Gray had but 2 receptions for 35 yards in a 45-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys would be part of something much larger 120 games in the future!

September 30, 2002 - The longest play in NFL history occurs. Per an ESPN.com article, Baltimore Ravens DB Chris McAllister returns an missed field goal attempt of Denver Broncos Kicker Jason Elam's that fell short of the uprights 107 yards to paydirt for the NFL record. The previous long play League record had been 106 yards which was accomplished 3 times in NFL history. This NFL has since been broken including a 109 yard return of a missed field goal that took place on September 26, 2021 when the Jacksonville Jaguars Jamal Agnew returned a missed field goal 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 tied for the league record play length.

September 30, 1937 - Bill Carpenter was an end that played from 1957 through the 1959 season for Army. The website footballfoundation.org explains that Carpenter had a position developed by then Army Coach Earl Blaik called the lonely end. In the scheme ten Black Knight players would group in a normal huddle while Carpenter would position himself about 20 yards away and receive hand signals from the huddle as to what play was called. In his final two seasons at West Point, Bill caught 65 passes for over 1000 yards and 5 touchdowns, which were pretty strong numbers in that era.The National Football Foundation awarded Carpenter with entrance into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. Bill Carpenter went on to fight for his country in Vietnam. His bravery and heroism earned him the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, three Air Medals, two Purple Hearts and the Combat Infantry Badge. He even reportedly led his heavily outnumbered men safely out of an ambush by the enemy. Bill Carpenter was not just a football star but was a National Hero!

September 30, 1972 - Greg Myers was a former safety hailing from Colorado State University. His collegiate playing days spanned from 1992 through the 1995 season. Greg was a two time First-Team All-American and led the nation with 555 total punt return yards and three scores on these returns. On defense he had 15 career interceptions and 295 tackles. The College Football Hall of Fame inducted him into their museum in 2012.