By Darin January 12 is far more than just another day on the calendar; it’s a date packed with pivotal moments that shaped football, both collegiate and professional. From the formal beginnings of the organization that would become the NCAA to the greatest upsets, defensive battles, and miraculous playoff finishes, this day has delivered unforgettable drama. Join us as we journey through the progressive timeline of January 12th and celebrate the historical significance of the games, foundational rules, and the Hall of Famers born on this date.
January 12 Football Image of the Day
Muhlenburg is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Lafayette is located in Easton, PA. Some interesting hand-drawn artwork from the post-war era of football.
January 12 Football History Timeline
- January 12, 1906 – According to the US Library of Congress, the college football rules committee met. It would meet again on March 31, 1906, to formally adopt the name “Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States,” the forerunner of the NCAA. Going through the progressive timeline of this group, we have to refer back to the famous October 9, 1905, meeting where US President Theodore Roosevelt brought together the biggest names in football to discuss making the game safer due to the high number of severe injuries and deaths. On December 28, 1905, the representatives of 62 college programs met to appoint a rules committee for Intercollegiate football. As a result of that committee appointment, this was the first official meeting of the Football Rule Committee. The accomplishments of this first meeting of the new rules-making board were mostly procedural, and the appointment of sub-committees, according to the Cornell Daily Sun write-up.
- On January 12, 1946, the NFL approved the move of the League Champion Cleveland Rams to Los Angeles. We alluded to this in our December 16 post and podcast in the segment on the 1945 NFL Championship game. The relocation was extremely significant for multiple reasons. The team had just won the World Title for God’s sake! The other, and maybe even more groundbreaking, item was that, at the time, the next-closest NFL franchise to LA was 200 miles away in Chicago, according to the SportsTeam History.com site. By leaving Cleveland, the Rams allowed the AAFC’s Cleveland Browns to dominate the city’s football faithful.
- January 12, 1952 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The second annual NFL Pro Bowl game was played. According to the American Football Database, it was the National Conference, coached by the Rams’ head man Joe Stydahar, that defeated the Paul Brown-coached American Conference Stars by the score of 30-13. The game’s Most Valuable Player was the Los Angeles Rams Fullback Dan Towler. That had to make the home crowd happy! The compensation for the players in that game was that the winners each received $600, while members of the losing team got 500 dead presidents in their billfolds.
- January 12, 1958 – LA Memorial Coliseum – Per the Onthisday.com website, the 8th NFL Pro Bowl was won by the Western Conference, which beat the Eastern Conference, 26-7. The MVPs of the contest were Hugh McElhenny, San Francisco 49ers star halfback, and the Washington Redskins great Defensive End Gene Brito.
- January 12, 1964 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Colts Quarterback Johnny Unitas and his Baltimore teammate Gino Marchetti were the co-MVPS of the 14th annual NFL Pro Bowl. This game featured all-time great players, according to Pro Football Reference. Cleveland back Jim Brown, Bears Tight End Mike Ditka, Lenny Moore of the Colts, and Green Bay’s Ray Nitchke were only some of the legends on the rosters. In the game, it was the Western Conference Stars who knocked off their Eastern Conference counterparts 31-17.
- January 12, 1969 – Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida – Super Bowl III, the day the AFL gained some respect. Super Bowl III pitted the AFL Champions, the New York Jets, against the NFL’s heavily favored Baltimore Colts. The most famous art of this game may have been the confident promise of the ever-trend-setting Jets Quarterback Joe Namath, who declared in pre-game interviews that the Jets would win the game, according to the Bleacher Report. In fact, he gave it as a guarantee! It was almost a laughable joke at the time as the Colts were loaded with Johnny Unitas at quarterback, and his backup was the legendary Earl Morrall. The Colts’ head coach was Don Shula. How could they lose to this team from what many considered an inferior league? Well, Nmath backed up his claim of victory by setting the football world on its ear as the New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts, 16-7. The MVP of the game was one Joe Willie Namath of the NY Jets, how appropriate that was!
- January 12, 1975 – Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana – Super Bowl IX had the upstart Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 16-6. This game was dominated by two great defenses; Minnesota’s Purple People Eaters were matched against the Steel Curtain, anchored by Mean Joe Green. The scoring started with a 2nd quarter safety, and the Super Bowl Square that would have won at the half would have been an odd 2-0. Quarterbacks Fran Tarkenton and Terry Bradshaw together mustered a total of only 198 yards passing combined in the game, per Pro-Football-Reference. Franco Harris ran for 158 yards and a touchdown to earn the Most Valuable Player Award.
- January 12, 1986 – Miami Orange Bowl – The AFC Championship game for the 1985 season saw the New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins, 31-14, according to the Onthisday.com website.
- January 12, 1986 – Soldier Field, Chicago – The Chicago Bears dominated the Los Angeles Rams, 24-0, in the NFC Championship game, per the Onthisday.com website.
- January 12, 1992 – Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York – The AFC Championship game went down as the Buffalo Bills knocking off the Denver Broncos, 10-7. The FootballDB.comshows how a Scott Norwood 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was the difference in the defensive battle. John Elway could only muster 121 yards passing, and his backup, Gary Kubiak, added 136, while Bills QB Jim Kelly only threw for 117 yards.
- January 12, 1992 – RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. – The NFC Championship game shows that the Washington Redskins beat the Detroit Lions, 41-10, to enter the Super Bowl, according to the Onthisday.com website.
- January 12, 1997 – Foxborough Stadium – The AFC Championship game featured Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his New England Patriots, who outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-6, according to the Pro-Football-Reference website.
- On January 12, 1997, the NFC Championship game hosted at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers took apart the Carolina Panthers, 30-13, according to the Onthisday.com website.
- January 12, 2013 – Denver, Colorado – Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Joe Flacco launched a 70-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jacoby Jones to tie the game in what has become known as the “Mile High Miracle” during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game. According to ESPN.com, the Denver Broncos were leading the Baltimore Ravens 35-28 with 1:09 remaining. The most unexpected catch and score took the game to overtime, where the Ravens won in overtime on a Justin Tucker 47-yard field goal to advance.
- January 12, 2015 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas – The College Football National Championship featured the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes defeating the #2 Oregon Ducks, 42-20. Sports-Reference.com shares how OSU running back Ezekiel Elliott dominated the game with 4 touchdowns and 246 yards on the ground.
January 12 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Conclusion
The timeline of January 12th is undeniable in the history of football. This single day encompasses the foundation of the modern college game (via the 1906 Rules Committee), the pivotal geographic expansion of the NFL (Rams to LA), and a string of monumental on-field battles, including the legendary Super Bowl III upset and the dramatic “Mile High Miracle.” It’s a date that truly reflects the sport’s evolution, from procedural committee meetings and early Pro Bowls to championship-defining plays in the AFC, NFC, and College Football.
