January 21 Football History

🏈 A Day of Dynasties and New Beginnings

January 21 is a cornerstone in football history, linking the leather-helmet era to today’s NFL. It marks the Steelers’ transition with Bill Cowher, the “Steel Curtain’s” 1970s Super Bowl dominance, and the start of a nomadic New York franchise. Whether you enjoy tactical defenses or marquee AFL-NFL matchups, this date delivers.

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January 21 Football History Timeline

Gridiron Time Machine: From 19th-Century Icons to the Dynasty of the 70s

• January 21, 1949 – According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this marks the day that the New York Bulldogs/Yanks franchise began. As we alluded to in our January 19 post, the Yanks really got their League start in 1945, when the Brooklyn team reassembled the Yanks franchise that had left the NFL in the mid-1940’s and joined the All-America Football Conference. They played as the AAFC’s Boston Yanks for three seasons  from 1946 to 1948. In 1949, the franchise changed homes again, returning to the Big Apple as the New York Bulldogs and playing at the Polo Grounds alongside the New York Giants. In the 1950 season, the Bulldogs changed their name back to the Yanks. Later in 1952, the NFL purchased the Yanks from owner Ted Collins.  
• January 21, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The results of the 6th AFL All-Star Game were that the Eastern Division knocked off the Western Division, 30-23. According to RemembertheAFL.com, the game’s MVPs were Babe Parilli, the quarterback of the  Boston Patriots, and the great defensive end of the New York Jets, Verlon Biggs.
• January 21, 1968 – Gator Bowl, Jacksonville – The Eastern Division of the AFL must have liked playing on January 20. Because at the 7th AFL All-Star Game, the Eastern Division once again got one over on their Western Division rivals by the score of 25-24, per RemembertheAFL.com.  A couple of New York Jets were voted as the offensive Most Valuable Players, as Quarterback Joe Namath and Don Maynard shared that spotlight, and the defensive MVP of the game was Speedy Duncan of the LA Chargers, who played defensive back and also returned kicks. Duncan muffed an early punt that the West recovered and later scored on, but his 90-yard kickoff return later in the game made up for it.
• January 21, 1968 – LA Memorial Coliseum – 18th NFL Pro Bowl, according to the American Football Database, was won by the Western Division, which outscored its Eastern counterparts, 38-20. Otto Graham of Washington coached the East while matching wits with the Colts Don Shula. Graham took some heat from his players when he benched QB Fran Tarkenton in the 4th quarter because of who Tarkenton was and the game being a charity exhibition. The Most Valuable Players were Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay’s Dave Robinson. The MVP honor was the second season in a row that Sayers earned it.
• January 21, 1973 – Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas – The 23rd NFL Pro Bowl story was covered once again by the American Football Database. In the contest, the Steelers’ Chuck Noll coached the AFC and faced the man in the fedora, Tom Landry, who was coaching the NFC. The AFC edged out the NFC, 33-28. The game’s MVP was O. J. Simpson, the running back of the Buffalo Bills. The winners cashed out $2000 per man while the NFC players got $1500 in the loss.
• January 21, 1979 – Miami Orange Bowl, Miami – Super Bowl XIII may be one of the greatest NFL Championships ever played, according to a 247Sports.com article. The two top teams of the era squared off with Hall of Fame Coaches, Tom Landry on the Dallas Cowboys sideline, while the Pittsburgh Steelers strategist was Chuck Noll.  The game was heavily hyped in the build-up, and it really lived up to everyone’s expectations and probably surpassed them. The game was a rematch of Super Bowl X, played 3 years earlier, where the Steelers  won 21-17.  The game still holds the record for hosting 19 future Pro Football Hall of Famers. Nol, Landry, Tex Schramm, the Cowboys GM, Pittsburgh owners Art and Dan Rooney, and assistant coaches for Dallas, Mike Ditka and Ernie Stautner.  Part of the pregame hype was Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson mocking Terry Bradshaw’s intelligence, and this enraged many of the Steelers players. Henderson even had a big hit on T.B. that caused a fumble, giving Dallas only a lead, but the Blonde Bomber overcame 3 turnovers to have a great second half.  His throws put receivers Lynn Swann and John Stalworth both over 100 yards receiving on the day, a Super Bowl record for having two on the same team. Dallas had its chance at the end, but Tight End Jackie Smith dropped a wide-open, sure touchdown pass in the end zone with the Cowboys facing 3rd and three from the Steelers’ ten-yard line in the third quarter, and Dallas had to kick a field goal. The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious over the Dallas Cowboys, 35-31. The game’s MVP was Terry Bradshaw. One final note: this was the last Super Bowl ever played at the Orange Bowl. Five of the first thirteen were played there, including the first matchup of these two teams in Super Bowl X and the great Jets versus Colts game in Super Bowl III.
• On January 21, 1992, Bill Cowher was announced as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming only the second coach since 1970. He replaced legend Chuck Noll, who had stepped down after 23 seasons at the helm.
• January 21, 2007- RCA Dome, Indianapolis – The Pro-Football Reference.com states that at the AFC Championship game, the Indianapolis Colts outlasted the New England Patriots, 38-34. Running back Joseph Addai completed a late Colts go-ahead drive at the 1:00 mark of the fourth quarter in this classic Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady contest.
• On January 21, 2007, the NFC Championship was played at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Pro-Football Reference.com lists the Chicago Bears beating up on the New Orleans Saints, 39-14, to advance to Super Bowl XLI.
• January 21, 2018 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia – The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the hopes of the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, in the NFC Championship game.
• January 21, 2018, at the AFC Championship, played at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough. Mass. The New England Patriots edge out the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20.

January 21 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

• Lynn Bomar
• George Connor
• Jacob Green
• Aaron Taylor

Conclusion: The Threads of Greatness

From the birth of college legends like Lynn Bomar to the high-stakes drama of Super Bowl XIII, January 21 serves as a microcosm of football’s evolution. It reminds us that the game is built on a foundation of visionary owners like Dan Reeves, resilient franchises like the Bulldogs/Yanks, and the legendary players who turned exhibition Pro Bowls into fierce competitions. As we look back at these anniversaries, we see the blueprint of the modern NFL—a league defined by its history, its heroes, and its heart-stopping finishes.