Football History of January 26

Gridiron Legends and Super Bowl Glory: This Day in Football History (January 26)

From the controversial stripping of Jim Thorpe’s Olympic gold to the birth of the Chicago Bears’ legendary “46 Defense” dominance in Super Bowl XX, January 26 stands as one of the most pivotal dates in sports history. Whether it’s the election of the man who built the modern NFL, Pete Rozelle, or the birthdays of Hall of Fame icons like Jack Youngblood, this date is packed with stories that shaped the game we love. Join us as we explore the monumental milestones and legendary figures defining January 26 in football history.

January 26 Football History Timeline

• January 26, 1913 – Jim Thorpe relinquished his 1912 Olympic medals for playing as a professional. An Olympics Fandom.com article states that in late January 1913, the Worcester Telegram published a story announcing that Thorpe had played professional baseball, and that other U.S. newspapers followed up. Thorpe had indeed played professional baseball in the Eastern Carolina League for Rocky Mount, North Carolina, in 1909 and 1910, receiving meager pay; reportedly as little as US $2 per game and as much as $35 per week. College players, in fact, regularly spent summers playing professionally, but most used aliases, unlike Thorpe.
• January 26, 1960 – According to the Raiders.com website, at an AFL owners meeting, Lamar Hunt of the Dallas Texans was named as the first AFL president.
• January 26, 1960 – Pete Rozelle elected NFL commissioner on 23rd ballot. A dozen National Football League team owners cast 23 ballots over a nine-day span in a futile attempt to find a successor for Bert Bell, the league’s popular and competent commissioner, who had died three months earlier. Early in the marathon meeting, Austin Gunsel, the NFL’s treasurer, and Marshall Leahy, the league’s chief legal counsel, each had strong but almost-equal support. Numerous attempts to settle on experienced, well-known compromise nominees came to naught. Finally, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, two powerful and respected administrators – Wellington Mara of the New York Giants and Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns- hit on the idea of Pete Rozelle, the 33-year-old general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, as a candidate most owners might accept. Rozelle was informed of their decision and then asked to leave the room so his name could be presented and discussed. Moved HQ from Philadelphia to New York, Rozelle announced a contract had been signed with CBS, producing the then princely sum of $4,650,000 a year to be divided equally among the NFL’s teams. AFL Merger.
• January 26, 1976 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – In the NFL Pro Bowl, the NFC edged out the AFC, 23-20. The game’s MVP was Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, the wide receiver of the Houston Oilers.
• January 26, 1986 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – Super Bowl XX presented the New England Patriots versus the Chicago Bears. The Bears were the top team in the league, boasting only a single loss all season in a Monday Night Football contest at Miami. The defense of that 1985 Bears team may be the best ever in NFL history, as Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka’s team surrendered only 198 points for the season, according to a History.com article. Players like Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, and William “the Refrigerator” Perry made a formidable front against any opposing offense. In fact, at halftime in this game, the Patriots had a total of negative 19 yards! The defense was ferocious, causing 6 New England turnovers, 4 of which resulted in Chicago points. Walter Payton graced the ball control offense of the Bears to perfectly complement the strong D. The Chicago Bears knocked around the New England Patriots that day 46-10 to capture the NFL crown, the first such since 1963. Richard Dent, from his defensive end position, earned the Super Bowl XX Most Valuable Player Award.

• January 26, 1991 – Jan Stenerud became the first pure placekicker inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• January 26, 1992 – Metrodome, Minneapolis – Super Bowl XXVI featured the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins. We looked at an article on the Washington Team website to garner the game’s details. The 1991 Redskins were a tough, seasoned group that started the season 11-0. They finished 14-2, then crushed the aspirations of Atlanta and Detroit with a 65-17 scoring differential in the playoffs. Their Super Bowl opponents, the Bills, were 13-3 in the regular season and had the NFL’s most explosive offense led by Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed, and a defense that featured sack master Bruce Smith. The first quarter was scoreless as the Bills avoided two deep Washington drives by a missed field goal and an interception of Mark Rypien. However, the Redskins would not be denied in the second quarter as they held a 17-0 halftime lead on a Lohmiller 34-yard field goal, a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rypien to Earnest Byner, and a 1-yard TD plunge by Earnest Byner. It got worse for the Bills just 16 seconds into the third quarter as an errant Kelly pass landed into the hands of linebacker Kurt Gouveia, who returned it 23 yards to the Buffalo 2. One play later, Gerald Riggs crossed the goal line to increase the Redskins’ lead. The Bills got things rolling a bit later, but it wasn’t enough as the Washington Redskins outlasted the Buffalo Bills, 37-24. The game’s MVP was Mark Rypien.
• January 26, 1997 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – At Super Bowl XXXI, the Green Bay Packers knocked around the New England Patriots, 35-21. Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe was intercepted 4 times and sacked 5 times, 3 times by legendary player Reggie White, as the Packers gave pressure all game long. The game’s MVP was kick returner Desmond Howard of Green Bay, who famously returned a 3rd quarter kick 99 yards to paydirt to solidify the Packers’ lead.
• January 26, 2003 – Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego – Super Bowl XXXVII was a one-sided affair as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders, 48-21. The Bucs used a surge of 34 unanswered points to dim Oakland’s chances. The Most Valuable Player was Tampa Safety Dexter Jackson, who picked off two first-half Raider passes. Super Bowl XXXVII drew 138.9 million viewers, making it, at the time, the most-watched television program in history.
• January 26, 2014 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – The first year of the NFL’s attempt to bring a different angle to the stale NFL Pro Bowl had them not separate the stars by conference but take the vote winners and have two former stars, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders, choose the teams in a style much like you would do in gym class. Team Rice edged out Team Sanders, 22-21. The game’s MVPs were Nick Foles of Philadelphia and linebacker Derrick Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs.
• January 26, 2020 – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida – At the 2019 season’s NFL Pro Bowl, the AFC defeated the NFC, 38-33. Lamar Jackson, QB of the Baltimore Ravens, and his future teammate Calais Campbell, who at the time was a Defensive End with the Jacksonville Jaguars, were awarded the Most Valuable Player awards.

January 26 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

• Marty Below
• Fred Miller
• Henry Jordan
• Jack Youngblood
• Jeff Davis

Conclusion

From the administrative brilliance of Pete Rozelle to the defensive ferocity of the 1985 Chicago Bears, January 26 is a date etched in the soul of American football. It is a day that reminds us how a single vote can change the trajectory of a league, how a single goal-line stand can define a collegiate career, and how the pursuit of greatness—whether on the field or in the boardroom—continues to inspire generations of fans. As we look back on these milestones, we celebrate the enduring legacy of the players and leaders who made January 26 a day of champions.