July 13 stands as one of the most unpredictable and landscape-shifting dates in professional football history. Imagine an active NFL MVP walking away from the game at age 30 via a long-distance telephone call from a movie set in London, or two franchise owners completely swapping their teams in a jaw-dropping $19 million trade. From Jim Brown’s shocking retirement to the bizarre, historic ownership swap between the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Colts, this date in the football archives proves that the biggest dramas often happen entirely off the gridiron.
July 13 American Football History Timeline
- July 13, 1966: Jim Brown Stuns the World from London– In one of the most shocking retirement announcements in sports history, Cleveland Browns icon Jim Brown officially called it quits on July 13, 1966, at the absolute peak of his powers. At just 30 years old and coming off an MVP season, Brown notified owner Art Modell via a letter and long-distance phone call from London, where weather delays on the set of the film The Dirty Dozen were threatening to overlap with training camp. Rather than face heavy fines from Modell, Brown famously chose Hollywood over the gridiron, walking away as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
The Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the Day takes us to the July 14, 1972 edition of the News-Messenger in Fremont, Ohio, when they posted the following headline:
Rosenbloom Gets Rams
The story told of how on
- July 13, 1972 – Owners from the LA Rams, Robert Irsay, and the Baltimore Colts, Carroll Rosenbloom, swapped franchises in a rare NFL owner’s trade. This $19 million deal had Irsay and partner Willard Keland of Racine, Wisconsin, purchasing the Rams, then they traded the franchise to Rosenbloom, who had multiple financial interests in Southern California, including stock in Warner Brothers. Rosenbloom, in turn, said he would keep Tommy Prothro as the head coach of his newly acquired LA squad, stating, One of the reasons I wanted the Rams was because he’s tied up for five years.” It is interesting that just months later, Prothro was dismissed on January 24, 1973, in favor of Chuck Knox. Less than a year later, Prothro became the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.
- July 13, 1994 – Former NFL RB, OJ Simpson, gives hair samples to authorities as he was being investigated for murder.
July 13 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy Birthday to these legendary trench warriors! As we celebrate July 13, we look back at two elite interior linemen who brought incredible leadership, toughness, and historic upsets to the gridiron during the golden eras of college football.
Here is the list in order of birth:
- Lloyd Yoder [1903] – Nicknamed “The Plaid Bull,” Yoder was a dominant, four-year lettering tackle for Carnegie Tech during an era when the program was a major national power. A 1982 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, his consensus All-American 1926 campaign was highlighted by anchoring one of the greatest upsets in college football history—a stunning 19–0 shutout victory over Knute Rockne’s undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
- Alex Sarkisian [1922] – Born in Istanbul, Turkey, “Sorky” was a ferocious, inspirational two-way star at center and linebacker who captained Northwestern to a historic 20–14 victory over California in the 1949 Rose Bowl. The 1998 College Football Hall of Fame inductee earned First-team All-American honors at linebacker and Second-team honors at center in 1948, famously driving his teammates to legendary comeback victories through sheer willpower and vocal leadership.
Additional Birthdays
- Danny Abramowicz [1945] – Born in Steubenville, Ohio, Abramowicz was a classic “diamond in the rough” find, drafted by the expansion New Orleans Saints in the 17th round (420th overall) of the 1967 NFL Draft out of Xavier. Defying the odds, he became one of the league’s surest-handed receivers, leading the NFL in catches in 1969 with 73, and retiring as a beloved fixture of early Saints history.
Conclusion
Whether charting the monumental career shifts of legendary figures like Jim Brown or tracking the corporate chess matches of Robert Irsay and Carroll Rosenbloom, July 13th highlights the sheer unpredictability of football history. Combined with the gridiron grit of Hall of Fame trench warriors Lloyd Yoder and Alex Sarkisian, and the ultimate underdog story of Danny Abramowicz, this date serves as a perfect microcosm of the sport. It bridges the gap between old-school college powerhouse upsets and the high-finance, Hollywood-infused reality of the modern game.