By Darin From the literal salvation of the sport to the birth of Ivy League royalty, March 31st is a cornerstone date in the football calendar. In 1906, the precursor to the NCAA was formed to rescue a game plagued by violence, introducing the forward pass and changing football forever. But the history doesn’t stop with rulebooks; today we celebrate the birthdays of two-way Army star Bob Anderson, the lockdown defensive genius of the 49ers’ Jimmy Johnson, and the record-shattering Ed Marinaro—a man whose collegiate rushing average once put legends like OJ Simpson and Tony Dorsett in the rearview mirror.
How incredible is today’s image of football art to appreciate! It has been described as a “holy grail” for our study of gridiron history, introducing the 1928 Rose Bowl program. It documents the historic intersection of two of our interests: Pittsburgh football and Pop Warner’s Stanford. This game wasn’t just a bowl; it was a showdown between the mentor (Warner) and his former program.
March 31 American Football History Timeline
- March 31, 1906 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) is formally established. In 1910, the IAAUS was renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Early football games often resulted in injury and even death, prompting some colleges and universities to close their football programs. The reforms were encouraged by President Roosevelt in 1905. Some of the revisions to the rules from the IAAUS included instituting the legal forward pass and making certain formations illegal.
March 31 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy Birthday to these gridiron legends! Since today is March 31, we are celebrating some of the most versatile and statistically dominant players to ever hit the turf.
Here is your list in order of birth:
- Bob Anderson [1938] A relentless two-way star for Army, Anderson was a two-time All-American who led the Cadets to their last undefeated season in 1958. Despite his collegiate success being interrupted by service in the 101st Airborne and later cut short by injuries with the New York Giants, his legacy as one of the Academy’s greatest scorers and interceptors earned him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
- Jimmy Johnson [1938] The San Francisco 49ers’ top pick in 1961, this “other” Jimmy Johnson from Dallas used his world-class speed to become one of the NFL’s premier shutdown cornerbacks. A 1994 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, he spent 16 seasons in the Niners’ secondary, racking up 47 career interceptions and earning four All-Pro nods.
- Ed Marinaro [1950] A true yardage machine at Cornell, Marinaro once held the NCAA record for rushing yards per game (174.6) and finished as the Heisman runner-up in 1971. After a six-year NFL career that included two Super Bowl appearances with the Vikings, he famously transitioned into a successful acting career on iconic shows like Hill Street Blues.
Conclusion
Whether it was the 1906 reform that legalized the forward pass or the individual brilliance of Hall of Famers like Jimmy Johnson and Ed Marinaro, March 31st represents the evolution of football from a brutal pastime into a strategic masterpiece. These milestones remind us that the game is built on a foundation of safety, innovation, and larger-than-life personalities who transitioned from the stadium to the silver screen and the history books. As we look back on these anniversaries, we honor the pioneers who ensured the “beautiful game” of the gridiron would survive and thrive for generations.
