By Darin Imagine an NFL without the draft, a New Orleans Saints history without Archie Manning, or a linebacker iron-man record that seemed impossible to break. May 19th is a cornerstone date in the American football timeline, marking the very moment in 1935 when league owners gathered in Pittsburgh to revolutionize the game’s parity forever. From Bert Bell’s visionary proposal for a college player draft to the birthdays of gridiron royalty like Archie Manning, London Fletcher, and John Friesz, this date bridges the gap between the sport’s rough-and-tumble origins and the high-stakes spectacle we watch today.
University of Mississippi
May 19 American Football History Timeline
- May 19, 1935 – An NFL Meeting in Pittsburgh of the top brass and owners of the NFL franchises, as they laid out some new pivotal rules and policies that the League adopted.
The Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the day comes from the May 20, 1935 edition of the Pittsburgh Press that says;
“ You Can’t Say We Didn’t Do Plenty!”
Of course, it is a reference to the May 19, 1935, meeting in the Steel City of the top brass and owners of NFL franchises, as they laid out new, pivotal rules and policies that the League adopted. Among the items discussed and approved by Commissioner Joe Carr and the boys was a waiver rule that gave the team with the worst record the season prior first dibs on waived former players from rival teams. The group also made a decision on the former Cincinnati franchise, granting the rights to the city of St. Louis.
Bert Bell, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, completed the purchase of some players from the Detroit Lions. Halfback Robert Rowe, guard Maurice Bodenger, and tackle Robert Emerick were now part of Coach Lud Wray’s Eagles squad.
The Eagles also purchased the rights of tackle Carl Jorgensen from the Packers and halfback Bud Witte. The League also promised to sponsor programs to better acquaint fans with the NFL. In other news from the meetings, Boston Redskins owner George Marshall and his new coach, Eddie Casey, tried to persuade Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, to trade his team captain, Mugsy Skaldany, to the Boston franchise. Marshall’s offer of tackle Steve Sinko, fullback Jim Musick, and an end named Malone was rejected by Rooney and the Pirates as they could not let their beloved star Mugsy go. The biggest item, though, that came out of this meeting was Bert Bell’s suggestion for the NFL to adopt an annual college draft to begin in 1936.
According to an NFL.com post, Bell proposed that the NFL hold an annual player draft to level the playing field and ensure that every franchise remains financially viable. League owners voted unanimously to adopt his proposal, setting up the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936. This first draft was a far cry from the spectacle fans have come to expect today. Held on Feb. 8, 1936, at Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, clubs selected from a pool of only 90 players. But what it has turned into now, not even Bert Bell could have imagined!
May 19 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy Birthday to these gridiron icons! Today, May 19, marks several major milestones—including the 50th birthday of London Fletcher.
Here is the list of legends in order of birth:
- Archie Manning [1949]The patriarch of football’s most famous quarterback dynasty, Archie was a dual-threat sensation at Ole Miss who once accounted for an SEC-record 540 yards of total offense against Alabama. A 1989 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, he spent 14 seasons in the NFL—primarily as the courageous face of the New Orleans Saints—and remains one of the most beloved figures in Southern football history.
- John Friesz [1967]A prolific passer for the University of Idaho, Friesz became the first quarterback to win the Walter Payton Award as the top player in Division I-AA (now FCS) after a 4,000-yard senior season. He parlayed his collegiate dominance into an eight-year NFL career, primarily with the San Diego Chargers, and was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
- London Fletcher [1975]Celebrating his 50th birthday today, Fletcher is one of the most prolific tacklers in the history of the sport, holding the John Carroll University record with 202 stops in a single season. Despite going undrafted, he played 16 NFL seasons without ever missing a game, winning Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams and retiring with 215 consecutive starts—the most ever by an NFL linebacker.
Conclusion
Whether it was the 1935 Pittsburgh meeting that leveled the playing field through the waiver wire and the birth of the draft, or the arrival of legends who defied the odds—like the undrafted London Fletcher—May 19 proves that football’s greatness is built on both policy and passion. These milestones remind us that every superstar, from a Heisman-finalist Manning to a record-breaking Vandal like John Friesz, started with a single opportunity. As we celebrate these anniversaries, we honor the innovators and athletes who transformed a struggling league into America’s premier sporting obsession.