By Darin Hayes 
October 10th is a date rich in American football history, celebrating both monumental birthdays and groundbreaking records. We honor the birth of Brett Favre in 1969, the legendary Green Bay Packers gunslinger who redefined the quarterback position. This date also marks the first-ever game for the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) in 1920, and a 1964 Steelers game where John Henry Johnson blazed a trail with a 200-yard rushing performance. Join us as we reflect on the players and pivotal moments that forever cemented this day in the NFL and college football timelines.
October 10 Football History Headlines
On October 10, 1920, the Chicago Cardinals played their first game in the American Professional Football Association (later known as the NFL). The game against the cross-town rivals, the Chicago Tigers, ended in a 0-0 draw. Paddy Driscoll was the head coach of this version of the Cardinals, who finished the season at 6-2-1 and placed fourth in the AFPA.
OTD (10/10) in 1920, the Racine (now Arizona) Cardinals played their first game in a new professional league that would soon become the NFL. The Cards traveled north to Cubs Park and tied the dastardly Chicago Tigers 0-0. A week later, the team would become the Chicago Cardinals! pic.twitter.com/1xfBrJNbmo
— Joe Ziemba (@cardschicago) October 11, 2025
On October 10, 1921, the former Decatur Staleys played their first game as the Chicago Staleys and won 14-10 over the visiting Rock Island Independents. The Staleys ended the season with a 10-1-2 record, having played every game in Chicago. The following season, Owner/Coach George Halas would rename the team the Chicago Bears.
On October 10, 1942, a critical game was held at the neutral site of Cleveland Stadium during the height of World War II, pitting the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) Panthers against the powerful Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets. The Great Lakes squad was a formidable service team composed of enlisted college and professional football players, including 1941 Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith. Despite being massive underdogs, Pitt put up a “titanic battle,” shocking the 12,315 spectators by holding the veteran Great Lakes team scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. The heavily favored Bluejackets ultimately prevailed by a single point, 7-6, after Pitt had missed a conversion earlier in the contest. Great Lakes outgained Pitt from scrimmage by a whopping 357 yards to 100, illustrating Pitt’s determined defensive effort in the close loss.
Sailors Winning Point 11 Oct 1942, Sun The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) Newspapers.com
On October 10, 1960, A CFL rushing record for a single game was reached when Ron Stewart of the Ottawa Rough Riders ran for 287 yards in a game against the Montreal Alouettes. According to americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com, Stewart capped off his 1960 season by winning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award. In his 13-year career, he ran for 5690 yards on 983 attempts, scoring 42 touchdowns.
October 10, 1964 – Pro Football Hall of Fame running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers, John Henry Johnson, delivered a performance for the ages. In a shocking 23-7 upset victory over the eventual NFL Champion Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the 34-year-old Johnson dominated the game.
He carried the ball 30 times for exactly 200 yards and punched in three rushing touchdowns (including runs of 33 and 45 yards). This was a monumental feat for several reasons:
- It was only the ninth 200-yard rushing game in NFL history up to that point.
- Johnson became the oldest player in NFL history to rush for 200 or more yards in a single game—a record that still stands today.
- His performance completely overshadowed the Browns’ legendary running back, Jim Brown, who was limited to only eight carries for 59 yards that night.
The historic effort cemented Johnson’s legacy as one of the toughest and most durable runners of his era and helped him achieve his second career 1,000-yard rushing season at the age of 35.
JHJohnsonOct11, 1964TDrun 11 Oct 1964, Sun The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) Newspapers.com
October 10, 1976 – The Giants Stadium in New Rutherford, New Jersey, opens up its gates for the first time, but the Dallas Cowboys darkened the festivities a bit when they handed the New York Giants a 24-14 loss in the stadium’s debut.
October 10, 1994 – The New York Giants retired the jersey number 56 in honor of their great former linebacker, Lawrence Taylor.
October 10 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- Walter Gordon
- Frank Sinkwich
- Dwayne Nix
- Brett Favre