Football History on 19th of May

Born May 19, 1967, in Missoula, Montana, was John Friesz the signal caller of the University of Idaho from 1986 through the 1989. The National Football Foundation shares that John in the summer before his senior season he attended the Idaho Vandal football camp and was noticed by then head coach Dennis Erickson. “Erickson saw some potential in me,” said Friesz. “He was willing to take a chance on me.” The 6ft-4in, 214 QB never got the chance to play for the future national championship coach at Erickson, as the coach left after John’s red shirt freshman season for the Miami Hurricanes vacated position. John became the starter as a sophomore leading the Vandals to the first of three consecutive Big Sky conference titles. was named a Division I-AA second team All-America as he threw 28 touchdown passes. The following year he became a consensus first team choice as Idaho reached the I-AA semi-finals. In his senior year John became the first quarterback to win the Walter Payton Award as the outstanding player in I-AA football. That season he threw for 4,041 yards and 31 touchdowns. He averaged an outstanding 367.4 yards per game and broke the 300-yard barrier in ten consecutive games. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of John Friesz into their legendary museum in 2006. Friesz was taken in the sixth round of the 1990 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers and passed for 8,633 yards and 45 touchdowns in his eight-year NFL career.

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss the birth of the NFL Draft and legendary players of the College HOF on their birthday, Archie Manning, London Fletcher and John Friesz as well as many more HOF Legendary stories.

Born May 19, 1949, in Drew, Mississippi, was Mississippi quarterback from 1968 to 1970, Archie Manning. You have probably heard of Archie’s sons Peyton and Eli but the original Manning QB was the vine that these two Multi Super Bowl winners got their gusto from. Archie in 1969 according to the FootballFoundation.org website tossed for 436 yards and hoofed out another 104 to lead his Ole’ Miss team against the powerful Alabama eleven. His efforts created an SEC record for total offense of 540 yards! He had a 362-yard game against Louisiana State in 1968, and a 341-yard game over Southern Mississippi in 1970. The elder Manning heaped in a bunch of awards for performances like those too. In 1969, he was Mississippi Sportsman of the Year and recipient of the Nashville Banner Trophy as Most Valuable Player in the Southeastern Conference. Archie was fourth in the Heisman voting in 1969, third in 1970. Archie Manning received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. He was drafted into the NFL by the New Orleans Saints and also spent time with the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings as well before he hung it up after 14 years in the League.