Football History

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1934 - From the archives of gridiron history, a pivotal moment captured in the Zanesville Signal's March 25, 1934 edition: 'Portsmouth Spartans Sold to Detroit Syndicate.'

This headline heralds the events of March 24, 1934, a day that reshaped the NFL landscape. George Richards, a prominent Detroit radio magnate and owner of WJR, spearheaded a syndicate that acquired the struggling Portsmouth Spartans.

Seeking a larger stage, Richards relocated the franchise to the Motor City, transforming them into the Detroit Lions. As SportsTeamHistory.com recounts, the 'Lions' moniker was chosen to resonate with the city's beloved baseball team, the Tigers, marking the birth of a football legacy in Detroit.

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One of the most significant pigskin pranks happened at the Rose Bowl in early January one year.

The Rose Bowl, played on Monday, January 2, 1961, contained a fascinating secondary story. That year, the Washington Huskies were pitted against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. At halftime, the Huskies led 17–0, and their cheerleaders took the field to show the spectators in the stands in a card stunt, a routine involving flip cards depicting various images for the audience to raise. However, several California Institute of Technology students altered the card stunt shown during the halftime break by making the Washington fans inadvertently spell out CALTECH.

The prank has been described as the "greatest collegiate prank of all time" and received national attention. NBC broadcasts the game to an estimated 30 million viewers across the United States. One author wrote, "Few college pranks can be said to be more grandly conceived, carefully planned, flawlessly executed, and publicly dramatic" than the Great Rose Bowl Hoax, as it is now called.

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NFL's Odd Couple! Relive the bizarre 1945 merger of the Boston Yanks and Brooklyn Tigers. Short on players due to WWII, these unlikely allies combined forces for one strange season. A quirky footnote in NFL history you won't believe!

Facing player shortages during World War II, the Boston Yanks and the Brooklyn Tigers, a team with its own tumultuous past as the Dodgers, surprisingly merged for the 1945 NFL season. This temporary union saw them simply called "the Yanks," playing a mixed schedule of home games in both Boston and New York. It was a desperate measure during extraordinary times.

This unusual alliance on April 10th, 1945, was a temporary fix. By 1946, the Brooklyn franchise's owner departed for the new All-America Football Conference, effectively dissolving their part of the merger. The Boston Yanks continued for a few more seasons before also folding, making this brief, wartime collaboration a truly unique and fleeting moment in NFL annals.

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On March 29, 1977, the NFL adopted the 16-game regular season and four-game preseason schedule that began in the 1978 season.

Before this decision, the NFL had worked on a 14-game schedule since 1961, which it retained until switching to a 16-game schedule in 1978.

The NFL regular season schedule has expanded from 12 games to 14, then 16, and a new CBA passed in 2020 voted to adopt a 17-game regular season. Eighteen games have been proposed in recent years so the slate could expand again soon. During the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX, Commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned that the league believes an 18-game regular season "might be possible." However, NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. reiterated shortly afterward that any changes to the schedule must be negotiated through the Collective Bargaining Agreement and that there have been no formal discussions on the topic.

The number of games is a concern for the players and the NFLPA due to health issues.

Experience a landmark moment in professional football history! The New York Titans, an American Football League (AFL) team, underwent a significant transformation in 1963. Entrepreneur Sonny Werblin's acquisition on March 28 ushered in a new era with a fresh name and revitalized spirit for the franchise. This pivotal shift redefined the team's future and left a lasting impact on the AFL.

In ProFootball: 1963, the football team known as the New York Titans, part of the AFL, embarked on a transformative journey under the ownership of Sonny Werblin. This acquisition on EventDay in 1963 (April 15) signaled a central turning point for the franchise. Werblin's influence promised substantial changes, including a new identity designed to captivate fans and solidify their position within the league.

This pivotal year saw the New York Titans adopt a new identity: the New York Jets. This name change, spearheaded by Sonny Werblin, represented a bold step forward for the AFL team. The year 1963 became synonymous with this crucial evolution, forever associating Werblin's vision with the franchise's rebranding and its aspirations within the American Football League.

The Arkansas Razorbacks football program, a tale of passionate fans, gridiron battles, and moments etched in Hog lore, stretches back to 1894. Here's a glimpse into their Early Days with:

-The "Cardinals" era, with Latin professors as coaches and simple leather helmets.

-First coach John Futrall coined the "Razorback" nickname after a tough win against LSU.

-Struggles and inconsistency marked the early decades, with flashes of success under coaches like Hugo Bezdek.

The Golden years under legendary coach Frank Broyles, with 16 conference titles and 3 national championship appearances.


The SEC Challenge (1990s-Present):

-Transitioning to the SEC was tough, with initial struggles to reach previous heights.

-Coaching changes brought new strategies and philosophies, like Danny Jones' run-heavy approach and Houston Nutt's passionate leadership.

-Highs like the 1995 SEC West title and 2006 SEC Championship game appearance, mixed with challenges and rebuilding periods.


Modern Eras and New Hope (2010s-Present):

-Sam Pittman's arrival in 2020 signaled a renewed optimism with an emphasis on recruiting and physicality.

-Exciting victories over Texas and rival Missouri, as well as strong bowl performances, fueled excitement for the future.

-Razorbacks football remains deeply rooted in Arkansas culture, where Saturday becomes synonymous with cheering on the Hogs in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

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March 29, 1994 - Coach Jimmy Johnson resigns as head Coach of the  Dallas Cowboys. Johnson left the Cowboys because of a feud with owner Jerry Jones. Johnson coached five seasons in Dallas, made the playoffs in his last three seasons, and walked away from the Cowboys after winning back-to-back Super Bowls of Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII.

Johnson at first signed on to work on Fox Network's pregame show. He took a hiatus from the talking head position to jump back into NFL coaching with the Dolphins.

Johnson, after a two-year hiatus, was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1996 to 1999. He later returned to be a pre- and post-game commentator on the network's coverage of NFL Football a post he held through the 2024 season.

Johnson would later say he was no longer having fun, as the grounds for leaving for "greener pastures."

What were the primary reasons for Jimmy Johnson leaving the Dallas Cowboys? In his own words, "I wasn't having fun..."

2014—The day before the NFL owners met at their annual get-together, they were getting ready to award CBS a contract to televise Thursday night games in coming seasons. Dallas businessman and, at the time, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks stated that if the League did that and eventually went to five days per week, it would implode in less than ten years.

"I'm just telling you pigs get fat, and hogs get slaughtered." Cuban added, "When you try to take it too far, people turn the other way."

Mark, you are a brilliant businessman, but over a decade after this decision, the NFL is stronger than ever.

1940—Associated Press writer Whitney Martin published an article on then-Phillies manager Doc Prothro, who was a baseball manager with a football problem.

His son, a strapping lad over 6 feet tall and an athletic 200-pound frame, seemed to have entered studies at Duke University the previous fall. Doc Prothro encouraged his son to play baseball, where he could most likely eke out a ten-year career pitching between college, the minors, and possibly the Big Leagues, instead of only a few good years of college football.

It seemed Junior was convinced as he got to school well after the football program started, but after a short time away, he phoned his Pop to inform him that Coach Wallace Wade had encouraged him to play football for Duke. What's a Dad to do? Prothro told his son that the choice was his to make.

Thompson Prothro showed up on the Duke Blue Devils roster in 1940 and 1941. The younger Prothro excelled in football, beginning his collegiate career as a quarterback for Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils. His versatility on the field in 1941 earned him the Jacobs Award as the Southern Conference's best blocker, contributing to the Blue Devils' appearance in the 1942 Rose Bowl. A multi-sport athlete at Duke, Prothro also competed in baseball and lacrosse, graduating in 1942 with a degree in political science.

Despite being drafted in the fifth round of the 1942 NFL draft by the New York Giants, Prothro declined the opportunity. He chose to pursue a promising coaching career and briefly ventured into professional baseball instead. His father had to be beaming from ear to ear!

The call of the Gridiron eventually returned as Tommy went into coaching.  During his 10 years at the helm of Oregon State, Coach Prothro had a 63-37-2 record, tops west of the Rockies. He moved to UCLA in 1965 and coached there for six years, going 41- 18-3. That made his overall record 104-55-5. He had two Heisman winners, Terry Baker at Oregon State in 1962 and Gary Beban at UCLA in 1967. After UCLA, he moved to the pros with the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers.

Tommy Prothro would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1991.

A proponent of fundamental football, General Robert "Bob" Neyland, the visionary behind the University of Tennessee Volunteers' football dynasty, was laid to rest on March 28, 1962. He emphasized the core tenets of the game, instilling bone-jarring blocking and relentless tackling in his players. While he eventually adopted the two-platoon system three years after its widespread acceptance, Neyland largely adhered to the single-platoon football philosophy he had successfully employed for the two decades preceding World War II.

Born on February 17, 1892, in Greenville, Texas, Neyland pursued engineering studies at Texas A&M for a year before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point. Though he joined the football team only in his junior year, he was an accomplished heavyweight boxing champion and a standout baseball pitcher, amassing 85 victories, including a 20-game winning streak. Upon graduation in 1916, Neyland shared the distinction of being the best athlete in his senior class, receiving a gold saber with Colonel William H. Britton, who later served as a top assistant at Tennessee for many years.

Bob Neyland's tenure as head football coach at the University of Tennessee, spanning three periods (1926-1934, 1936-1940, 1946-1952), was marked by extraordinary success. Over his 21 seasons, he amassed a remarkable record of 173 wins, 31 losses, and 12 ties, achieving an impressive winning percentage of .829.

Under Neyland's leadership, the Volunteers captured four national championships (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951) and seven conference titles (two Southern Conference, five SEC), while also achieving six undefeated seasons. His teams were renowned for their stifling defense, recording an astounding 112 shutouts, including a remarkable stretch in 1939 where they did not concede a single point during the entire regular season.

Characterized by his disciplined approach and strategic brilliance, Neyland's profound impact on college football cemented his status as one of the sport's all-time coaching legends. He was rightfully inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956