Football Daily

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Learn more about our guest Geoff Giordano and his great posts on the APBA game and APBA Football Club

Born December 19, 1926, in Santa Anna, Texas, was Bobby Layne the legendary University of Texas quarterback. The National Football Foundation says Bobby was not what one would call a great runner nor a classic passer but what he did out of the T-formation was remarkable. In 1945 Layne missed part of the season serving in the Merchant marine but returned near season’s end to help the Longhorns reach the Cotton Bowl and  he completed 11 of 12 passes and was part of all six Texas touchdowns as his team blew out Missouri, 40-27. By the time Layne had finished his college career he was an All America and had set 11 school records on the gridiron. Bobby Layne found his way along inside the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968. Layne then went to the National Football League and continued a record- setting career with Detroit and Pittsburgh. As a Lion he threw a clutch last second pass to help Detroit win the 1953 NFL Championship game. During his 15 year NFL career Bobby had two seasons where he was voted as First-Team All-NFL, four other seasons as a Second Team All-NFL and claimed the 1956 NFL scoring title. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Bobby Layne in 1967.  

Born October 31, 1897, in Mansfield, Ohio - Wilbur better known as Pete Henry, was a 3 year All-American tackle from Washington and Jefferson College. He was perhaps the largest lineman of his era as he stood 5-foot-11-inches tall and weighed in at a solid 245 pounds. Pete signed to play with the Canton Bulldogs coincidently on the same day that the NFL’s precursor the American Professional Football Association formed in Ralph Hay’s Hupmobile Showroom in Canton. The good natured Henry off the field was replaced by a focused beast on the gridiron. Pete’s most notable season had to be in 1923 with the Bulldogs according to the National Football Foundation's website. Henry booted a 94 yard punt, blocked a punt, scored a touchdown and kicked nine field goals via drop kick , oh and by the way the Canton Bulldogs won their second consecutive NFL Championship that year due in part to his great play. In the NFL for a total of 8 seasons not only with Canton but was a member of the Pottsville Maroons and the New York Giants too. Pete Henry was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Pete in 1963’s class of inductees.

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Born August 13, 1913, in Portsmouth, Virginia, was NFL Films "Voice of God," John Facenda. The son of Italian immigrants got into broadcasting and sports event announcing, becoming a fixture in the Philadelphia area. His famous voice was marketed Nationally when he became the narrator of NFL Films and the Football Follies videos. The story goes that while sitting in a bar discussing how interesting the slow-motion game sequences of NFL films were to another bar patron, he was overheard talking by another customer in the establishment, Ed Sabol, the founder of NFL Films. That was in 1965, and after reading script after script, Facenda continued on as the voice of NFL Films until he died in 1984.

Murray Shelton - Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
Born April 20, 1893, Dunkirk, New York, was Cornell’s top tier end from 1913 to 1915, Murray Shelton. Shelton and Big Red captain, Quarterback Charles Barrett, made up an efficient and deadly passing combination which relied heavily upon intelligence and instinct. In 1915, they led Cornell to a 9-0 record and were both named to Walter Camp's All-America listing per the National Football Foundation. Late in the season their perfect record was in jeopardy a few times. In game number eight the Big Red scored 33 points in the second half to overcome the challenging Washington & Lee team, 40-21. During another late contest, Penn was on the verge of ending Cornell's clean slate loss column. But, the Big Red caught fire in the final quarter and scored 17 points to claim a 24-9 triumph. Cornell played Harvard, which had not lost a game in four years but the Big Red blacked the Harvard eleven 10-0. The National Football Foundation selected Murray Shelton for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973. 

Born July 9, 1947 - San Francisco, California - O. J. Simpson the legendary Southern California running Back of the seasons of 1967 and 1968. O.J. Simpson Pro Football Hall of Fame Running Back that played for the Buffalo Bills.

Simpson held the NFL single season rushing record of 2003 yards until Eric Dickerson broke that record a few decades later. Known as "the Juice" he played college ball at USC. According to the National Football Foundation, in 1968, O.J. carried the ball 355 times for 1709 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading USC to a 9-0-1 regular season record, equalling or bettering a long list of USC records. Again, he was named to scores of All-America first teams and was granted 21 awards, including Rose Bowl MVP, the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.After winning the Heisman Trophy in 1968 the College Football Hall of Fame inducted them into their museum in 1983's class.

Juice went into broadcasting and even acting after his NFL career was over.

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Wouldn't it be nice to give our players a piece of equipment that will make play be a bit more safe while increasing their comfort? How about if it could improve their athletic performance as well? Dr. Michael Hutcison has the item in his PowerPlus Mouthguard.

Born July 26, 1920, in Elmira, New York, was Bob Waterfield Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined QB of the Rams franchise both in Cleveland and Los Angeles. He was important enough to the Rams franchise that his number 7 jersey was retired by the organization. The former UCLA Bruin's signal caller had his college career briefly interrupted when the U.S. Army called him into service during WWII. His football prowess was legendary and so was his off field life as he married actress Jane Russell just before serving in the Army and playing for Fort Bennings 176th Infantry football team. Mr. Waterfield returned to the Bruins after this service in the war in an honorable discharge due to a knee injury and played in the 1944 season for UCLA. He was drafted as the 42nd pick in the 1945 NFL draft by the Cleveland Rams, and as a rookie won the starting job, led the team to a 9-1 record and the NFL Championship in an exciting 15-14 victory over the Washington Redskins!

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Timothy Brown digs deep into the archives to talk about the Little Brown Jug Game rivalry of University of Minnesota and The University of Michigan.

Born December 16, 1913, in Slaton, Texas, was legendary NFL Coach Buddy Parker. He played pro ball with both the Lions and the Cardinals, and later went into coaching. Parker was at the helm of the Chicago Cardinals 1947, Championship team, and then again the following season when the lost in the bizarre blizzard Title tilt in Philadelphia in 1949. He then left to become the head coach of the Detroit Lions and when pared with Quarterback Bobby Layne they won the NFL title in 1952 and 1953. In August of 1957 he abruptly walked off the job in Detroit and was soon hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. his coaching career, Parker went 104–75–9 (.577), while going 3–1 in the postseason. He is one of 43 NFL coaches to have over 100 coaching regular season victories. Parker has the destinction of being one of five Pro Coaches with multiple League titles not to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.