Football History: From DC’s First Game to Mahomes’s Record-Breaking Start
Step back in time to September 16, a date etched with legendary moments that shaped professional football. This day marks pivotal firsts and record-breaking performances that defined iconic franchises and players.
These stories of triumph, from franchise moves to record-setting performances, reveal the ever-evolving drama and rich history of the NFL.
September 16 American Football History Timeline
- September 16, 1937 – The Redskins franchise plays its first game in Washington, DC, at the old Griffith Stadium. They defeated the New York Giants 13-3. The franchise actually began in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1932 as the Boston Braves, after George Preston Marshall established it and purchased the rights to play in the NFL. George was a larger-than-life showman who thrived on attention. He named the team after the Boston Braves baseball team that played there, but after little support, he knew he had to change things up. Before the 1933 season, the nickname was changed to the Redskins to give the team its own identity. The team had limited success in Boston and didn’t get much support from the community. The lack of support by both the fans and the media really came to a head when Marshall noticed that a local field hockey team was getting more press coverage than his beloved Redskins. This infuriated Marshall, so a change of scenery seemed in order. The move to the Nation’s Capital changed the course of the franchise, as they were crowned NFL Champions in their inaugural year in DC. This 1937 team was led by rookie quarterback ‘Slinging” Sammy Baugh. The Redskins were champs again in 1942 and also won Super Bowls in 1982, 1987 & 1991, and took home NFL titles.
- September 16, 1950 – The Cleveland Browns play their first NFL game. The club was formerly a member of the All-American Football Conference, where it began playing in 1946. Cleveland businessman Arthur McBride purchased and created the franchise, and it found immediate success. The Browns dominated the AAFC, and some think this was the main reason for the Conference’s demise after the 1949 season. Three teams from the former AAFC joined the NFL in 1950: the Browns, the Baltimore Colts, and the San Francisco 49ers. The early Cleveland Browns teams were talented and featured great players such as Marion Motley, Otto Graham, and Lou Groza. The schedule makers wanted to showcase the NFL’s dominance, so they scheduled the Browns, AAFC champions in 1949, to open against the Philadelphia Eagles, the reigning NFL title holders in 1949. The NFL expected the Browns to struggle when they entered the League in 1950, but boy, were they wrong. The Cleveland squad crushed the Philadelphia Eagles 35-10 in this game on September 16, 1950. Not only did the Browns, under Head Coach, win all four AAFC titles, but they also won NFL Championship games in 1950, 1954, 1955, and 1964.
- September 16, 1973 – Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson rushes for a then-NFL record 250 yards in Buffalo’s 31-13 win at New England
- September 16, 2018 – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes set an NFL record for the first two weeks of a season by tossing 10 touchdowns. The second-year QB under the tutelage of offense genius, Andy Reid, torched the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary with 6 TD passes, leading the upstart Chiefs to a 42-37 victory at Heinz Field.
September 16 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy September 16 birthday memories for these College Football Hall of Fame players.
- Bob Ward [1927] – An undersized yet ferocious two-way lineman for the University of Maryland, Ward earned First-Team All-American honors as a defensive middle guard in 1950 and consensus First-Team honors as an offensive guard in 1951, making him the only player in college football history named an AP First-Team All-American at both an offensive and defensive position. Enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980, he led Jim Tatum’s Terrapins to an undefeated 10โ0 season and a national championship in 1951, capped by a 28โ13 upset of top-ranked Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl, and became the very first athlete to have his jersey number (No. 28) retired by Maryland.
- Wilbert Montgomery [1954] – An electrifying collegiate record-setter at Abilene Christian, Montgomery scored an astounding 76 career touchdowns before becoming the offensive engine for Dick Vermeil’s Philadelphia Eagles. The two-time Pro Bowler and College Football Hall of Fame inductee etched his name forever in Philadelphia lore by rushing for 194 yards against the rival Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship Game to propel the Eagles to Super Bowl XV.
