We’re ready to bring you some incredible gridiron history today with stories about Brinck, the Danimal, and Chuck-in-Charlie, along with more legends of the game, in this edition.
For today’s history, we’re studying everything on September 19.
September 19 American Football History Timeline
- September 19, 1964 – Frank Broyles & Arkansas Launch Their National Championship Season: On the collegiate gridiron, Hall of Fame head coach Frank Broyles led the Arkansas Razorbacks to a 14–10 season-opening victory over Oklahoma State in Little Rock. The win kicked off an undefeated 11–0 campaign that culminated in a Cotton Bowl Classic victory over Nebraska and a consensus national championship.
- September 19, 1982 – That’s the very first time the New Orleans Saints posted a road shutout in the franchise’s history, and that shutout was against the Chicago Bears; when they blanked, the Bears won 10-0 on this day.
- September 19, 1993 – John Carney, the kicker for the San Diego Chargers, set an NFL record with 29 consecutive field goals. He did so in a spectacular way, kicking six field goals in a game against the Houston Oilers and helping the Chargers win 18-17.
- September 19, 2004 – Jerry Rice’s Unbreakable 274-Game Streak Concludes: One of the most remarkable streaks in sports history ended. Playing for the Oakland Raiders against the Buffalo Bills, Jerry Rice was held without a reception in a 13–10 Raiders win, snapping his NFL record of 274 consecutive regular-season games with at least one catch. The streak had stood since his rookie season on December 9, 1985, spanning nearly 19 years.
September 19 Birthdays of Football Hall of Famers
Now it’s time for us to travel down those halls of legends in the Hall of Fame birthdays.
Happy Birthday to these legendary gridiron icons! All sharing a September 19 birthday, their careers span from 19th-century collegiate dominance to modern NFL defensive powerhouses.
- Brinck Thorne [1873] – An All-American halfback and captain for Walter Camp’s powerhouse Yale teams in the mid-1890s, Thorne was a dominant runner and kicker who later coached the Bulldogs to an undefeated season in 1896. His pioneer leadership and on-field dominance earned him enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970.
- Mike Holovak [1919] – A consensus All-American fullback at Boston College who scored three touchdowns in the 1943 Orange Bowl, Holovak went on to become an iconic figure across six decades of pro football. He served as the head coach and general manager of the Boston Patriots in the AFL—earning AFL Coach of the Year honors in 1966—and later won NFL Executive of the Year with the Houston Oilers.
- Charlie Conerly [1921] – A decorated Ole Miss star and consensus All-American, “Chukin’ Charlie” was the steady field general for the New York Giants from 1948 to 1961, piloting the team to three NFL Championship Games and the 1956 NFL title. The two-time Pro Bowler and 1959 NFL MVP was a master passer of his era and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
- Don Heinrich [1930] – A record-setting passer for the Washington Huskies, Heinrich led the nation in passing twice (1950, 1952) and earned consensus All-American honors before entering the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. In the NFL, he was famously utilized by the New York Giants as a “starter” who would script early drives and read defenses before turning the offense over to Charlie Conerly.
- Reggie Williams [1954] – A three-time First-Team All-Ivy League linebacker at Dartmouth, Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He spent his entire 14-season NFL career anchoring the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense, appearing in two Super Bowls (XVI and XXIII) while serving on the Cincinnati City Council and earning the 1986 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
- Dan Hampton [1957] – Nicknamed “Danimal,” Hampton was a ferocious, versatile defensive lineman out of Arkansas who dominated inside at tackle and outside at end for the Chicago Bears from 1979 to 1990. A four-time Pro Bowler, member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, and cornerstone of the iconic 1985 “46 Defense” Super Bowl XX championship squad, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
