October 31st Football History: From Heisman Shocker to the Only Man in Two Halls Forget ghosts and goblins—Halloween is actually one of the most action-packed dates in football history, anchored by legends who shattered records and defined eras! Did you know a single offensive lineman, Bill Fralic, was so dominant he became the first at
On Halloween, October 31, 1936, at the Polo Grounds in New York, the #5 Fordham Rams took on the highly-ranked #2 Pittsburgh Panthers in a game that became a defensive struggle for the ages. The final score: a 0-0 tie. While a scoreless draw may seem uneventful, this brutal contest was a formative moment in
Born on Halloween, October 31, 1962, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bill Fralic was not known for tricks, but for devastating, highlight-reel pancake blocks. Fralic was so dominant as an offensive tackle for the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) that he achieved a feat unprecedented for a lineman: he finished in the Top 10 of Heisman Trophy balloting
Born on October 31, 1900, in Keytesville, Missouri, Robert “Cal” Hubbard achieved a level of athletic immortality that remains unmatched in professional sports history. Want a truly unique fact? Hubbard is the only person ever enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Beginning as an imposing
On October 31, 1880, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, college football gained one of its earliest and most decorated legends: Charlie Daly. An interesting fact about Daly is that he is one of the few players in history to be named a First-Team All-America four times while playing at two different elite universities—Harvard and Army. His skill
On October 31, 1872, in Glenbane, County Tipperary, Ireland, the world welcomed James Hogan, a man whose hard-hitting style on the gridiron contrasted with the ever-present smile on his face. Hogan was so instrumental to the morale and success of the Yale University football program that his own classmates affectionately nicknamed him “Yale.” This tackle