The Story of Ernie Nevers’ First Pro Football Game

Fans of football history usually find the name of Ernie Nevers to be a familiar one. Maybe not a household word in 2021, but certainly one that ripples with respect with the knowledge that Nevers was one of the all-time greats in the National Football League. And yet, his entrance into the world of pro football … Read more

Super Bowl XV (Raiders vs. Eagles): An Ultimate Recount of the Game

Today we have Super Bowl XV, which was held on January 25, 1981, between the third-time AFC champion Oakland Raiders, and the first-time NFC champions. Philadelphia Eagles. If you’re looking for the full story of this 1980 season, pick up my Great Eighties book and you’ll learn more than you ever wanted to know about that year … Read more

Mark Morthier’s All-Time NFL List

As part of the NFL’s 100th anniversary, a team of 26 committee members selected the NFL All-Time team. I think the committee did an admirable job overall, and I agreed with roughly 80% of the selections. For the sake of debate, here are my picks. Defensive Ends I agree with six of the seven chosen … Read more

From Okinawa to Wrigley Field: WWII Vets Outflank Halas!

As we celebrate our first anniversary of “When Football Was Football” on the Sports History Network, we can look back at a wide variety of episodes from the golden days of football in the Chicago area. While we’ve covered topics such as the first-ever indoor football games held in Chicago, the individual heroics of players … Read more