On Thursdays throughout the regular season and playoffs, Creative Misfortune’s “This Day in Football History” will post. Below is a preseason sample of this feature detailing interesting events, biographies and stories from NFL history.
*August 13, 1914 - Ward Cuff, who excelled at several positions for the New York Giants from 1937-45, was born in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Upon Cuff’s death in December 2002, Giants co-owner Wellington Mara said, "We were contemporaries. He came to camp in 1937 as a rookie, and we roomed together from then on in camp and on the road. Those were the days of train rides. He and I and Orville Tuttle and Ed Danowski used to play cards over the course of a season. We'd settle up at the end of the year, and someone might have won $5. I have a lot of fond memories of him. He was a terrific competitor."
Cuff joined the Giants as a fourth-round draft choice from Marquette. He played wingback, fullback, halfback, defensive back and kicker for the Giants. In 90 games over nine seasons, he rushed for 1,766 yards on 330 carries (a 5.3-yard average) and caught 101 passes for 1,477 yards. Cuff scored 18 touchdowns (six rushing, 12 receiving) and made 31 of 70 field goal attempts and 98 of 102 extra point tries. He also had a 12.1-yard punt return average and 13 interceptions.
"He was a top player on offense and defense," Mara said. "He was responsible for the league putting in the rule limiting the height of the kickoff tees. We used to play on grass, and he would build the tee up and kick a tremendously high kickoff. So much so that in a Washington game, which was a big game, our guys were able to get down and score a safety after the Washington kick returner dropped the ball and we tackled him in the end zone.” Click here to read more about Ward Cuff.
*August 13, 1960 – The Buffalo Bills earn their first ever win as a franchise with a 31-14 preseason victory over Denver at Rochester, NY. The Bills finished the 1960 regular season with a 5-8-1 record.
*August 13, 1986 - United States Football League standout Herschel Walker signed to play with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Truly notable because the one-sided trade of Herschel Walker to Minnesota a few years later paved the way for Dallas’ three Super Bowl championships in the 90’s.
*August 13, 2005 – The Carolina Panthers retire jersey number 51 to honor Sam Mills, an inspirational leader of the Panthers, both as a player and coach. Sam Mills becomes the first Panthers player to have his number retired.
Next week, the Letters of Misfortune head for the NFC...
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