The Game Before the Money: Oral History of Pro and College Football

Super Bowl 30 MVP Larry Brown of the Cowboys, two-time Super Bowl winner Dan Neil of the Broncos, and Colts executive Upton Bell share their Super Bowl memories and insight into this year’s game. Upton’s father founded the Philadelphia Eagles, and adds a special touch to the show. The three guests have a combined seven Super Bowl's worth of experience.

Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://www.TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com

A brief history of the Cowboys vs 49ers NFL playoff rivalry, written by football historian Jackson Michael. This segment aired nationally on the SportsMap Radio Network during the 2023 NFL Playoffs.

Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://thegamebeforethemoney.com 

Bill Butler played for the 1959 Green Bay Packers during Vince Lombardi’s first season as head coach. He next played for Tom Landry on the first-ever Dallas Cowboys team. He also played for the Steelers and Vikings. He talks about growing up in Wisconsin, playing college football at UT Chattanooga, and shares fantastic stories about his NFL career and the colorful characters he played with and for during his six NFL seasons.

Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com

Bob Griese, the Miami Dolphins’ Hall of Fame quarterback, talks about playing in the 1972 AFC Championship Game after returning from a dislocated ankle injury similar to that of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

In this episode we hear a brief interview clip from Griese’s interview for the book, The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL. I also examine Griese’s career before and after the dislocated ankle and broken leg he sustained in Week 5 of the 1972 season. I discuss the similarities between Prescott’s dislocated ankle and compound fracture with Griese’s injury, and how Griese’s recovery might predict Prescott’s return.

This episode is a “Five Minutes of Football History” edition of The Game before the Money Podcast.  New episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released each week. The show is produced and hosted by Jackson Michael, author of The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL, published by the University of Nebraska Press. Many episodes feature interviews with pro and college football legends. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.

Walt Garrison played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1966-1974. In this podcast, you will hear excerpts from his interview for The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL. You will get a feel for what it’s like to sit down with a true NFL legend and hear him share some great stories.

In these outtakes not used in the book, Walt takes us into the huddle with Don Meredith and Roger Staubach, fills you in on who he thought was one of the hardest hitters in the NFL (the answer may surprise you), and brings us into meetings with Tom Landry. He also shares memories about his roommate and close friend Dan Reeves, who later went on to coach both the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons into Super Bowls.

The Game before the Money Podcast is released each Tuesday. The show is produced and hosted by Jackson Michael, author of The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL, published by the University of Nebraska Press. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.

President Richard Nixon called to congratulate Washington Redskins head coach George Allen his team defeated the Dallas Cowboys in October of 1972. This episode features the lion’s share of their conversation which was about 15 minutes.

Football dominates the conversation as the two discuss Washington’s come-from-behind victory at home. Nixon displays a solid knowledge of the NFL as he and Allen talk about players from both teams – including Hall of Famers Sonny Jurgensen, Roger Staubach, and Lance Alworth. They go over the next games on both teams’ schedules and ponder possible trades Washington could make as the team makes a successful run towards Super Bowl 7.

This is a very fun listen for any fan of football and/or politics. President Nixon greatly enjoyed pro and college football as well as his friendship with George Allen. The conversation was recorded as part of the “Nixon Tapes” and is available on the Nixon Library’s website. The conversation is Tape 32-007.

The Game before the Money Podcast comes out on Tuesdays and is hosted and produced by Jackson Michael, author of The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL and writer/director of We Were the Oilers: The Luv Ya Blue Era! You can learn more football history and about the author at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.

What NFL franchises have changed nicknames through the years? We look at 5 franchises who have rebranded themselves under a new name. Teams include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Oakland Raiders.

This is a 5 Minutes of Football History edition of The Game before the Money Podcast. New editions of 5 Minutes of Football History are posted each Tuesday. Other episodes of the podcast include documentary episodes with NFL and college football legends.

The Game before the Money Podcast is an extension of the book, The Game before the Money: Voices of the Men Who Built the NFL, an oral history of pro football featuring interviews with NFL greats such as Frank Gifford, Bart Starr, and Don Maynard. The book is published by the University of Nebraska Press and available at all major outlets.  

Dallas Cowboys legend Chad Hennings joins The Game Before the Money. The 3x Super Bowl Champ discusses the adversity the Cowboys overcame to win, his fighter jet experience in the Gulf War, and assiting others toward their own victories.