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

Lionel Taylor shares about his time in the AFL with the Denver Broncos and becoming the first WR to grab 100 catches in a single season. He also talks about his time as an assistant coach on the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s.

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Chicago Bears QB Vince Evans recalls his game-tying TD and the Bears returning the overtime kickoff for a TD in the unforgettable game against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day of 1980. The Bears won 23-17 after Evans engineered a 94-yard drive and scored the game-tying TD with no time left on the clock to send the game into OT. Chicago's Dave Williams returned the overtime kickoff for a touchdown to win a game that Chicago trailed 17-3 in the fourth quarter.

The Game Before the Money is hosted and produced by author and oral historian Jackson Michael. Learn more about the project at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com.

#NFL #ThanksgivingFootball #ChicagoBears #BearDown

Dave Wilcox, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2000 class, shares memories of his career as a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. He also talks about his college football career at Oregon and Boise State. 

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Bill McColl shares memories of Stanford winning the 1951 Pacific Coast Conference title and playing in the 1952 Rose Bowl. He also talks about playing for George Halas and the Chicago Bears of the 1950s while enrolled in medical school.

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George Toma has been the groundskeeper for every single Super Bowl, from Super Bowl I through Super Bowl LV. He shares stories about preparing the field for Super Bowls and the 1966 NFL Championship Game, his work with the AFL, as well as his early life in Pennsylvania’s coal country.

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Encore presentation about the best NFL Week 1 games in pro football history.

The program highlights Norm Van Brocklin's 554 passing yards, the first-ever AFL game, the first-ever Minnesota Vikings game, and Dan Marino's return after a career-threatening injury.

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Willie Roaf shares memories of growing up in Arkansas, his college career at Louisiana Tech, and his Hall of Fame NFL career with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. Roaf stands as one of the greatest offensive tackles in NFL history. 

This is Episode 50 of The Game Before the Money Podcast. Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com

Dick Vermeil shares memories of coaching the Eagles, Rams, and Chiefs. He also discusses winning the Rose Bowl at UCLA, growing up in California, and his friendship with Bill Walsh. Coach Vermeil was an NFL head coach in the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

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Baltimore Colts Director of Player Personnel Upton Bell takes us behind the scenes of Super Bowl 3 between the Colts and the New York Jets. We all know about Joe Namath and the story of the Jets playing for the pride of the entire AFL that day, now hear inside stories about Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom's planned victory party, what was discussed on the Colts bus going to the game, and how Super Bowl 3 was the precursor to modern Super Bowls.

This episode is Part 3 of a three-part series called, "Three Games that Changed the NFL" with Upton Bell. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com

Lionel Taylor, Charlie Davis, and Vito Stellino discuss the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft class that produced 4 Pro Football Hall of Fame members: Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster. Pittsburgh also signed future Hall of Famer Donnie Shell as part of their 1974 rookie class.

Taylor, a former Denver Broncos star, was the receivers coach for the Steelers. He shares his scouting reports of Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Davis was the Steelers 9th round pick and shares his experience of making the team and winning Super Bowl 9. Stellino covered the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette and tells us what team ALMOST got Lynn Swann.

Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released every other week, except for certain episodes that may take longer to create. 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.

You can donate to support the podcast at FootballHistory (buymeacoffee.com)