It has become more American than apple pie: NFL football on Thanksgiving Day.
The first football game to ever be played on Thanksgiving featured Princeton and Yale in 1876, shortly after the sport had been invented earlier that year.
In 1934, Detroit Lions owner GA Richards decided the NFL should partake in all the holiday festivities. From that first year on, when the Lions lost a classic to the Chicago Bears, 19-16, Detroit has hosted a Thanksgiving game virtually every year.
Tex Schramm, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, pounced the opportunity to start hosting Thanksgiving Day games in 1966. Then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle decided it was time to add-on to the Detroit tradition, and when every other owner in the league balked at the idea, Schramm too advantage. Remember how little exposure, or positives there were for taking advantage of this opportunity. I mean, seriously, who wants to play on a major American holiday?
From then on, the Lions and the Cowboys have hosted Thanksgiving games annually. Adding the third game to the fun in 2006 now provides us three NFL games to wet our whistle with while drubbed out on Tryptophan and cocktails.
TheCelebrityCafe.com will now count down the Top 10 most memorable Thanksgiving Day moments in NFL history.
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10. The Butt Fumble (2012)
In 2006, adding that third game into the primetime slot for Thanksgiving was a genius idea. Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets though, wish it hadn’t been implemented until 2013.
The New England Patriots embarrassed the Jets all over the field on this Thanksgiving Night game which also provided, and created the infamous “Butt-Fumble.”
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9. Jason Garret plays the role of hero (1994)
When it was announced that eventual Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman wouldn’t be able to suit up, all Dallas Cowboy fans suddenly felt anxiety. When it was realized that backup QB Rodney Peete also couldn’t suit up, then full-blown panic overcame Cowboy Stadium.
Third-string QB Jason Garret, and current Cowboys head coach, came in to rescue his team. The unknown QB shocked the word by throwing for 311 yards and two TDs, leading his team to 36 second half points and a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers.
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8. Detroit beats the undefeated Packers (1962)
Vince Lombardi’s Packers were undefeated entering this particular Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions. When the dust settled though, they found themselves stunned with a loss.
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7. Ndamukong Suh stomps a man (2011)
Like so many times, the Packers and Lions have played on Thanksgiving. However, in 2011 the game was known for a very ugly moment rather than a well-played game.
Lions DL Ndamukong Suh performed one of his dirtier moves against Packers OL Even Dietrich-Smith.
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6. Barry being Barry (1997)
Forget Thanksgiving Day history, throughout NFL history there hasn’t been a more explosive player than Lions RB Barry Sanders. And for a long while, the only thing attracting fans to the gate in Detroit was the electrifying one.
In 1997 he carved the Chicago Bears defense for 167 yards and three TDs, helping his team to a 55-20 spanking.
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5. Clint Longley slings it (1974)
Much like Jason Garret in our 10 spot, Clint Longley of the Dallas Cowboys relieved an eventual Hall of Fame QB to earn his 10 minutes of fame.
Dallas was the scene as Longley relieved Roger Staubach to help the Cowboys defeat the Washington Redskins.
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4. The amazing Randy Moss (1998)
The amazing Randy Moss didn’t take too kindly to how Jerry Jones passed him up in the NFL Draft just a half-year earlier. So, what he did was catch three balls for 157 yards and three TDs, sending Dallas fans home angry, yet amazed.
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3. OJ Simpson runs wild (1976)
“The Juice” broke the NFL single-game rushing record with 276 yards against the Lions. Even the Detroit fans were cheering him on in the second-half.
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2. Phil Luckett and Jerome Bettis (1998)
The famous “Hea-Tails” call by Jerome Bettis was the single worst thing to ever happen to referee Phil Luckett.
At the beginning of overtime in a turkey-day game between the Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers, Bettis kind-of, sort-of called both heads and tails on the coin-flip. This creates major chaos and Lucket became the unfortunate soul of this situation.
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1. Leon Lett what are you doing? (1993)
The big story of the 1993 game in Dallas was the weather conditions. Rarely does it snow in Dallas, but on this Thanksgiving Day, the Miami Dolphins and Cowboys had to brave the worst elements in Dallas football history.
With the game wrapped up for Dallas after blocking Miami’s chance to win the game on a late field goal, Cowboys DL Leon Lett did the unthinkable by trying to unnecessarily cover the ball. It lead to a gift-wrapped, holiday miracle Dolphin victory.