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

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

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)

Upton Bell’s father Bert Bell was NFL Commissioner when the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants in overtime to claim the 1958 NFL Championship Game. The game is often called “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” Hear Upton share his memories of attending the game and how Johnny Unitas’ leadership and poise still inspire him decades later. The episode also recaps the game by recalling lost moments and illustrates how the drama of the 1958 NFL Championship permanently lofted the NFL to new heights and sent the league on its way to becoming the most popular sports league in U.S. history. This episode is Part 2 of a three-part series, "Three Games that Changed the NFL, featuring guest Upton Bell." Part 1 is Episode 40 of The Game Before the Money Podcast -- "1948 NFL Championship -- The Cornerstone of Super Bowl Sunday." Part 3 will focus on Super Bowl 3. 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. Sound effects and original music produced and composed by 11 Productions.

Hall of Famer Hugh “The King” McElhenny shared stories via email for this episode of The Game Before the Money Podcast. McElhenny is best known for his years with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s and his ability to turn running plays and screen passes into huge plays and long touchdowns. He also still holds school records at the University of Washington over 70 years after his NCAA football career ended. Learn how Hugh McElhenny got his nickname, “The King,” and about his incredible college career that made him a first-round pick in the 1952 NFL Draft. McElhenny also played for the Minnesota Vikings in their first two seasons and for the New York Giants in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970. 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.

Hear about three of the greatest defensive plays in NFL history. Each clinched a victory in the NFL Championship Game during the 1960s. Two were made by Hall of Famers. Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released each week, except for certain episodes that take about two weeks 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.

Did you know that only a handful of NFL quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl? A mere 4 quarterbacks have combined to win 30 percent of all Super Bowls and only 33 quarterbacks have ever won the big game. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes have both won at least 1 Super Bowl and so the number of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in NFL history isn’t going to change after Super Bowl 55. In fact, the trend of only a few quarterbacks winning league championships goes all the way back to the 1940s and includes the American Football League and the AFL Championship Game.The pattern also extends to the AFC Championship Game and the NFC Championship Game. Since 1998, the AFC Championship Game has featured at least one of a select group of six quarterbacks starting the game. Learn more about this QB reality in this football history podcast. Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released each week, except for certain episodes that take about two weeks 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.

Lamar Hunt founded both the American Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs. He hired Hank Stram as the team’s head coach and the franchise won more AFL championships than any other team. Learn how Hunt and Stram built the Chiefs (originally known as the Dallas Texans) and how connections with two universities played a major role in the team’s history. You’ll also find out how the Chiefs got their name. This episode is a “Five Minutes of Football History” edition of The Game before the Money Podcast.  Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released each week, except when certain episodes 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.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk talks about the Ravens journey to Super Bowl 47 and the famous “Mile High Miracle” in the 2012 NFL Playoffs. Birk takes you onto the field and into the Ravens huddle for the play. He also discusses the veteran leadership that lifted the team through tough playoff defeats in the years leading up to their Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl 47 over the San Francisco 49ers. Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are usually released each week, except for certain episodes that take about two weeks 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.

Upton Bell shares his memories of attending the 1948 NFL Championship Game with his father, NFL commissioner Bert Bell, in this episode of The Game before the Money Podcast. This episode also includes an interview clip from Al Wistert, a Philadelphia Eagles lineman and 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist. The 1948 NFL Championship Game was the first televised NFL Championship Game and laid the foundation for what has become Super Bowl Sunday. Hear how Bert Bell’s foresight helped grow the NFL’s future through the powerful new technology of television. The 1948 NFL Championship Game featured a rematch of the previous year’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals). The teams played in a blizzard and battled both the elements and their opponents. Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren nearly missed the game because of the weather before scoring the game’s winning touchdown, powered by perhaps one of the greatest blocks in NFL history. You will also learn how both teams utilized versions of modern NFL offenses rather than the “three yards and a cloud of dust” adjective that is often erroneously used to describe the era. Episodes of The Game before the Money Podcast are released each week, except for certain episodes that take about two weeks 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.

Members of the Luv Ya Blue era Houston Oilers reflect on the magical seasons of 1978 and 1979. Join Elvin Bethea, Robert Brazile, Dan Pastorini, Mike Renfro, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Kenny Burrough, Mike Barber, Carl Mauck, Willie Alexander, Coach Ed Biles, Gregg Bingham, Vernon Perry, Rich Caster, and Andy Dorris for a wonderful trip down memory lane. Interview clips are taken from the new book Red, White, and Columbia Blue: Chasing the Dream with the 1979 Houston Oilers as well as the DVD We Were the Oilers: The Luv Ya Blue Era! Both the new book and DVD were written by The Game before the Money Podcast host and producer Jackson Michael. The Game before the Money Podcast usually comes out on a weekly basis and often features interviews with NFL, AFL, and NCAA football legends. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com. Learn more about the Houston Oilers projects at https://Houston79.com.

Green Bay Packers legend Boyd Dowler joins The Game before the Money Podcast and brings us into the Packers' locker room with stories about winning 5 NFL championships under Vince Lombardi. Hear his memories about winning the 1959 NFL Rookie of the Year award, scoring the longest NFL receiving touchdown of 1960, and how President Kennedy played a role in the Packers’ 1961 season. Dowler also talks about quarterbacking the Colorado Buffaloes to victory in the 1957 Orange Bowl and how he, Paul Hornung, and Ray Nitschke were called into military service in the middle of the NFL season. You will also hear about an incident at a Packers’ practice that left a hole in Nitschke’s helmet! Did you know that Dowler served as an assistant coach under George Allen? Find out more in this episode of The Game before the Money Podcast. 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.

Chad Hennings shares stories about dangerous flying missions during the Gulf War and Super Bowl wins with the Dallas Cowboys. We repost this episode to honor our veterans.  Chad Hennings is the only Air Force lineman to win the prestigious Outland Trophy. The Dallas Cowboys drafted him despite his upcoming commitment to military service, much like they did with Roger Staubach. Hennings flew fighter jets during the Gulf War and later won 3 Super Bowls with the Cowboys on a team led by Troy Aikman. Hear him share about those great Cowboys teams, what the locker room was like after the famous Leon Lett game, and how the Cowboys found out that Jimmy Johnson was replaced by Barry Switzer as head coach. This is a repeat of an episode that was first released in 2018. The Game before the Money Podcast will return next week with a brand new episode. 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.

Pete Koch interviews with The Game before the Money Podcast and talks about his NFL career and starring in the movie Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood. Pete Koch talks about being a first-round draft pick in 1984 and what it was like to hold out for a better contract. He also shares stories about starting on the defensive line for the Chiefs and Raiders. He shares memories of Chiefs’ owner Lamar Hunt, playing against John Elway, and what made Hall of Famer Howie Long such a great player. You will also learn some helpful workout tips from a former NFL player who remains in fantastic shape! This is a repeat of an episode that was first released in 2018. 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.