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

Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham tells stories about winning the Orange Bowl with Penn State and the AFC rivalries the Steelers had in the 1970s. He names the two toughest running backs he played against, college and pro. Who do you think they were? 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...

Hall of Fame offensive lineman Orlando Pace talks about playing for Coach Vermeil and winning Super Bowl 34 with the Rams. Coach Vermeil shared his stories on Episode 49 of The Game Before the Money Podcast. Orlando Pace was the first-overall pick of the 1997 NFL Draft. This episode gives listeners a great perspective of what it was like to play for Coach Vermeil and provides a firsthand account o...

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and groundskeeper George Toma share memories of getting Candlestick Park ready to host the 1981 NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, a game made famous by “The Catch.” Candlestick Park’s playing surface needed many renovations to be in shape for the big game and the city rose to meet the challenge. Senator Feinstein was San Francis...

Kicker Mark Moseley discusses kicking under pressure and some of his legendary field goals with the Washington Redskins. He also shares about his incredible NFL journey, going from a man calling teams for a tryout to becoming the only full-time placekicker to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award. Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com

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

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...

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

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

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

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. Learn more at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com  

Al Denson shares memories about his career with the Denver Broncos and playing for legendary Florida A&M coach Jake Gaither. Denson led the American Football League in TD catches in 1967. Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com

Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel shares insights about the signature game of his career – leading Texas A&M to a victory at Alabama in 2012. Host Jackson Michael guides listeners through key moments of the game. Hear more from Johnny Manziel on his Ball Don't Lie podcast featuring Johnny Manziel and recording artist Mike. Learn more about The Game Before the Money at https://TheGameBeforeTheMo...

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...

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...

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 mome...

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 ca...

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...

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...

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 t...

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 49...

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...

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 bo...