Welcome to This Week in NFL History! Every week, the Research team will spotlight the anniversaries of notable events and birthdays.
March 1
- Elmer Layden was named the 1st Commissioner of the NFL in 1941
- RB at Notre Dame & was a member of the Fighting Irish's "Four Horsemen"
- Served as Notre Dame's head football coach for 7 seasons from 1934-1940 (Went 47-13-3)
- Served as commissioner for six seasons from 1941-1946
- DT Ndamukong Suh completed 32 bench press reps & ran a 5.09 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2010
- Drafted 2nd overall by the Lions in the 2010 NFL Draft
- 5-time Pro Bowl selection (4 with DET), 3-time First Team All-Pro (all w/ DET), 2010 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year & Member of 2010's All-Decade Team (5 seasons with DET from 2010-2014)
- Super Bowl LV Champion with Buccaneers
- TE Jimmy Graham ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2010
- 2nd-fastest 40-yard dash among 12 TE to run (only Dorin Dickerson ran faster at 4.40)
- Drafted 95th overall (3rd Round) by the Saints in the 2010 NFL Draft
- 5-time Pro Bowl selection (3 with NO) & 2013 First Team All-Pro (Led NFL with 16 rec TD with NO)
- DT Geno Atkins ran a 4.85 40-yard dash at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine
- 2nd-fastest among DT behind only Earl Mitchell
- Recorded 4.43 20-yard shuttle drill time (Fastest among DT)
- Drafted 120th overall (4th Round) by the Bengals in the 2010 NFL Draft
- 8-time Pro Bowl selection (T-most among defensive players since 2010), 2-time First Team All-Pro & Member of 2010's All-Decade Team
- RB Nick Chubb completed 29 bench press reps at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine
- Chubb tied Saquon Barkley for most bench press reps among the 28 RB to lift (more reps than all but 5 of the 36 OL to bench press at the Combine in 2018)
- Chubb was selected 35th overall (2nd Round) by the Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft
- 2-time Pro Bowl selection, 3,557 rush yards since 2018 (3rd-most in NFL) & 28 rush TD since 2018 (6th-most in NFL)
- Notable Birthdays: HOF Pete Rozelle, HOF Elvin Bethea (75) & KC WR Tyreek Hill (27)
March 2
- RB Saquon Barkley ran a 4.40 40-yard dash while weighing 233 lbs at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2018
- 2nd-fastest 40-yard dash among RB behind only Nyheim Hines (4.38 at 198 lbs)
- 1 of 4 RBs to run a sub-4.50 while weighing 233+ lbs since 2003: Michael Turner (2004), Ronnie Brown (2005) & Jonathan Stewart (2008)
- 29 bench press reps: Stronger than Joe Thomas (28 reps)
- 1.54 10-yard split: Quicker than DeSean Jackson (1.55)
- 4.40 40-yard dash: Faster than Devin Hester (4.43)
- 41" vertical jump: Higher than Julio Jones (38 1/2")
- The only player with 25+ bench press reps and a 40+ inch vertical at the 2017 Combine was eventual #1 overall pick DE Myles Garrett (33 reps, 41" vertical)
- Barkley was selected 2nd overall by the Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft
- Won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading NFL w/ 2,028 scrimmage yds, joining HOFers Edgerrin James & Eric Dickerson as only players in NFL history w/ 2,000+ scrim yds as a rookie
- T Orlando Brown ran a 5.85 40-yard dash at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine
- 5th-slowest by any player at the combine since 2003
- Selected 83rd overall (3rd Round) by the Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft
- 2-time Pro Bowl selection (made Pro Bowl in each of last 2 seasons)
- Notable Birthdays: K Sebastian Janikowski (43), PIT QB Ben Roethlisberger (39) & RB Reggie Bush (36)
March 3
- LB Von Miller ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2011
- 2nd-fastest among LBs in 2011
- Selected 2nd overall by Broncos in 2011 NFL Draft
- Super Bowl 50 MVP, 8-time Pro Bowl selection (T-most among defensive players since 2010), 3-time First Team All-Pro & Member of 2010's All-Decade Team
- QBs Baker Mayfield (1st overall pick), Sam Darnold (3rd overall pick), Josh Allen (7th overall pick) Josh Rosen (10th overall pick) & Lamar Jackson (32nd overall pick) went through drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2018
- 40-yard dash: Allen (4.75), Mayfield (4.84), Darnold (4.85), Rosen (4.92) & Jackson (Did not run)
- Most pass yards in 2018 draft class: Mayfield (11,115), Allen (9,707), Darnold (8,097), Jackson (7,085) & Rosen (2,845)
- RBs Leonard Fournette (4th overall pick), Christian McCaffrey (8th overall pick), Dalvin Cook (41st overall pick, 2nd Round), Alvin Kamara (67th overall pick, 3rd Round), Kareem Hunt (86th overall pick, 3rd Round), Aaron Jones (182nd overall pick, 5th Round) went through drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017
- 40-yard dash: McCaffrey (4.48), Cook (4.49), Fournette (4.51, fastest of any RB to weigh 240+ lbs at combine since 2003), Jones (4.56), Kamara (4.56) & Hunt (4.62)
- Most scrimmage yards in 2017 draft class: Kamara (6,164), McCaffrey (5,817), Cook (4,936), Hunt (4,593), Jones (4,421), Joe Mixon (4,367) & Fournette (4,240)
- LB Shaquem Griffin completed 20 bench press reps using a prosthetic hand at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2018
- Selected 141st overall (5th Round) by the Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft
- Career: 11 tackles, 1.0 sack, 6 QB hits, 1 TFL & 1 pass defensed
- Notable Birthdays: RB Herschel Walker (59), WR Santonio Holmes (37), NYJ OC Mike LaFleur (34) & NO WR Michael Thomas (28)
March 4
- QBs Mitchell Trubisky (2nd overall pick), Patrick Mahomes (10th overall pick) & Deshaun Watson (12th overall pick) went through drills at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017
- 40-yard dash: Watson (4.66), Trubisky (4.67) & Mahomes (4.80)
- Most pass yards in 2017 draft class: Mahomes (14,539), Watson (14,152) & Trubisky (10,609)
- WR John Ross ran a 4.22 40-yard dash, breaking the NFL Scouting Combine Record in 2017
- Broke the previous record of 4.24 set by RB Chris Johnson in 2008
- Selected 9th overall by the Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft
- Career: 51 receptions, 733 receiving yards & 10 receiving TD
- LB Shaquem Griffin ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2018
- Fastest among all Combine LBs since 2003 (broke the previous record of 4.40 set by Jon Alston in 2006)
- Selected 141st overall (5th Round) by the Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft
- Career: 11 tackles, 1.0 sack, 6 QB hits, 1 TFL & 1 pass defensed
- Notable Birthdays: HOF Gil Brandt (88)
March 5
- 9 NFL seasons with Jaguars (2006-2013) & Raiders (2014)
- 3-time Pro Bowl selection & 2011 First Team All-Pro (Led NFL with 343 carries & 1,606 rush yards)
- 68 career rush TD (most in JAX history) & 8,167 career rush yards (8,071 rush yards with Jaguars are 2nd-most in JAX history behind only Fred Taylor)
- DE Myles Garrett ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017
- 41-inch vertical jump (highest among DL & T-4th-highest among all players at the Combine)
- Completed 33 bench press reps (2nd-most among DL behind only Carl Lawson (35) & T-6th-most among all players at the Combine)
- Selected 1st overall by the Browns in the 2017 draft
- 2-time Pro Bowl selection & 2020 First Team All-Pro
- LB T.J. Watt ran a 4.69 40-yard dash & completed 21 bench press reps at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017
- Selected 30th overall by the Steelers in the 2017 draft
- 3-time Pro Bowl selection & 2-time First Team All-Pro
- Led the NFL with 15.0 sacks, 41 QB hits, & 23 TFL in 2020
- Notable Birthdays: HOF Mike Munchak (61) & HOF Michael Irvin (55)
March 6
- CB Marshon Lattimore ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2017
- 3rd-fastest 40-yard dash among DBs & 6th-fastest among all Combine participants in 2017
- Selected 11th overall by the Saints in the 2017 NFL Draft
- 3-time Pro Bowl selection & 2017 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Notable Birthdays: HOF Jimmy Conzelman & SF OC Mike McDaniel (38)
March 7
- HOF Peyton Manning retired from football in 2016
- 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrine (1st Ballot)
- 200 career wins including playoffs, 2nd in NFL history
- 14-time Pro Bowler (T-most in NFL history) & 5-time NFL MVP (Most in NFL history)
- 2-time Super Bowl champion (XLI & 50)
- Member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team
- Notable Birthdays: HOF Franco Harris (71), HOF Lynn Swann (69) & IND RB Marlon Mack (25)
