This Day in Football History

2005 - Wellington Mara passes away

New York Giants co-owner Wellington Mara passes away at his home in Rye, N.Y. after battling cancer. He is 89-years-old.

Mara joined the Giants as a ballboy in 1925 after his father, Timothy J. Mara, purchased the team for $500. He and his older brother Jack became co-owners five years later when their father handed the Giants over to them.

"He shaped nearly every rule and philosophy we have in our league today," Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi says of Mara. "Most of all, he was the moral conscience of the National Football League. He now joins the pantheon of incredible men who made this league what it has become."

1998 - Jerry Rice sets pass-catching record

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice sets an NFL record with a catch in his 184th consecutive game, breaking the previous mark set by Art Monk from 1980 to 1995.

"There's no doubt (Monk) was one of the best receivers to ever play the game and it's an honor to break his record,'' Rice says. "Art Monk, he was an ideal receiver. The thing I liked about him was that he would show up for every game and go out there and play."

Rice's pass-catching streak ends in September 2004 at 274 games.

1998 - Jason Elam kicks 63-yard field goal

Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam ties an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

''I have kicked it 70 and 72 yards in practice, and made it, wind aided, but that hasn't happened very often,'' Elam says after the game, which the Broncos won by a score of 37-24. ''The biggest thing is just getting the opportunity. I think three-fourths of the guys in the league can kick that ball. They just don't get the chance.''

Elam's mark stands until Dec. 8, 2013, when Broncos kicker Matt Prater hits a 64-yarder against the Tennessee Titans.

Birthdays

1950 - John Matuszak
1951 - Greg Stemrick
1955 - Dennis "Dirt" Winston
1964 - Pat Swilling
1969 - Corey Harris
1976 - Chris Hanson
1984 - Dante Rosario