Today, we take a deep dive into the heart of Texas football history, tackling a massive question: Why are some of the game’s greatest innovators and icons still locked out of Canton?
To help us break it down, we are joined by the absolute blueprint of Texas sports journalism—legendary Hall of Fame sportswriter, John McClain. John spent decades in the trenches covering the Houston Oilers, and today, he’s helping us build a courtroom case for two men who defined an era but are still waiting on their gold jackets.
First up, we talk about a man who didn’t just break ankles on special teams—he fundamentally changed the culture of NFL showmanship. The father of the modern touchdown celebration, a member of the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, the legendary Billy ‘White Shoes’ Johnson.
And later in the episode, we shift from the field to the front office to talk about the polarizing trailblazer who bucked the NFL monopoly, risked his fortune to co-found the AFL, and forever changed how professional football is played: K.S. ‘Bud’ Adams Jr.
It’s a story of oil wealth, white cleats, the ‘Luv Ya Blue’ era, and the fight for football immortality. John McClain is in the building.
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Music By:
Jeff Nixon, Safety for the Buffalo Bills from 1979-82.