The NFL was still a few years from mass popularity when Norm Van Brocklin and the Los Angeles Rams opened the 1951 season by playing the New York Yanks (in the third and final season of their forgettable history) on a Friday night at the Memorial Coliseum.
Van Brocklin passed for 554 yards, an NFL record that still stands, in front of 30,316 fans. He completed 27 of 41 passes for five touchdowns, and had two interceptions.
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch had 173 receiving yards, Tom Fears 162 and Verda "Vitamin" Smith 103 for the Rams.
The Rams also rushed for 181 yards with the "Bull Elephant Backfield" of Glenn "Mr. Outside" Davis, "Deacon" Dan Towler, Paul "Tank" Younger and Dick Hoerner, who lacked a cool nickname. Los Angeles' 735 total yards in that game is also a record.
The Giants got $25,000 for traveling to Los Angeles for the game, but their starting quarterback, John Rauch, was ejected for fighting in the second quarter and they had no offense, punting 14 times.
(The previous season the teams met in New York and combined for 1,133 yards, another NFL record.)
Usually, Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield split quarterbacking duties, but Waterfield was injured that game. The Rams went on to win the league championship.
Van Brocklin had a Hall of Fame career. In his final season, "The Dutchman" was the NFL's MVP and led the Philadelphia Eagles to the 1960 league championship. He then retired and became the first coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
