22,222 fans at Portland’s Multnomah Stadium (now known as Jeld-Wen Field) witnessed the first National Football League game won in “sudden death” overtime on August 28, 1955 when the Los Angeles Rams‘ Paul “Tank” Younger, from the 2 yard line, smashed over the New York Giants‘ right tackle to score the winning touchdown (The Oregonian, 29 August 1955)

Harry Glickman, the exhibition game’s promoter (and one of the future founders of the Portland Trail Blazers) had pressed the NFL for the overtime permission, and as luck would have it the game ended all tied up at 17-17.

The game featured future hall-of-famers Tom Landry, Frank Gifford, and former University of Oregon Webfoot Norm Van Brocklin, who as quarterback for the Rams engineered the winning 70-yard drive.

Related posts:

1. August 18, 1946: All-American Football Conference Debuts With Exhibition Game in Portland, Oregon
2. August 24, 1975: Portland Timbers Compete in Championship Game in Debut Season
3. March 26, 1955: Pan Am Flight 845/26 Crashes Off Oregon Coast
4. May 27, 1991: Rodney McCray Crashes Through Wall at Civic Stadium
5. March 30, 1916: Portland Uncle Sams (aka Rosebuds) Play for Stanley Cup