His untimely death meant the game fell within the military's 30-day national period of mourning, nearly cancelling the contest before the Kennedy family urged for the game to be played.Ī decision to postpone to the following week was made right around the announcement that Navy quarterback Roger Staubach would be the recipient of the Heisman Trophy.
One of the most historic games in the series is also known for almost not happening. President John F.
Despite home-field advantage in West Point, the Midshipmen’s experience propelled them to a 24-0 win. Except that Army side had never before played an organized game. Navy had competed as a football team since 1879 when it challenged Army to what would become the first game in an ongoing series. Here are 10 influential moments chronicling Army and Navy’s decorated pasts. These are just a few notable happenings from the 1890s for perspective: RECAP: Army gets by Navy in first OT meetingīut like the nature of this rivalry, numbers alone don’t fully encompass the history of the series. The Midshipmen now hold a 62-54-7 head-to-head edge. Army came out on top in the series' first overtime game.
It’s been more than 130 years since Army and Navy first battled on the gridiron.
