Dec. 4
1945 — “Mr. Inside” Doc Blanchard of Army becomes the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Blanchard also becomes the only athlete to win both the Heisman and Sullivan Award.
1951 — Princeton triple-threat tailback Richard Kazmaier wins the Heisman Trophy. Kazmaier led the nation in total offense and the Tigers to an undefeated season.
1956 — Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung edges Tennessee’s Johnny Majors to win the Heisman Trophy.
1961 — Floyd Patterson defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Tom McNeeley in the fourth round in Toronto.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black to be taken No. 1 in the NFL draft after being selected by the Washington Redskins.
1977 — Tony Dorsett becomes the third rookie to rush for more than 200 yards in a game with 206 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
1982 — Georgia’s Hershel Walker wins the Heisman Trophy. The junior running back beats out Stanford quarterback John Elway and Southern Methodist running back Eric Dickerson.
1988 — Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders wins the Heisman Trophy then proves he’s worthy of the award with spectacular performance in a 45-42 win over Texas Tech in Tokyo. Sanders rushes 44 times for 332 yards and four touchdowns, setting the NCAA single-season rushing record with 2,628 yards in 11 games.
2004 — Louisville becomes the first football team in NCAA history to score at least 55 points in five straight games, beating Tulane 55-7.
2005 — Croatia wins its first Davis Cup title when Mario Ancic beats Michal Mertinak of Slovakia 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive fifth match.
2009 — The New Jersey Nets win for the first time this season, ending the worst start in NBA history at 18 losses by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91.
2010 — Cam Newton passes for a career-best 335 yards and four touchdowns, and runs for a couple of TDs to lead No. 2 Auburn past 18th-ranked South Carolina 56-17 for the Southeastern Conference title.
2013 — The NFL fines Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin $100,000 for interfering with a play against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. In the third quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 win, Jacoby Jones swerves to avoid colliding with Tomlin and is tackled after a 73-yard return that might have gone for a touchdown if not for the obstruction.
2016 — Tom Brady becomes the NFL’s career leader in victories by a quarterback, earning his 201st by throwing for 269 yards and a touchdown to lead New England past Los Angeles 26-10.
2016 — Detroit becomes the first team in 60 Saints home games to stop Drew Brees from throwing a touchdown pass, as the Lions pull away from New Orleans, 28-13. It’s also the Lions’ first victory in a road game following Thanksgiving since 1974, snapping a streak of 22 losses in such games.
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