The 1937 Pittsburgh Panthers finished 8-0-1. The blemish was a scoreless tie against Fordham and the "Seven Blocks of Granite," which included future coaching great Vince Lombardi. Generally considered "Doc" Sutherland's greatest team, Pitt boasted the "Dream Backfield" of Marshall Goldberg, Dick Cassiano, John Chickerneo, and Harry "Curly" Stubbins. The squad was #1 in the final AP poll. As a result, they were invited to play in the Rose Bowl for the second straight year.

Shockingly, at least to the outside world, the team voted 17-16 against the trip to Pasadena. Goldberg later said there were several reasons for the negative vote, but a telling one was "what happened to us the year before."

The 1936 Panthers had compiled an 8-1 regular season record and trounced Washington 21-0 in the Rose Bowl. The players had been led to believe that each would be paid $100 for expenses and given a new suit. "We got nothing except a sweater and a pair of pants," Goldberg recalled. The coaches chipped in what they could, but all that amounted to was $2 per player.

As background to the players' decision, Pitt had paid its football players since the mid-20s. In 1933, the salaries, which appeared high by Depression standards, were cut to $40/month, and the players were expected to pay their own room, board, and tuition. In 1934-6, players got $48/month for ten months. The school also prohibited married football players and required players to hold down jobs in exchange for tuition and board. Chancellor John Bowman wanted to bring his football program in line with those of other prominent schools. He hoped to take Chicago's place when that school left the Big Ten. (That happened in 1939 for football, but the Big Ten did not accept a replacement until Michigan State in 1953.)

The deemphasis of football soon took its toll. Sutherland retired after the 1938 season. Before the next season, the freshmen players went on strike, protesting the reductions that gave them a lower salary than previous players. They succeeded in getting the administration to cancel the reductions. Then in 1940, the Panthers suffered their first losing season since 1912.

• "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh revolutionized football by popularizing the forward pass. He was all-NFL seven times while winning six passing titles. In 1943, he led the league in passing, punting, and interceptions. Because of this versatility, he is arguably the greatest football player ever. When Monk and Green were inducted, Sammy was 94, the last living member of the Hall's inaugural class of 1963.
• Lineman "Turk" Edwards moved with the franchise when it transferred from Boston to Washington in 1937. At 6'2" 255 lb, he was a giant on both sides of the ball. His career ended abruptly in 1940 in a unique manner. After participating in the coin toss before a game, he turned to return to the bench. His cleat caught in the ground, and his knee gave way.
• The owner who transferred the franchise to Washington was George Preston Marshall. Longtime Washington columnist Shirley Povich wrote that Marshall "was widely considered (1) one of pro football's greatest innovators and (2) its leading bigot." He started the Redskins marching band, which still exists. His team, however, was the last to integrate, doing so only when the federal government threatened to take legal action in 1962.
• Marshall's first African-American player was Bobby Mitchell, a WR/HB who started his pro career with the Cleveland Browns (1958-61) before finishing with Washington (1962-68). Mitchell caught at least 50 passes six times, finishing with 521 career receptions and 14,078 net yards.
• RB John Riggins was MVP of the Redskins' first Super Bowl victory after the 1982 season. He had sat out the 1980 season but returned for 1981. "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back."