While the vast majority of sporting events throughout the years have been scheduled for December 25th, the Eve of Christmas has also seen its fair share of historic moments. While “Broadway” Joe broke an unprecedented passing threshold in the late 1960’s, the Celtics dominated the boards in record fashion at the start of the decade. A decade before, the Browns’ dominance extended through their very first NFL season, resulting in yet another championship run that culminated the day before Christmas. More recently, the stage for one of the NFL’s greatest comebacks was set less than a decade ago to round out the sport’s history of December 24th.

See what happened on this day in: 2020 | 2019

Jaime Segui & Alex Raphael covered the MLB & NBA sections in this article.

PASS YDS Record

On this day in #Jets history: Joe Namath becomes the first QB to throw for 4k yds in a season after a 343-yd effort on #ChristmasEve 1967. pic.twitter.com/1AxtWclVUK
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 24, 2016

YEAR: 1967

SIGNIFICANCE: Joe Namath became the 1st to reach 4,000 PASS YDS in a season

The first true “superstar” of the AFL, “Broadway” Joe would lead the Jets to the upstart league’s monumental Super Bowl III victory over the Baltimore Colts after the 1968 season. The year prior, however, Namath made history as an individual passer on this date in a season-ending victory over the Chargers. Lighting up the San Diego secondary for 343 yards and four TDs on 18-of-26 passing, Namath became the very first player in NFL history to surpass 4,000 yards in a season after breaking Sonny Jurgensen’s single-season record from 1961 (3,723).

Record 109 Rebounds

🏆1⃣0⃣9⃣🏆

57 years ago today in NBA History, December 24, 1960

Boston pulled down 109 rebounds in a game against Detroit to establish an NBA record as the Celtics beat the Pistons 150-106. pic.twitter.com/R3dYbXzaDy
— 🖼️NFT is Life (@NFT_Promoter) December 24, 2017

YEAR: 1960

SIGNIFICANCE: Boston Celtics set a new NBA single-game record with 109 rebounds as a team in a win over the Pistons

In an era that preceded the awarding of an NBA Finals MVP, the 1960s Boston Celtics ran a monopoly on taking home titles. Their well-balanced crew was comprised of HOFers through and through, including 5x MVP and 4x rebound-champion Bill Russell. His affinity for grabbing boards was infectious to his teammates who chipped in a healthy portion of rebounds, with Boston averaging a whopping 77.6 rebounds per game in the 1960-61 season. However, no date in NBA history has seen more rebounds collected by a single team than on Christmas Eve, 1960 by the 22-9 Boston Celtics.

As they dismantled the Detroit Pistons 150-106, Bill Russell absorbed 29 boards to add to his team’s 109 total rebounds. Detroit shot a miserable 35.6% from the field, allowing Boston to reel in the mammoth number of missed shots. The Celtics kept up their success all season to be crowned NBA champions for the third straight time during a streak that saw them gauge an absurd eight consecutive titles in the prime of Russell’s legendary career.

AP's Torn ACL

YEAR: 2011

SIGNIFICANCE: Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in Week 16, setting the stage for his historic MVP comeback

Before the 2011 season, NFL.com ranked Adrian Peterson as the league’s third-best player, behind only QBs Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He signed a record-setting, 7y/$96M extension with the Vikings in September before setting a franchise record with three TDs in the first quarter against the Cardinals in early October. Suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 11, he would miss three games but returned for their Week 15 loss to New Orleans.

Amid a tied contest in Washington on this date, Peterson was tackled very awkwardly by S DeJon Gomes and suffered a devastating torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. An injury and surgery that typically requires 50 weeks to fully heal (nearly a year), Peterson would return to action by Week 1 — just over nine months since the injury. Appearing stronger, quicker, and faster than ever, Adrian would sprint his way into the record books by not only becoming just the seventh to surpass 2,000 rushing yards, but coming up just nine yards short of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record (2,105) to finish off arguably the greatest comeback season in NFL history.

Welcome to the NFL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8O7AbrVMy0

YEAR: 1950

SIGNIFICANCE: Cleveland Browns beat the LA Rams to finish their inaugural NFL season with a championship

After the Cleveland Browns’ four-year domination of the AAFC, they entered the NFL with a 52-4-3 overall record. Proving the naysayers wrong with a season-opening drubbing of the two-time defending champion Eagles, the Browns debuted with a 10-2 record that placed them in the NFL Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams — formerly of Cleveland. Fielding the league’s top-ranked offense led by two HOF QBs (Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield), LA averaged a whopping 37 points per game and even scored 70 against the Colts that season.

Cleveland, however, entered the matchup with the top-ranked defense paired with a top-five offense. After LA jumped out to a 14-7 lead, QB Otto Graham connected with TE Dante Lavelli twice in the second quarter (failed PAT) to make it a 20-14 score. The Rams scored on a one-yard plunge to take a narrow lead, then a Marion Motley fumble on the ensuing drive was recovered for a short TD, giving LA an eight-point lead. Two fourth-quarter INTs handed Otto Graham excellent field position, with which he made it a one-point contest, but he fumbled in the Red zone with under 3:00 left.

The Browns’ defense stood strong once again, forcing a punt to allow the offense to take over at their own 31 with 1:49 remaining. Otto scrambled for 16 yards on the first play, then tossed three consecutive strikes to get the ball down to LA’s 11-yard-line. He then called his own number — a QB sneak — in an effort to move the ball to the middle of the field for Lou Groza’s game-winning FGA. From the six-yard-line, the HOF K nailed the go-ahead FG to take a 30-28 lead with under :30 to go. The kickoff was fumbled, recovered by Cleveland, then overturned, but the Browns’ fifth interception of the game sealed their fifth consecutive title.

MLB HOF Traded

Today in 1990: The Expos trade future HOFer Tim Raines to the White Sox for Barry Jones & Ivan Calderon (RIP). pic.twitter.com/lblRnqHScZ
— Stirrups Now! (@uniformcritic) December 24, 2014

YEAR: 1990

SIGNIFICANCE: Expos traded HOF Tim Raines to the White Sox for OF Ivan Calderon and RHP Barry Jones

After 12 seasons with the Montreal Expos, OF Tim Raines was traded to the Chicago White Sox for OF Ivan Calderon and RHP Barry Jones, on this day in 1990. Raines, who was 31 years old at the time of the trade was a career .301 hitter, had a .390 OBP with over 6,100 career PAs, and had earned seven All-Stars. Raines, a 2017 HOF inductee, went on to play five seasons for the South Siders—accumulating nearly 700 hits with a 113 OPS+. Calderon went on to have an All-Star 1991 campaign before getting traded to the Red Sox in 1992. Jones also got traded in ‘92 after posting a 3.31 ERA in a league-leading 77 games for the Montrealers.