Best Custom NFL Jerseys From the '70s and '80s
Pro football is a wonderful and nostalgic pastime for Americans. So many people grew up in the 70s and 80s watching "Monday Night Football" every week. You may have even looked forward to chatting with your schoolmates about the game the following day.
The 1970s is known as pro football's most influential decade. This is due to the union between the American Football League and the National Football League.
Individual players had many iconic performances in the 1970s. You may remember OJ Simpson's first 2,000-yard season or Terry Bradshaw's two Super Bowl MVP awards. Besides the star players, several legendary teams dominated NFL in the '70s. Some of these teams include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings.
Following years of painful championship losses, the Cowboys finally triumphed in this era of NFL football. A perfect season by the Dolphins, the Raiders' rise under John Madden, and the creation of the Steelers' dynasty were also hallmarks of the decade. One could argue that there were more dominant teams during this period in pro football than in any other.
The Steelers and Raiders confronted each other every year in the 1972 through 1976 playoffs. These teams had what may be the biggest rivalry in NFL history. The Steel Curtain defense guided Pittsburgh to an AFC Championship Game victory over the Raiders in Oakland in 1974. This win leads to their first Super Bowl victory. But, in the 1976 AFC title game, the Raiders finally defeated Ken "The Snake" Stabler and the Steelers. This loss ended Pittsburgh's pursuit to win three Super Bowls.
The Cowboy's Clint Longley had a fantastic performance on Thanksgiving Day in 1974. Yet, one of the best games in the 1970s was the final matchup between the Cowboys and Washington. Despite being down by 17 and 13 points, Staubach led the Cowboys to a 35-34 victory against the Washington Redskins in his final regular-season game.
After running back John Riggins scored twice, the Washington Redskins started the last quarter with a 34-21 lead. Two touchdown passes from Staubach to Tony Hill and Ron Springs gave the Cowboys the win and division title. The loss caused future Super Bowl MVP, John Riggins, to turn to temporary retirement.
As the 1980s began, the NFL was venturing into uncharted waters. It had recently overtaken baseball as the nation's most popular sport. Yet, some of the league's top teams were already starting to decline. The Dolphins, Cowboys, and Steelers remained competitive, but the league needed the rise of new teams and players to stay dominant.
As new teams entered the NFL, several new rivalries were forged. Some of these rivalries were instrumental in determining who would call themselves a dynasty by the end of the '80s. It was also the start of the NFC's dominance over the NFL from 1984 to 1996, as the conference champion won the Lombardi Trophy every year.
Custom NFL jerseys from the '70s and '80s are the perfect way to commemorate our favorite teams and legends of these decades.