17 Photos That Capture the NFL in the ’70s

Football in the ’70s had a different kind of energy. The game was rougher, the hits were harder, and the rivalries ran deep. Fans packed into living rooms with rabbit-ear TVs or braved freezing bleachers just to see their team battle it out. The Steelers, Raiders, and Cowboys’ names carried serious weight, and the players felt larger than life. These vintage pictures offer a glimpse into one of the NFL’s earliest eras.

1. Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys (1977)

2. Giants vs. Steelers Preseason Game (1971)

3. Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Roger Staubach Throwing a Pass in the NFC Championship on Christmas (1971)

4. Cedrick Hardman and Charlie Krueger Sacking Roger Staubach in the NFC Championship Game (1972)

5. Super Bowl VII Helmet Carts (1973)

6. L.C. Greenwood, Four-Time Super Bowl Champion 

7. Garo Yepremian, Two-Time Super Bowl Champion

8. The Original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1972)

9. Joe Namath on the New York Jets Sideline (1973)

10. Terry Bradshaw During Super Bowl VIII (1979)

11. Pittsburgh Steelers’ Running Back Franco Harris Being Rushed by Fans After Scoring the Famed ‘Immaculate Reception’ (1972)

12. Staubach Poster

13. Ken ‘The Snake’ Stabler and Fred ‘Scarecrow’ Biletnikoff After Winning Super Bowl XI (1976)

14. Browns vs 49ers in the Mud at Cleveland Municipal Stadium (1974)

15. Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones After Being Selected First Overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Draft (1974)

16. Oakland Raiders Players (1970)

17. Robin Williams Joining the Denver Broncos Cheer Squad (1979)

Interested in more sports throughout the years?

Check out some of our sports stories, including The 10 Biggest NFL Draft Contracts of All Time, The 10 Most Expensive Pieces of NFL Memorabilia Ever Sold, and Victory, Defeat, and Glory: 15 Sports Moments That Shook the World.