On this day in history, December 28, 1958, Colts beat Giants for NFL title in 'greatest game ever played'

Host Shannon Bream commemorated the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Fame running back after he tragically passed away at 72 years old, just a couple of days before his famous ‘Immaculate Reception’ reached its 50th anniversary. 

The Baltimore Colts stunned the New York Giants 23-17 in "sudden death" at the NFL championship game at Yankee Stadium before a mesmerized nationwide television audience on this day in history, Dec. 28, 1958. 

The event has gone down in American sports lore as "the greatest game ever played."

The dramatic title tilt helped popularize pro football at a time when it ranked behind baseball and college football — even boxing and horse racing — in the national sporting consciousness. 

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"The game captured the collective attention of the nation and as a result, pro football exploded across the country in the following years," writes the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

"By the mid-1960s, professional football became the nation’s favorite sport to watch and has remained on top ever since."

American quarterback Johnny Unitas (left) of the Baltimore Colts is shown as he's about to throw a pass during a play in "sudden death" overtime of the NFL Championship game against the New York Giants, Yankee Stadium, New York, Dec. 28, 1958. The Colts won 23-17.  (Robert Riger/Getty Images)

The nationally televised spectacle was highlighted by two dramatic late scoring drives engineered by an unheralded 25-year-old Colts quarterback named Johnny Unitas. 

The sports thriller capped a long Christmas weekend for millions of Americans who were tuning into pro football for the first time. 

The 1958 NFL championship is