The year was 1989, and the Cleveland Browns were set to host the Chicago Bears for an October Monday Night Football showdown at Municipal Stadium.
Earlier in the season, Browns star wide receiver Webster Slaughter noticed 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice had started spray-painting his cleats red. The then 25-year-old had already added spunk to Cleveland’s offense and was entering the discussion as the NFL’s best deep threat.
Slaughter spent Monday afternoon spray-painting his cleats orange. Browns team historian Tony Dick said Slaughter invented the word swag 20 years before it would hit mainstream culture.
In the fourth quarter, with the Browns already up 17-0 on the Bears, Slaughter lit up the city of Cleveland, scoring a 97-yard touchdown from a Bernie Kosar deep pass.