Football History:
American football is belived to have evolved from games played by the ancient Greeks, called harpaston. In the game of harpaston there was no limit to the number of players. The object of the was to move a ball across the goal line by kicking it, throwing it, or running with it. Early literature contains blow-by-blow accounts of the game, along with its rougher elements, such as merciless tackling.
Most modernized versions of football come from in England, where a form of the game was known in the early 12th century. In forthcoming centuries football became so popular that various English monarchs, including King Edward II and King Henry VI, forbid the playing this game because it took excitement away from the military sport of archery. By the middle of the 19th century, football was divided into two distinct entities. Both are still popular today, these two sports are rugby & soccer. American football evolved from these two sports. Soccer in the United States is still known as football throughout much of the world today.
As is the case with many sports, football games were popularized in the USA by students at and/or from elite schools and universities. In 1820, a intensely violent game known as "ballown" began to be played at the College of New Jersey (AKA Princeton University). Not long after the end of the American Civil War, around 1867, Princeton led the way in establishing some fundamental rules of the game. Also in the same year, football itself was patented for the very first time.
In 1873, representatives from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton, and Yale met in New York City to draft the 1rst intercollegiate football rules for the increasingly sought-after game, despite being played with many of the rules of soccer. These 4 teams established the Intercollegiate Football Association, and set the number of 15 as the number of players allowed on each team.
Football historians agree that the 1rst intercollegiate organized football game took place on November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers College and Princeton University met in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 1880 Yale coach Walter Camp set the number at 11 players. He also created the quarterback position and the system of downs.
In the early 1900s college football games were popular sports spectacles, but the professional game attracted limited public support. College games were extremely rough, and many injuries and some deaths occurred. Educators considered dropping the sport despite its popularity on campuses, and United States president Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent advocate of strenuous sports, declared that the game must be made safer. As a result, football authorities revamped the game, and many of the rougher tactics were outlawed.
College coaches such as Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Bob Zuppke, and Knute Rockne developed many of the early offensive techniques and play formations. Following very few historical precedents, these men invented unique strategies that changed the nature of football forever. The 1rst professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between a team representing Latrobe and a team from Jeannette, Pennsylvania. In the following years many professional teams were formed.
The 1rst league of professional football teams was the American Professional Football Association, formed in 1920. The admission fee was $100 per team. The teams pledged not to use any student player who still had any college eligibility left, as the goodwill of the colleges was believed to be essential to the survival of the professional league. Thorpe, a player/coach for one of the teams, became president of the league during its 1rst year. The American Professional Football Association gave way in 1922 to the NFL. Red Grange, the famous halfback from the University of Illinois, provided a tremendous stimulus for the league when he joined the Chicago Bears in 1925 and toured the United States for 2 YRS. His exciting play drew large crowds. For a short time thereafter, pro football attracted larger numbers of 1rst rate college players, and the increased patronage made the league economically viable.
Strategically, the early NFL game was hardly distinguishable from college football of the time. There was no attempt to break away from college rulebooks or playbooks, and for several years the NFL followed the NCAA Rules Committee recommendations. The popularity of pro game slowly began to equal its college rivals after the NFL launched its 1rst player draft in 1936. Many talented college players chosed to play in the NFL, the professional game also drew more fans. The Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cardinals, the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers, and the New York Giants were some of the league’s dominant teams during this time period. Outstanding players like running back Cliff Battles, quarterback Sammy Baugh, running back Tony Canadeo, and receiver Don Hutson. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II (1939-1945), however, drained many of the early professional franchises of players & money.
After World War II, college teams were allowed free substitution of players that is, a player could enter and leave the game an unlimited number of times, as long as the ball was not in play during the substitution. This feature of the game led to the modern two platoon system, in which one group of 11 players enters the game to play offense & a 2nd group enters to play defense.
In 1946 the All America Football Conference (AAFC) was established as a rival to the NFL. The new league included the New York Yankees, the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Colts (AKA Indianapolis Colts), and the Los Angeles Dons. The most powerful team in the new league was the Cleveland Browns, coached by Paul Brown.
Although very talented, the quarterbacks of the 1930s and early 1940s seldom completed more than 50% of their passes. The major cause of these low percentages was the primitive nature of pass/blocking strategies. With little protection, the passer always had to throw while avoiding the inside rushers. Brown installed a new blocking system that radically revised the passing game. Coach Brown changed the system by arranging the linemen in the form of a cup that pushed most pass/rushers to the outside and provided a safe area, called the pocket, from which the quarterback could find some time to pass. Using the strategy, Brown coached Cleveland to 4 AAFC championships from 1946 to 1949.
In 1950 the Browns, 49ers, and Colts joined the NFL in a merger of the two leagues. The move ushered in a period of popularity and prosperity. Television helped to popularize the professional game when in 1956 the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) began to broadcast select games. In 1960, the Packers reached the NFL championship game but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the game marked the rise of the Green Bay franchise under the head coach Vince Lombardi. An intimidatingly - motivated individual, Lombardi led the Packers to the NFL title the following year and added two more NFL championships in 1962 and 1965.
Seeing that a profit could be made from pro football, a Texas businessman Lamar Hunt formed the American Football League (AFL) in 1960 as a rival to the NFL. Teams in the new league included the Houston Oilers, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders, and the New York Jets. The two leagues fought bitterly for players, media attention, and profits. Standouts in the new league such as Jack Kemp, Lance Alworth, and Joe Namath helped the AFL establish itself with the NFL.
In 1966 the two leagues agreed on a merger plan. The 1rst AFL/NFL World Championship Game, feat. the AFL champion Chiefs and the NFL champion Packers, was played in January 1967. The Packers won the contest 35-10 in a game that was later renamed Super Bowl I. In 1968 the Packers defeated the AFL’s Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II, but the game did affirm the AFL’s talent. In 1969 the AFL’s New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts in a huge upset in Super Bowl III. In 1970, the leagues merged into two 13 team conferences under the NFL name. The Browns, Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers joined the 10 AFL teams to form the AFC, and the remaining NFL teams formed the NFC.
During the early 1970s offensive play suffered as result of complex defensive strategies. 3 coaches in particular, Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys, Chuck Noll of the Steelers, and Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins, created defensive tactics that closed down passing lanes and forced the offense to rely more on running the ball. The shift resulted in defensive units with names like the Doomsday Defense of the Cowboys, the Steel Curtain of the Steelers, the Purple People Eaters of the Minnesota Vikings, and the Los Angeles Rams’ Fearsome Foursome. In 1972 Miami’s staggering defense teamed with a celebrated offense led by the teams two quarterbacks Bob Griese and Earl Morrall, and the Dolphins compiled a record of 14 wins and 0 losses becoming the only team to finish a NFL regular season undefeated. Following their perfect season the Miami Dolphins won Super Bowl VII.
In an attempt to maintain public interest in the game during the early 1970s, NFL brought the hash marks in closer to the center of the field to give offenses more room to throw wider passes. This move increased scoring and made the game much more exciting, it also helped bolster the teams running games. In 1972 10 NFL runners gained over 1,000 yards in one season for the 1rst time in history. During the next season, Buffalo Bills running back O. J. Simpson rushed for more than 2,000 yards, the 1rst time a player had ever gained that many yards in a single season.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, a rivalry between two intense teams Dallas and Pittsburgh drew more fans to the game. Pittsburgh won 4 Super Bowls (1975, 1976, 1979, 1980), while Dallas finally won in 1978. The Steelers’ 1979 victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII is still considered to be one of the most memorable games in the sport’s history.
Television continued to play a role in the popularity of the game, and in 1970 the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) created Monday Night Football, hosted by former quarterback Don Meredith and commentators Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell. After one season former NFL player Frank Gifford replaced Jackson. Each week during the regular season the show featured a popular team match ups. It was an instant hit and became one of television’s longest running sports programs. After Meredith and Cosell retired, a number of former NFL players served as announcers on the show, including Dan Dierdorf, Fran Tarkenton, O. J. Simpson, and Lynn Swann.
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