The Birth of American Football: From the First College Game in 1869 to the Last Super Bowl

This book is written for those of us who love football. Those of us who enjoy the teams coming out every week in the fall know that it was because many schools in the 1800's had the guts to form teams and begin playing American football. Even though the rules were not complete, sometimes, 25, someti [...]
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This book is written for those of us who love football. Those of us who enjoy the teams coming out every week in the fall know that it was because many schools in the 1800's had the guts to form teams and begin playing American football. Even though the rules were not complete, sometimes, 25, sometimes 20, sometimes 15, and then finally eleven men came out every Saturday to meet an opponent and fight for a victory. Then, when these men graduated, they wanted to keep playing and / or coaching so we saw many small, independent teams, and small leagues form before the coming of the powerful NFL. The National Football League became the greatest Professional league ever -- in any sport. Soon one or two players were getting paid and then after time went on, great players were paid and then all players and coaches were paid handsomely for playing the game they love. This book tells the story of how we got from there to here. It offers great insights into the struggles your favorite teams had when most officials would have preferred they continue to play more docile ball games such as association football and soccer. There are 774 NCAA college teams today that send about 50,000 players at the college level onto the gridiron each Saturday. There are 1696 men in total who take the field each Sunday, Monday and Thursday playing for 32 professional teams. Players, at all levels of the American football game, bring us much enjoyment through their victories and the sheer excitement of their playing the game. Coaches get these teams together to face off each week using discipline, conditioning, and the notion that there is honor in winning. It just does not happen It was a lot of hard work from some great coaches who got American football going strong at the end of the 18th century, and on to today. That evolution is what this book is about. Starting with the first bona fide football game in America in 1869, this book moves to the transition of this style football through a scrimmage-less rugby period all the way to American College Football and further on to NFL football as pro football is played today. We cover the early teams, the outstanding players, the football innovators such as Walter Camp, John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Knute Rockne, Eddie Cochems, and others. We look at the great football players of this formative era and we look at many of the great schools and pro teams and how they formed their teams when a lot of guts mattered in a lot of different ways. We tell the fascinating story of how the ball, the oval football, was invented and how it was actually dangerous to make. This is the book you need to learn about how your favorite sport, American Football came into being. You won't want to put this book down.