Football fanatics of all ages, love watching the game, but also enjoy the simple pleasure of sharing little known facts and trivia of the sport. Whether it is NFL, NCAA or just the neighborhood Peewee League, football is one of America's favorite sports. Check out these football facts and show off your love of the game with your use of your brain!
• A game held at Jarvis Field on June 4, 1875, between Tufts University and Harvard can be
considered as the first collegiate football game in America.
• Walter Camp considered the Father of American football, was captain of the Yale Football team in
1878.
• The scoring system when football first began, allowed 1 point for getting the ball across the goal in
any manor.
• In 1883 the scoring system was modified to boost popularity by increasing the value for a touchdown
to 5 points and a conversion to 4 points.
• The National Collegiate Athletic Association was formed as a result from a threat by President
Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 to ban football due to deaths and injuries suffered during games.
• The forward pass emerged as a result to open up the game and permit a newly built Harvard
Stadium from closing.
• Bradbury Robinson threw the first legal forward pass in 1906.
• To prevent injuries the goal posts were relocated to the rear of the end zone in 1927.
• Numbers on the front and the back of the player’s jersey were not required until 1937.
• The Green Bay Packers, established in 1919 holds the record for the longest time in the same city.
• The NFL was formed in 1920.
• The coldest Super Bowl ever played was in New Orleans at Tulane Stadium between the Cowboys
and the Dolphins on January 16, 1972, the temperature was 39°.
• It would take 313 footballs lined up end to end to span the distance from goal line to goal line.
• The record for longest (63 yards) and shortest (8 yards) field goal in the NFL is held by Tom
Dempsey during one game in 1970 for the New Orleans Saints.
• Overtime was added in 1996 to prevent ties.
• Joey Jones is the first coach for The University of South Alabama, and will play their first football
game as the Jaguars in 2009.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
American Football Facts
Football has long been one of America's greatest pastimes, from watching the local high school duke it out on the field with some rivaling school to a sudden spontaneous match between friends on a warm Sunday afternoon. The stadiums are always packed as fans converge to watch their favorite teams contest for the winner's cup. With roots going back almost to the beginning of American history there are many fun facts which can be gleaned just from reading a short article on Amercan football.
For example:
- American football is closely tied with soccer, known to the rest of the world as simply football. Indeed American football can be traced back to the beginnings of rugby football as well as soccer.
- The first professional contract was in 1892 when William Heffelfinger agreed to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittspurgh Athletic Club for $500.
- Now known as the National Football League, the non-profit organization for American football was formed in 1920 and at that time was called the American Professional Football Association.
-With over 90 million viewers, the NFL Super Bowl is easily the most-watched televised event in America.
These are only a few of the facts available, just the very tip in a large mountain of trivia and knowledge. The information available is widespread, from statistics and names to the history of how the NFL, and American football, was formed in this country. There is no end to the amount of data, found in every corner in every format imaginable, presented by the professional spokesperson, reporter, or ad company, or just compiled by the average fan.
Some of the facts can be rather surprising and funny. Some examples are:
- The Chinese sometimes refer to the game as “olive ball” because the oddly-shaped ball reminded them of an olive.
- The network recording of the first Super Bowl was lost due to it being taped over, allegedly for a soap opera.
- Surpassed only by Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the nation’s largest day for food consumption, with pizza being the most popular food, that week also topping the charts for the highest consumption of pizza.
American football is easily the most popular sport in the U.S; no other sport has ever come close to reaching the popularity of this spectator game, followed by casual fans and die-hard enthusiasts alike.
For example:
- American football is closely tied with soccer, known to the rest of the world as simply football. Indeed American football can be traced back to the beginnings of rugby football as well as soccer.
- The first professional contract was in 1892 when William Heffelfinger agreed to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittspurgh Athletic Club for $500.
- Now known as the National Football League, the non-profit organization for American football was formed in 1920 and at that time was called the American Professional Football Association.
-With over 90 million viewers, the NFL Super Bowl is easily the most-watched televised event in America.
These are only a few of the facts available, just the very tip in a large mountain of trivia and knowledge. The information available is widespread, from statistics and names to the history of how the NFL, and American football, was formed in this country. There is no end to the amount of data, found in every corner in every format imaginable, presented by the professional spokesperson, reporter, or ad company, or just compiled by the average fan.
Some of the facts can be rather surprising and funny. Some examples are:
- The Chinese sometimes refer to the game as “olive ball” because the oddly-shaped ball reminded them of an olive.
- The network recording of the first Super Bowl was lost due to it being taped over, allegedly for a soap opera.
- Surpassed only by Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the nation’s largest day for food consumption, with pizza being the most popular food, that week also topping the charts for the highest consumption of pizza.
American football is easily the most popular sport in the U.S; no other sport has ever come close to reaching the popularity of this spectator game, followed by casual fans and die-hard enthusiasts alike.
NFLs' Early and Burly Facts and Stats
"Blue 42, Green 13 set, down hut hut HUUT !!" Ah yes, it's almost that time of year again, so get ready to breakout the face paint, foam fingers and home team jerseys. Mini-camps are on the horizon, draft picks are signed and newly aquired free agents are moving into new homes. Soon having a case of the "mondays" will refer to the pale-faced and silent fan in the corner, whose team lost after he boasted all weekend of their imminent victory.
However American football has roots that extend far past today's modern game . What we see on game day is a product refined and re-defined over and over again. This year while your siting on the couch during a time-out or waiting for kick-off, hit your buds with some of these historic football facts and stats. Here's your chance to play the "football buff."
American football started as an off-shoot of rugby and soccer in 1879.
The man behind all the essential changes that transformed the game was Walter Camp,
often referenced as the "Father of Football."
The first huddle took place in 1921, initiated by Bob Zuppke at Illinois Unv, initially Zuppke was criticized for
for his "huddle", only to see it become a standard practice by the mid 20's.
The first season of "professional" football was in 1922. Previously footballs' highest level of play was in the
college ranks, followed by private clubs.
Because of the anticipated crowd of over 90,000 people and fear that such a venue could possibly be
targeted by Japanese naval and air attacks, the 1942 Rose Bowl was played in Durham, North Carolina.
Up until 1950 players would play offense, defense and special teams. The " Free Substitution Rule" instituted
that year gave rise to the modern day system of an offensive team with it's own specialists as well as
seperate defensive and special teams also complete with individual coaching staffs.
The Harvard-Yale rivalry has roots old and deep.The annual football meeting in 1894 became known as the
"Hampden Park Blood Bath", resulting in the annual games suspension, until 1897. Largely due to the
mob style of the game with mass formation plays, such as "the flying wedge" where many injuries
occured.
President Theodore Roosevelt threated to ban the game when in 1905 there were 19 football related fatalities
across the counrty.
The first legal forward pass, coming after a rule change in 1906, was thrown by Bradbury Robinson of
St. Louis Unv. in a game versus Carroll College on September 5th of that year.
Glenn 'Pop' Warner, aside from being honored in the naming a youth football organization and a noted coach,
is also credited with the single and double wing formations, modern blocking schemes, the reverse
play, the three point stance and for effectively establishing the forward pass. He also penned one of
first football stratagy in 1927 titled "Football for Coaches and Players."
However American football has roots that extend far past today's modern game . What we see on game day is a product refined and re-defined over and over again. This year while your siting on the couch during a time-out or waiting for kick-off, hit your buds with some of these historic football facts and stats. Here's your chance to play the "football buff."
American football started as an off-shoot of rugby and soccer in 1879.
The man behind all the essential changes that transformed the game was Walter Camp,
often referenced as the "Father of Football."
The first huddle took place in 1921, initiated by Bob Zuppke at Illinois Unv, initially Zuppke was criticized for
for his "huddle", only to see it become a standard practice by the mid 20's.
The first season of "professional" football was in 1922. Previously footballs' highest level of play was in the
college ranks, followed by private clubs.
Because of the anticipated crowd of over 90,000 people and fear that such a venue could possibly be
targeted by Japanese naval and air attacks, the 1942 Rose Bowl was played in Durham, North Carolina.
Up until 1950 players would play offense, defense and special teams. The " Free Substitution Rule" instituted
that year gave rise to the modern day system of an offensive team with it's own specialists as well as
seperate defensive and special teams also complete with individual coaching staffs.
The Harvard-Yale rivalry has roots old and deep.The annual football meeting in 1894 became known as the
"Hampden Park Blood Bath", resulting in the annual games suspension, until 1897. Largely due to the
mob style of the game with mass formation plays, such as "the flying wedge" where many injuries
occured.
President Theodore Roosevelt threated to ban the game when in 1905 there were 19 football related fatalities
across the counrty.
The first legal forward pass, coming after a rule change in 1906, was thrown by Bradbury Robinson of
St. Louis Unv. in a game versus Carroll College on September 5th of that year.
Glenn 'Pop' Warner, aside from being honored in the naming a youth football organization and a noted coach,
is also credited with the single and double wing formations, modern blocking schemes, the reverse
play, the three point stance and for effectively establishing the forward pass. He also penned one of
first football stratagy in 1927 titled "Football for Coaches and Players."
American Football Trivia
Within the past three decades, football has taken over the title of “America’s Pastime” from baseball. Ask any red- blooded male from California to New York what he is planning on doing any given Sunday in the fall; the odds are he’ll answer “watching football”.
With so many people watching the new pastime, there are countless numbers of people who claim to be American football trivia buffs. For those of you who feel that they are “in the know” regarding football trivia here are some interesting and obscure facts that you may not know.
• It is legal for a quarterback to drop the football on the ground and kick it on the bounce through the
uprights for either a field goal or an extra point. This is called a drop kick.
• The last drop kick made was done by Doug Flutie in 2006. This was the first successful attempt in six decades.
• American sprinter Carl Lewis was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1984 draft (he was also drafted by the Chicago Bulls the same year). He never played for either team.
• The coldest NFL game ever played was the 1967 Ice Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys where the temperature dropped to 13° F below zero. The Packers, a cold weather team, won 21 to 17.
• If a team fair catches the ball on a punt, they can choose to have on their next play a free uncontested field goal try with the defensive players staying a minimum ten yards away from the kicker.
• The NFL running back Priest Holmes was not drafted by a single team coming out of college. He later went on to break the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season (which was later broken by LaDainian Tomlinson).
• Former San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young has a law degree from Brigham Young University.
• In 2002 Pat Tillman declined a contract extension of over a million dollars a year for three years to serve in the Army. He was later killed in action in Afghanistan.
• Former quarterback Len Dawson holds the NFL record for most fumbles in one game with seven. Len Dawson is also in the NFL Hall of Fame.
With so many people watching the new pastime, there are countless numbers of people who claim to be American football trivia buffs. For those of you who feel that they are “in the know” regarding football trivia here are some interesting and obscure facts that you may not know.
• It is legal for a quarterback to drop the football on the ground and kick it on the bounce through the
uprights for either a field goal or an extra point. This is called a drop kick.
• The last drop kick made was done by Doug Flutie in 2006. This was the first successful attempt in six decades.
• American sprinter Carl Lewis was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1984 draft (he was also drafted by the Chicago Bulls the same year). He never played for either team.
• The coldest NFL game ever played was the 1967 Ice Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys where the temperature dropped to 13° F below zero. The Packers, a cold weather team, won 21 to 17.
• If a team fair catches the ball on a punt, they can choose to have on their next play a free uncontested field goal try with the defensive players staying a minimum ten yards away from the kicker.
• The NFL running back Priest Holmes was not drafted by a single team coming out of college. He later went on to break the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season (which was later broken by LaDainian Tomlinson).
• Former San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young has a law degree from Brigham Young University.
• In 2002 Pat Tillman declined a contract extension of over a million dollars a year for three years to serve in the Army. He was later killed in action in Afghanistan.
• Former quarterback Len Dawson holds the NFL record for most fumbles in one game with seven. Len Dawson is also in the NFL Hall of Fame.
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