For almost 150 years, American

football has dominated our society.

From young people to adults, football
has been performed worldwide. It has
been played by people of every
background and of every sex. Contact,
strategy, and other actions are part of
the game. In our time (with anti-racism
protests and CTE decisions abound),
recent events show how valuable social
activism is and that police brutality must
end 100 percent. Football excites
people and it is the sport that revolves
around creative play and teamwork
succinctly.
Constantly, we are reminded of American football on TV, newspapers, magazines, movies, radio
broadcasts, etc. It is the most popular game in America right now. Its history stretches almost
150 years in its modern manifestation. Football is a game that revolves around skill, strength,
teamwork, and physicality. Throughout the year, people play football. Fans of it exist among every
sex and background. Every Saturday and Sunday, from the late Summer to the early Winter,
football games are heavily televised internationally. Also, it is important to recognize that football
is a game. We should deal with real life issues as well. From young children to grown adults,
football has been played among many climates and circumstances. Also, adult women play in their
professional football leagues too. That information will be mentioned here as well. The
popular spirit of American football is here to stay. Legends are included in football. Cultural icons
and social activists exist among the ranks of football players. They include people like Deion
Sanders, Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Johnny Unitas, and others. Today, many honorable people have
boycotted the NFL because of its mistreatment of Colin Kaepernick. So, we have to realize that
football is a game, and we must continue to endorse liberation without the deification of an
anthem created by a slave owner (whoseoriginal lyrics promoted slavery).

We want freedom and justice.

Its History

American football has a very long history. It evolved from soccer and rugby football too. One
ancestor of football was played in Britain when a football was kicked at a goal or kicked over a line
during the mid-19th century. Before that time, there was the ball game called harpastum played during
the Roman Empire. Native Americans played games with a ball too. Rugby football is a sport where 2
competing teams vie for control of a ball. The ball can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run
into the opponent’s goal area to score points. The first modern American footballgame took place on
November 6, 1869. It was between Rutgers and Princeton. They are 2 college teams. The game was
played between 2 teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked or carried.
It could be kicked or batted with the hands, feet, head, or sides with the goal ultimate goal being to
advance it into the opponent’s goal. Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for
many years. These matches were played using the rules of the host school.

On October 19, 1873, the representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met to form a set
of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each. The fields were in the dimensions
of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they
favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. By 1875, the Harvard-Yale game played
under rugby style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes. Those players introduced the
sport to Princeton. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a
form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system.These schools formed the Intercollegiate
Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp, now regarded as
the "Father of American Football", secured rule
changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to
replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum. Walter Camp also excelled in track, baseball, and association
football. Camp promoted the establishment of the line of scrimmage, the snap from center to
quarterback which was passed in 1880. The game quickly evolved.

Camp's innovations in the area of point scoring influenced rugby union's move to point scoring in
1890. In 1887, game time was set at two halves of 45 minutes each. Also in 1887, two paid officials—
a referee and an umpire—were mandated for each game. A year later, the rules were changed to allow
tackling below the waist, and in 1889, the officials were given whistles and stopwatches. The creation of
the snap resulted in many consequences. Before the snap, the strategywas to punt if a scrum resulted
in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realizedthat, as the snap was uncontested,
they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both Yale
and Princeton played a game with this new strategy.
Each team held the ball. They gained no ground for an entire half. It resulted in a 0-0 tie. This
"block game" proved extremely unpopular with the spectators and fans of both teams. Some calledfor
a rule change.

Camp proposed another rule in 1882. He wanted each team to be limited to three downs or tackles
to advance the ball five yards. Failure to advance the ball of the required distance within those three
downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change made
American football a separate sport from rugby and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to
measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a
reduction of the field size to 110 by 53.333 yards (100.584 m × 48.768 m), and the adoption of a
scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a
touchdown, and five for a goal from field; additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized.

The last, and arguably most important innovation, which would at last make American football uniquely
"American", was the legalization of interference, or blocking, a tactic which was highly illegal under the
rugby-style rules. The new rules were ahead of its time. The Big Game between Stanford and California
is the oldest college football rivalry in the West. The first game was played on San Francisco's Haight
Street Grounds on March 19, 1892 with Stanford winning 14–10. The term "Big Game" was first used
in 1900, when it was played on Thanksgiving Day in San Francisco. The sport was a violent sport. Back
then, there was dangerous mass-formation. This caused interlocking interference like the flying wedge.
This caused serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by
President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, sixty-
two colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905, and
these proceedings resulted in the formationof the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United
States, later named the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906. It was limited due to the restrictions placed on its usage.
There were other rule changes introduced like: that year included the reduction of the time of
play from 70 to 60 minutes and the increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10
yards (9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created alongthe
width of the football. The scoring changes included the following too: field goals were lowered to three
points in 1909, and touchdowns were raised to six points in 1912. The field was also reduced to 100
yards (91 m) long, but two 10-yard-long end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead
of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing-the-passer penalty was implemented in 1914,
and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918.

Charles Follis is believed to be the first black professional football player, having played for the Shelby
Steamfitters from 1902 to 1906. Follis, a two-sport athlete, was paid for his work beginningin 1904.
From its inception in 1920 as a loose coalition of various regional teams, the American Professional
Football Association had comparatively few African-American players; a total of nineblack people suited
up for NFL teams between 1920 and 1926, including future attorney, black activist, and internationally
acclaimed artist Paul Robeson. Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first black players in what is
now the NFL in 1920. Pollard became the first (and until 1989, only) black coach in 1921; during the
early-to-mid-1920s, the league used player-coaches and did not have separate coaching staffs. In 1933,
the last year of integration, the NFL had two black players, Joe Lillard and Ray Kemp.

One professional football player from the old days was William “Pudge” Heffelfinger. On November
12, 1892, he was paid $500 to play for a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association in amatch against
the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in
a game of American football. Many athletic clubs by the 1880’s offered indirect benefits like helping
players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying
double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at
the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not outright prohibited. As time came
about, professional play was more common. Higher salaries existed and unpredictable player movement
came about. There was the illegal payment of college players who were still in school.

The National Football League (NFL) was a group of professional teams that was originated
established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association. The NFL was created to solve
problems. It wanted to end bidding wars over players, it didn’t use college players, and it banned the
practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itselfas the premier
professional football league. Back during the early 20th century, football was dominated at the
collegiate level. The upstart NFL received a boost in legitimacy in 1925. That was when a NFL team
called the Pottsville Maroons defeated a team of Notre Dame all stars in an exhibition game. A
greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to further distinguish itself from the
college game during the late 1930’s.
The man to the right is Walter Camp, who innovated many components of modern-day American
football.

The 1940’s saw massive evolution of football. Elmer Layden was the first Commissioner of the NFL in
1941. Many players were traded to the Steelers and the Rams. The league added sudden death overtimes
in a playoff game if it was a tied and an official NFL Record Manual was publishedfor the first time.
The Bears defeated the Packers 33-14. By December 21, 1941, the Bears defeated the Giants 37-9 for
the NFL Championship. By the time of World War II, many players were in service for World War
II. Halas left the Bears in midseason to join the Navy, and Luke Johnsos and Heartley Anderson
served as co-coaches as the Bears went 11-0 in the regular season. One
famous quarterback of the 1940’s was Sammy Baugh. He won the Triple Crown in 1943. He led the
league in passing, punting, and interceptions. Sammy Baugh was one of the greatest football players of
his generation. He was an actor too. He played for Washington.

Kenneth S. Washington (August 31, 1918 – June 24, 1971) was a professional football player who was
the first African-American to sign a contract with a National Football League team in the modern
(post-World War II) era. He was born in Los Angeles, California. Washington was a star running back
at Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles. At UCLA, Washington rushed for 1,914 yards in his
college career, a school record for 34 years. He was one of four African Americanplayers on the 1939
UCLA Bruins football team, the others being Woody Strode, Jackie Robinson, and Ray Bartlett.
Washington, Strode, and Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they
made up three of the four backfield players. This was a rarity to have so many African Americans when
only a few dozen at all played on college football teams. He played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1946
to 1948.

Steve Van Buren of Philadelphia led the NFL in rushing, kickoff returns, and scoring in 1945. In 1949,
the NFL had two 1,000 yard rushers in the same season for the first time. Their names are Steve Van
Buren of Philadelphia and Tony Canadeo of Green Bay. By the early 1950’s, the Pro Bowl Game
returned to the NFL. In 1951, there was the first NFL Championship Game being televised coast
to coast. It happened on December 23. The DuMont Network paid $75,000 for the rights of the
game. The Rams defeated the Brown in the game with the score of 24-17. During the
1950’s, fullback Joe Perry of the 49ers became the first player in league history to gain 1,000 yards rushing
in consecutive seasons of 1953 and in 1954. In December 28, 1952, the Detroit Lions wontheir NFL
championship in 17 years. They defeat the Browns 17 to 7. The Baltimore Colts was
created during the 1950’s. In 1953, Jim Thorpe (an innovator of football and other forms of
athletics) passed away on March 28. In 1955, Baltimore Colts made an 80-cent phone call to Johnny
Unitas and signed him as a free agent. Another quarterback, Otto Graham, played his last game as the
Browns defeated the Rams 38-14 in the NFL Championship Game, December 26. Graham had
quarterbacked the Browns to 10 championship-game appearances in 10 years. Johnny Unitas would be
one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. In 1958, Jim Brown of Cleveland gained an NFL-record
1,527 yards rushing. In a divisional playoff game, the Giants held Brown to eight yards and defeated
Cleveland 10-0. Jim Brown would be in the NFL in 1957 and would become one of the greatest rushing
backs in NFL history. He was a 8× NFL rushing yards leader (1957–1961, 1963–1965). By 1964, he was
NFL Champion. In 1958, Baltimore, coached by Weeb Ewbank, defeated the Giants 23-17 in the first
sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game, December 28. The game ended when Colts
fullback Alan Ameche scored on a one-yard touchdownrun after 8:15 of overtime. By 1959, Vince
Lombardi was the Coach of the Green Bay Packers.

Football increased its popularity massively by the 1958 Championship NFL game between the Baltimore
Colts and the New York Giants. It was an overtime victory for the Colts. Millions of people saw it on
television and the sport grew into immense popularity. There was the American Football League (or
AFL) by the early 1960’s. Football started to be the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-
1960’s. The rival American Football League arose in 1960 and challengedthe NFL's dominance. The
AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC
network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an
attempt to destroy the new league.

By the 1960’s, the NFL grew into new heights. A bill legalizing single-network television contracts by
professional sports leagues was introduced in Congress by Representative Emanuel Celler. It passed the
House and Senate and was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on September30, 1961. The
Football Hall of Fame was officially opened in Canton, Ohio on September 7, 1963. In the 1960’s, the
NFL and the AFL compete against each other for professional players.
Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to Professional Football in the United States: official
time on the scoreboard clock, rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did;optional
two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several
others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast
to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players that had also been drafted by NFL teams.
Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath
to a then-record US $437,000 contract. A five-year, $40 million NBC television contract followed, which
helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966, when NFL owners
approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that would take full effect
in 1970. This agreement gave a common draft that tookplace each year.

There was an annual World Championship game to be played between each champion of each league.
The game was played at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it wasno longer
a championship game between two leagues, and reverted to the NFL championship game, which
came to be known as the Super Bowl. One of the most racist people in NFL history was George
Preston Marshall. He refused to allow black players in his team until well into the 1960's. He had racism
and he wanted to appeal to the racist Southerners back then too. According to Professor Charles Ross,
"For 24 years Marshall was identified as the leading racist in the NFL." Marshall died in 1969. By 1962,
Bobby Mitchell was the first African American who played for Washington. Bobby Mitchell was in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

The Legendary Jim Thrope

Jim Thorpe was a Native American athlete who lived from
1887 to 1953. He was an Olympic gold medalist and a
famous football player. He played with the Canton
Bulldogs too. He was the first Native American to win
gold medals for America. He was one of the most versatile
athletes of the early 20th century. He played football,
baseball, and basketball. He was part of the Sac and Fox
Nation found in Oklahoma. He played for six teams in the
National Football League. He was a coach too. His
outstanding legacy is honored by all of us.

Jim Francis Thorpe’s Accomplishments

 First-team All-Pro
 2X Consensus All-American (1911, 1912)
 1912 Olympic gold medal in the
Decathlon (in Stockholm)
Height: 6 ft, 1 in.  1912 Olympic gold medal in the
Weight: 202 lb. Pentathlon (in Stockholm)
During the 1970’s, many teams like the Steelers with Terry Bradshaw and others made
championships. Millions of people watch the Superbowl. The Raiders, Washington, and other teams
won Superbowls. Walter Payton excelled in the running back position. San Francisco’s Joe Montana
and the ride receiver Jerry Rice won rings during the 1980’s as well. The first African American
quarterback to win a Super Bowl was Doug Williams in January 31, 1988 when he defeated the Denver
Broncos. Doug Williams played in Washington.

During the 1990’s, the Dallas Cowboys won 3 Super Bowl championships in 4 years. By 1998 and 1999,
the Denver Broncos won back to back Super Bowls. The 21st century saw a diversity of teams meaning
championships from the Rams to the Patriots plus the Colts. The Ravens (with Ray Lewis as its leader
in Baltimore) and other newer teams won their first Championships during the 21st century. Football
continues to expand and grow in our generation. Legends of the National Football League are diverse
spanning decades. They include Walter Payton and Joe Montana. They include people like Joe Aikman
and Jim Brown. They also include people like Deion Sanders and the legendary player Gale Sayers.
College football is known for postseason bowl games too. Each bowl game would be associated with a
particular conference, and earning a spot in a bowl game wasthe reward for winning a conference. This
arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the
two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normallybe
committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since
1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition, in place
from 1992 to 1994.

This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance, which gave way in 1997 to the Bowl Championship
Series (BCS). The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial and was replaced in 2014 by the College
Football Playoff (CFP). Today, the NFL is very popular in the early 21st century. The commissioner now
is Roger Coodell, who has been controversial on many issues. Professional football leagues exist
globally.

Team Positions

There are three different positions in the game of American football. There is the offensive unit, the
defensive unit, and special teams. Today, football is played between 2 teams of 11 players each. It is a
penalty if more than 11 players are on the field. Teams can substitute players between downs.
Many substitution rules are abundant. Individual players in a football game have a number on their
jersey. In NFL teams, numbers are approved for their usage in a game. Uniform numbers range
from 1 to 99. NCAA and NFHS teams are “strongly advised” to number their offensive players
according to league suggested numbering scheme. The offensive unit’s goal is to advance the football
down the field with the goal of sourcing a touchdown. In playbooks, the offensive line looks like
circles while the defense unit looks like squares. The offensive line lines up in legal formation before the
snap happens. It is illegal for more than four players to be in the backfield or fewer than five players
numbered 50-79 on the offensive line. Players can temporarily line up in a position whose eligibility is
different from what their number permits as long as they immediately report the change to the referee,
who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, with the exception of
the snapper, are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zoneuntil the ball is snapped. Interior
offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield includes
the quarterback (QB), the halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the
leader of the offense. The quarterback or the coach calls the plays.
Quarterbacks inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up.
When the quarterback starts the snap, he gets the ball and either throws it, sends it to someone else,or
runs with the ball. The halfback runs plays by running. Some halfbacks can act as receivers.
Fullbacks are usually larger than halfbacks. Fullbacks can act as blockers too. Running backs are keyin
the offensive lineup too. The offensive line or OL is made up of players who block members of the
defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing
plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center (C), who is responsible for snapping the ball to the
quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs duringthe play.
On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside of the guards. The
main receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near
the line of scrimmage, split outside of the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is
to catch passes thrown by the quarterback. Yet, they may also
function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight
ends line up outside of the tackles and function both as
receivers and as blockers.

The defense is meant to prevent the offense from scoring.

They can tackle the ball carrier or force turnovers by
interceptions or fumbles. The defensive line (DL) is made upof
This is a diagram of a typical pre-snap
formation. The offense (red) is lined up defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT).
in a variation of the I formation, while Defensive ends line up on the ends of the line, while defensive
the defense (blue) is lined up in the 4–3 tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends.The major
defense. Both formations are legal.
responsibility of defensive ends and defensive tackles is to stop
running plays on the outside and inside.
They want to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the
linebackers can break through. Linebackers are behind the defensive line, but in front of the
defensive backfield. They are divided into middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB).

Linebackers are the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays. Their diverse roles include defending
the run, pressuring the quarterback, and guarding backs, wide receivers and tight ends in the passing
game. The defensive backfired is made up of the secondary. They are made up of cornerbacks (CB)
and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks
line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite of a receiver soas to be able to cover him,
while safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties are the last
line of defense, and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as running plays.

The special teams unit handles kicking plays. The special team unit controls the ball and will try to
execute the field goals, punts, and kickoffs. The opposing team will try to block or return them.
Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K
or PK), holder (H) and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job is to snap the football to the holder,
who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the
ball is kicked off of a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as ifwind is preventing
the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team
who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays arethe
punter, long snapper, and gunner. The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter,who
then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside of the line and race
down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR) or the player that catches the punt.

Rules

There are many rules in American football. The winner of the game is the team who has scored the
most points by the end of the game. There are many ways to score in a football game. A touchdownis
6 points. A team reaching the end zone of the opposing team has the touchdown. Then, the scoring
team will use a conversion which is a point after touchdown. A 2 point conversion is an option after
the touchdown too. A field goal is worth 3 points. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled
in his own end zone. Safeties are worth only 2 points, which are awarded to the defense. Also, the team
that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick. There are goal posts,
and different equipment used in football games. The football itself is an oval ball, similar to the balls
used in rugby or Australian football rules. At all levels of play, the football is inflated to  12 1Ú2 to  13 1Ú2
pounds per square inch (psi) and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (397 to 425 grams); beyond that, the exact
dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to  11 1Ú4 inches, a long
circumference of 28 to  28 1Ú2 inches, and a short circumference of 21 to  21 1Ú4 inches, while in
college and high school play the ball has a long axis of  10 7Ú8 to  11 7Ú16 inches, a long circumference
of  27 3Ú4 to  28 1Ú2 inches, and a short circumference of  20 3Ú4 to  21 1Ú4 inches. In football games,
there are hash marks, yard lines, and sidelines.

Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two
halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes
in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated
by a halftime period, and the first and third quarters are also followed by a short break. Prior to the
start of the game, the referee and team captains for each team meet at midfield for a coin toss. The
visiting team is allowed to call 'heads' or 'tails'; the winner of the toss is allowed
to decide from between choosing whether to receive or kick off the ball or choosing which goal they
want to defend, but they can also defer their choice until the second half. The losing team, unless
the winning team decides to defer, is allowed to choose the option the winning team did notselect,
and receives the option to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half.

Various Leagues

The NFL and the NCAA are the most popular leagues in America. The NFL was founded in 1920.It
is the largest and most popular sport in America. The NFL has the highest average attendance ofany
sporting league in the world, with an average attendance of 66,960 during the 2011 NFL Season. The
Super Bowl is very popular too. College football is the third most popular sport in America behind
professional baseball and professional football. The NCAA is the largest collegiate organization. It has
Division I, II, and III. Division I football is further divided into two subdivisions: the Football Bowl
Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The champions of each level of
play are determined through NCAA-sanctioned playoff systems; while the champion of Division I-FBS
was historically determined by various polls and ranking systems, the subdivision adopted a four-team
playoff system in 2014. 1.1 million young people play high school football. The NFHS is the largest
organization for high school football, with member associations in all 50 states as well as the District of
Columbia. USA Football is the governing body for youth and amateur football, and Pop Warner
Little Scholars is the largest organization for youth football. Rival football leagues have existed. The
American Football League lasted from 1960 to 1969. The World Football League lasted from 1974 to
1975. The United States Football League lasted from 1983 to 1985. The XFL lasted in 2001 for
one year. The United Football League lasted from 2009 to 2012. Today, the Canadian Football League
has existed for years and it is very popular in North America and throughout the world.
 Ernie Davis won the Heisman Trophy in 1961. The
Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to
the most outstanding player in college football in
the United States whose performance best exhibits
the pursuit of excellence with integrity.

College Football
Worldwide, people know about college football. It’s found in American universities,colleges,
and military academies. Since its inception, college football has experienced great popularity
among its audience. They are divided into different Divisions like Division I, Division II,
Division III, etc. In our time, there have beendiscussions about paying student-athletes,
and reforming many systems involving college football. Excitement, talent, and large crowds
of human beings relate to the
college football atmosphere.
Some of the Greatest College Football Players of all Time

From left to right, these players are Herschel Walker of Georgia, Red
Grange of Illinois, Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State, and Tony Dorsett
of Pitt.

A Long, Historic Football Rivalry

This pictured showed Pitt's Tom Daviesas he ran

against the previously undefeated Georgia Tech.
This 1918 game took place at Forbes Field. Pitt
won the game 32–0 and is considered by many to
be that season's national champion.

It has always been a tradition involving the college

In 2017, football game between Army and Navy. Their first
Clemson won game was held in 1890. The Army Black Knights of the
the NCAA United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point,
College New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United
Football States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland
Championship. played against each other constantly. From 2017 to
2020, the games will be held at Lincoln Financial Field
in Philadelphia. Through the 2016 meeting, Navy leads
the series 60–50–7.
Women's Football

Women have played football for long decades. Back during 1926, many women played football during
the halftime section of a NFL game. There were women’s football leagues back during the 1930’s.
It was very popular back then too. This was during the period between World War I and World War
II. Life (which is a magazine) in November 1939 and Click (a magazine) in January of 1940 showed
women playing football in uniforms, helmets, pants, and shoulder pads. Not too many people know
of these facts, but it is always important to show all of history as possible. All people, regardless of race,
gender, nationality, or any background, have the right to play football.
These women were playing in Los Angeles. One team was the Marshall-Clampett Amazons. These
women athletes played softball too. One player of the team was Melitas Forster. In an interview, shesaid
that the football league was created by a softball promoter. Women’s softball during the 1930’s was very
popular too. One Desert Sun article said that the Marshall-Clampett players beat a men’s Buster
Keaton’s Palm Springs team 5-4 in a charity game.

Thousands of people came to witness the women’s football games during the 1930’s. Back then, many
sexists viewed the women as not worthy of playing football because they said it was too dangerous for a
woman. The Los Angeles football league soon ended, because the players played softball more. Chicago
had its second women’s football league by the summer of 1941. From 1965- 1966, Sid Friedman created
a semipro tackle women’s football league. The league only had 2 teams found in Akron and Cleveland.
By 1972, more teams joined in Cleveland, Toledo, Toronto, Buffalo,and Pittsburgh in the Women’s
Professional Football League. After World War II, women’s
football mostly ended until the 1970’s. By that time, a semipro women’s league was shown in Ohio
and Texas. It was mentioned in Ebony, Jet, and Texas Monthly.

These images show women playing professional American football.

Patricia Palinkas was the first woman to ever play on a men’s semipro football team in 1970. She joined
the Orlando Panthers. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 was one of thegreatest laws
of the women’s rights movement. It was passed into law by June 23, 1972. It mandated financial
equality in college athletics. This caused women participation in sports to radically increase. By 1974,
the National Women’s Football League was founded. It started with 7teams. By the mid-1970’s, the
average NWFL franchise entry fee was $10,000. Some of the early teams were the Dallas Bluebonnets,
Fort Worth Shamrocks, Columbus Pacesetters, Toledo Troopers, Los Angeles Dandelions, California
Mustangs and the Detroit Demons. In 1976 the NWFL added several new teams and incorporated
three divisions: the Eastern, Southern and Western. These new divisions included the Oklahoma City
Dolls and the Tucson Wild Kittens,
drawing approximately 1,000 fans per game. The Toledo Troopers had a record from 1971 to 1976 of
39 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. The first NWFL Championship game was in 1976. It was folded in 1980 due
to financial problems. The NWFL franchises out of California formed their own league in1978 called
the Western States Women’s Professional Football League. It was run by the Dandelions’ owner
Russell Molzahn. The NWFL took a year off to restructure in 1987.
By the next year, the league was split into two. The remnants of the NWFL based in Toledo and the
new Women’s Tackle Football Association is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While the WTFA
wanted to continue to play tackle football, several teams in the NWFL chose to change their game to
flag-touch football instead. Women’s football is international too. The Women’s Professional Football
League (WPFL) was formed in 1999 by founders, Carter Turner and Terry Sullivan. More football
American leagues for women continued to develop in the 21st century. The Independent Women’s
Football League (IWFL) and the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) were leagues created during the 21st
century. The IWFL was created in 2000 and started play in 2001. The IWFL (and other women’s
leagues) continue to exist to this very day.

“It might not be everyone’s calling to lead a cause, but I want to challenge those NFL players,
coaches, and, yes, owners who have been silent, and those who have been making uninformed
statements, to be courageous and use their platforms to become part of the solution. It’s not about
WHO is right or WHO is wrong, it’s about WHAT is right and WHAT is wrong. Which side are
you on?”

-Takeo Spikes, a retired NFL Player

Colin Kaepernick

I can never mention anything about football without mentioning information about Colin
Kaepernick. He is a biracial man who used a kneel in football stadiums during the National Anthemto
protest police brutality and racial injustice. With recent news, he has made history in enumerable,
positive ways. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and he was the quarterback of the San
Francisco 49ers. He is also known for his heroic protest against police brutality and against racial
injustice in the world. He has galvanized even more people (from the young and old) to stand upfor
what is right. What is right that people have the free speech right to protest and many veterans are
some of Kaepernick's strongest supporters of his actions. His protest of the anthem was
peaceful, legitimate, and very powerful. Not to mention that the original anthem glamorized slavery,
which is wrong.

Colin Kaepernick has sent money to social justice causes, created a youth camp to assist children, and
has meet in many meetings to be part of the solutions. So, he has not only spoken up for justice.
He has been socially active to engineer constructive changes in our society. Today, athletes, and other
individuals nationwide have protested gloriously. This is not new. Mahmoud Abdul-Raufdid it in
1996. Back then, it was more taboo to do it and Rauf suffered a lot. Today, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
is in solidarity with Kaepernick's necessary actions.

Jim Brown made recent comments about Colin Kaepernick (who has done nothing wrong and
actually gave money and created programs to promote community development and oppose police
brutality. He exercised his free speech rights). A lot of this stuff is a generational gap. Many of the older
generation agree with the same goal as Kaepernick while some of them disagree with many of the
younger generation's tactics in order to get to the same goal (which is freedom, justice, and equality).
Brown (who I believe has sincerity in his words) said the words that he said, because of many reasons.
Back during the 1960's, he was an activist. He was with Muhammad Ali ironically in supporting his
right to oppose the Vietnam War. Brown is from an older generation who doesn't agree with the
protest aspect of civil rights movement. He believes in self-defense, which I do too. There is a time for
nonviolence and there is a time for self-defense under extreme circumstances after all nonviolent
resolutions are exhausted. Jim Brown believes in the old school way of building black businesses and
focusing on economics (which we call black capitalism) instead of politics in order for black people to
get into freedom. Brown was in the conservative wing of the Black Powermovement, which is why he
supported Nixon in 1968.
Brown may disagree with some of Dr. King's actions, but Dr. King never begged for anything. He
demanded the government to do what it was called to do and what it ought to do. Dr. King (who was
more than a speech maker. He was a social activist) demanded change and fought for it.
Sometimes, you have to be an activist to get what you want. So, Jim Brown's words are not shocking.
I don't believe that he's a sellout or a race traitor, but I do disagree with his support of Donald
Trump. He criticized John Lewis for opposing Trump. Trump is a notorious racist, sexist, and
xenophobe. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Dr. John Carlos, and Dr. Harry Edwards have publicly opposed
the Trump regime. The truth is that both protests and other forms of social activism caused many
civil rights, voting rights, and housing rights laws to exist in the first place. I also disagree with him in
saying that an inoffensive kneel is somehow a desecration of a flag. Brown loves the anthem when that
anthem was created by a racist slave owner (and the original lyrics of that anthem condoned slavery). I
don't agree with Brown on other issues (and that's a different story). Therefore, while Jim Brown's
views are disappointing, his statements are not surprising. Jim Brown has worked in many
communities to advance conflict resolution, job creation, and community development, so he has
done a lot for our people. Likewise, this is a new generation, andwe will not sugarcoat the truth. You
can both participate in an occupation and use activism at thesame time. Hank Aaron has supported
Kaepernick. So, while we should have ideological diversity inthe black community, we have to call it as
it is too (and keep it real).
 The image to the left shows African American cheerleaders from Howard protesting police brutality
and racial injustice. Howard is a HBCU and HBCUs have a long history of social activism. These
black women are brave, and it shows how black women are always leaders in the movement for
human justice. The image to the right shows Sister Jemele Hill and an accurate quote from her. Hill
has been attacked by the enemies of truth, but she has stood up for what is right courageously.

One way to bridge the generational gap in our black community is to advocate for protests, the
building of more black institutions & organizations (which are used to fight institutionalized racism and
economic injustices like poverty. Also, they are used to build in our communities a strong
infrastructure among urban and rural communities), the creation of more spaces where black peopleof
diverse age demographics can share ideas (and speak their minds for collaboration), and a continued
advocacy of social plus racial justice. We all agree (regardless of our views) in advancing strong educational
institutions to give black children great understanding about STEM Fields plus technical skills (which
is important and must be done). Black children must also be told the truth about their real history and
culture in a pro-Black fashion. Education is the life blood of any society.So, we must promote strong
education, strong preparation in handling issues in the world, and a vigor to create positive change.
Forming plans and executing them is key in getting change too.
Police brutality is a real issue that must be confronted and eradicated.
Today, Colin Keapernick is having difficulty in trying to go into a NFL team, because many corporate
executives from football team oppose his actions. He also visited Ghana in Africa. About70 percent of
the NFL players are African Americans, so our voices have the right to be
heard. Former NFL Player Takeo Spikes made the accurate point that all of us (whether we are
athletes or not) have the right to express social activism in our daily lives: “In a democracy,
citizenship is participatory; it is not a spectator endeavor. It is a formula for tragedy, and a moral
travesty, to see wrongs and choose to look away, or to straddle the fence on critical issues to stay in
the good graces of certain interests…” Some from the Baltimore Ravens want him to playfor them as
Colin Kaepernick is a very good quarterback. I congratulate Colin Kaepernick for his steadfast
determination to stand up for justice. We reject the recrudescence of injustice. We want the renewal
of the substantial reality of hope, of faith, and of the liberation for our communities.
 The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship
winner is Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide Georgia Bulldogs

(12-1) (13-1)
SEC SEC

26 23
Head coach: Head Coach:
Nick Saban Kirby Smart

1 2 3 4 OT Total

Alabama 0 0 10 10 6 26

Georgia 0 13 7 0 3 23

United States TV coverage

Network ESPN, ESPN Radio, and ESPN Deportes

Announcer Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor, and Tom Rinaldi
(ESPN) Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe, and
Ian Fitzsimmons (ESPN Radio)
International Impact

American football is a worldwide game. There has been the NFL Europa, which was a developmental
league of the NFL that lasted from 1991 to 2007. It has teams in Germany, which were five in number
and one in the Netherlands. The European Football League or the EFL was run by the European
Federation of American Football (EFAF). That is an annual invitation tournament between
champions or co-champions of competitions run by EFAF members. The league’s championship
game is called the Eurobowl. There are other EFAF tournaments like the EFAF Cup (between the top
teams from national leagues in a similar manner to the UEFA Cup), the Atlantic Cup (played
between teams from the Atlantic region of Europe), and the Challenge Cup (which is played between
teams from newer federations that are not eligible to play in the EEFL or EFAF Cup). There are over
60 football federations in Asia, Oceania, and Pan America. The International Federation of American
Football (IFAF), an international body composed of American football federations, runs tournaments
such as the IFAF World Championship, which is held every four years since 1999, the IFAF Women's
World Championship, the IFAF U-19 World Championship and the Flag Football World
Championship. The IFAF also organizes the annual International Bowl game. At the international level,
Canada, Mexico, and Japan are considered to besecond-tier, while Austria, Germany, and France
would rank among a third tier. All of these countries rank far below the United States, which is
dominant at the international level. Right now, football is not an Olympic sport. It was a
demonstration sport at the 1932 Summer Olympics. I remember when Emmett Smith in a
commercial wanted football to be an Olympic sport. Football is heavily popular in the Americas from
Canada, Mexico, and in Brazil. In Brazil, American football audience increased 800% between 2013
and 2016, according to ESPN, which is, along to Esporte Interativo, the responsible to the
transmission in the country. Brazil's audience is the 3rd of the world, behind only Mexico and United
States. NFL leaders visited Maracanã Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, to verify the field. This popularity is
influenced by the placekicker of the Kansas City Chiefs, Cairo Santos, who is the first Brazilian player
to reach worldwide success in the sport.
Football is played in Brazil. One league in Brazil is called the Superliga Nacional de Futebol Americano
(National American Football Super league) is a recently created Brazilian American football league,
created and organized by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol Americano (pt)(Brazilian
Confederation of American Football). In 2017, a stronger league will get start in June,including 32
teams around the country, in 4 conferences.
 As one of the top 5
greatest football
Vince Lombardi
players in history, Jim
was not only a
Brown
great coach of the
revolutionized the
Green Bay Packers.
game of football. He
He was a football
could play lacrosse
player himself. He
too. He broke many Deion Sanders played
taught teamwork,
rushing records, and football and baseball.
great effort, and he
he has been an He revolutionized the
was a progressive
activist for decades. cornerback position in
man.
the NFL. He loves his
Lamar Jackson of the
family, and he shows
Baltimore Ravens in the
commentaries on the
2019-2020 is showing
NFL Network.

Both Reggie White and

Brett Favre are champions
and leaders. Reggie White
passed away, but his legacyof
spiritual strength and
courage live on today.

Jerry Rice, Joe

Through its ups and downs, the NFL continues as America’s most Montana, and
popular sport. The NFL is also very popular overseas as well. From Hall
of Fame legends to current players, the National Football League the trio of San
remains as a very prominent sporting organization. Still, we believe in Francisco 49er
protest, justice, and liberation as Colin Kaepernick has advocated in legends. They
his daily life. Now, after 100 years, we acknowledge theNFL’s legacy and have shown
its players during the past and present. offensive skills that
inspired many
Johnny Unitas made football teams
the quarterback today.
position a science of
Walter Payton was the precision, accuracy,
greatest running back and power. He was one
of his generation. He of the greatest Peyton Manning
was a very nice person quarterbacks of all and Tom Brady are Ray Lewis is a
who always loved his time. friends in real life. Hall of Famer, a
family. He was a Hall of Super Bowl
Famer, a Super Bowl champion, and
Champion, and an
Lawrence Taylor caused was a great
amazing father.
fear among the opposite leader, as a
team. He was a linebacker player, in the
who some call the greatest Baltimore
defensive player in Ravens.
football history.
 REMEMBERING JIM BROWN
(FOOTBALL ICON AND ACTIVIST)

1936-2023
Jim Brown played football, raised a
family, and grew to be a voice for
many people worldwide.

Kimberly Brown is the

daughter of Jim Brown
following in his footsteps by
being a great athlete woman
football player and social
activist. She plays for the Los
Angeles Fames since 2021 in
the Women’s Football League
Association. She is a mother,
businessowner, and leader.

As a political person, Jim Brown fought for

W W hen a manhen is aa man,

man isthere
a man, there
will be upswill
andbe ups and
Muhammad Ali's right to disagree with the
Vietnam War, he helped to fight against gang
down, butdown, but theremains
the legacy legacy powerful
remains powerful
and and violence in our communities, he promoted
influential.influential.
Jim BrownJim Brown
recently recently
passed away passed
at theaway at the economic empowerment, and he stood up for
age ofold.
age of 87 years 87 Heyears old.lived
both He both
a longlived a long longevity
longevity justice. Jim Brown lived a complicated life.
and comprehensively established
and comprehensively established a massive impact a massive impact There are no justifications for his errors. Also,
in life.
in life. He was bornHe in thewasSouth
bornatinSimons
the South
Island,at Simons Jim Brown grew as a man. Jim Brown loved
Georgia. JimIsland, Georgia.
Brown was Jim Brownathlete.
a gifted was a gifted
He athlete. his wife and his children unconditionally. One
He played
played lacrosse, lacrosse,
football, football,
baseball, baseball,
basketball, andbasketball, of his daughters is an athlete and activist too
track and field. He was raised up North in raised up
and track and field. Jim Brown was who is Kimberly Brown. Easily, Jim Brown is
Manhasset,North NewinYork. Manhasset,
Jim Brown New played
York. He in played in the greatest and the most influential running
Syracuse University
Syracuse University starting instarting in 1953anmaking an
1953 making back in NFL history, and he is among the
immediateimmediate impact football.
impact in collegiate in collegiate football. Jim
He played greatest football player in history (other than
Brown played in
in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns forthe NFL for thea Cleveland Jerry Rice). Additionally, Jim Brown was the
number of Browns for a records,
years making number beingof years making records,
a football greatest college football player ever. His great
champion,being and a gaining
football achampion, and gaining
great amount of a great strength was that he wanted his dignity and his
amountbyofhis
accomplishments accomplishments
own merit. by his own merit. humanity respected without apology.

Rest in Power Brother Jim Brown

There is much news going on today. The NFL made a disgusting, disrespectful policy that is not only
a violation of the freedom of speech but promotes historical revisionism and lies. The national
anthem was created by the racist Francis Scott Key. Its original lyrics condoned slavery and Key was a
slave owner as well. The essence of patriotism is dissent. Dissent, therefore, is not unpatriotic. The
NFL leadership wants to fine teams whose players kneel on the field when the national anthem is
played. It won't require players to come out into the field, but if a player is in the field, the NFL wants
to force them to stand when the national anthem is displayed. Colin Kaepernick knelled to fight
against racial injustice and police brutality. These peaceful knells are not anti-American people,
and it isn't anti-patriotism. These forms of peaceful protests want to address real issues and
advance social justice. Trump has slandered and used profane language against football players
who have knelled too. This unjust policy from the NFL ought to be change. We reject tyranny and we
believe in full free speech rights. There is a racial issue too as the motivation for some to hate the
kneel is racism. Many of the same ones who hate Kaepernick love a person who is Cliven Bundy (who
made explicit words that demonize people of color).

The Struggle Continues and we will be Victorious at the end.

 You know I have to show information about the Philadelphia Eagles’ first Super Bowl win. Many
players played greatly during the game like Foles, Jeffery, Clement, and Ertz. Congratulations to the
Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles (NFC) New England Patriots (AFC)

41 33
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
PHI 9 13 7 12 41
NE 3 9 14 7 33

Date: February 4, 2018 American Viewership: ca. Announcers: Al Michaels,

103.4 million viewers Cris Collinsworth, Michele
Tafoya, Edgar Lopez, Rene
Giraldo, Rolando Cantu,
and Veronica Contreras.

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The MVP is Nick Foles, who was The parade in Philadelphia was
the Quarterback of the Eagles huge. It was part of the joy of
during the 2018 Super Bowl. victory.
 Concluding thoughts on the Gridiron
Football is the most popular sport in America. Men, women, and children flock to American
football games from the collegiate level into the professional level. It has been promoted across
generations, ages, and sexes. Also, football leagues have the social responsibility to be informative, to
promote the advantages and risks of playing football, and to advance as much safety as possible.We
know that many ex-players have CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE among football
players readily come about by excessive hits to the head and concussions. Concussions can harm the
brain permanently if done frequently. Back in the day, this issue was covered up by many forces.
Today, more people know about CTE, many ex-football players have advanced lawsuits (because
many players are so damaged that they have memory loss and other ailments), and the 2015 film
Concussion definitely shed light on this issue. Will Smith in the film portrayed Dr. Bennet Omalu. He
is a neuropathologist who was the first person to discover and publish findings of CTE.CTE is a
degenerative disease. Those who have it also are found in hockey, boxing, professionalwrestling,
stunt performing, bull riding, rodeo riding, rugby, etc.
On April 22, 2015 a final settlement was reached between players and the NFL in the case
adjudicated by Judge Brody. Terms include payments to be made by the NFL for $75 million for
"baseline medical exams" for retired players, $10 million for research and education, as well an
uncapped amount for retirees "who can demonstrate that they suffer from one of several brain
conditions covered by the agreement", with total payments expected to exceed $1 billion over 65
years. On July 25, 2017, the Association released an updated study reporting that out of 111 brains of
deceased former NFL players studied, 110 (99%) had CTE. This also led to players retiring very early in
their careers. Therefore, this is real. This isn’t some game. Football is a very violent sport. Also,
football is a very creative, interesting sport too. Therefore, football is a game where talentedpeople
express themselves. We should know about its risks and its history to inspire positive change in the
world. At the end of the day, we want people to be happy, witness transparency, and
have justice.

By Timothy
Our Cause is Right and We Shall Overcome.