The History of Football
Today football is the most watched sport in America with the Super Bowl bringing in more viewers than any other sports event in the country. Just last year, the Super Bowl set a new record of 123.7 million viewers. Over the years, football has become an important part of American culture and is now more popular than ever.
American football was created in the mid 1800s, beginning as a blend of soccer and rugby. At the start of the sport, it was mainly played by colleges. The first official college game was played on November 6, 1869 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Both teams had 25 players and played on a 360 by 225 foot field. Many of the rules were much different then they are today; players couldn’t actually run with or throw the ball, but could hit it with their feet, hands, or sides. A team won by scoring six goals which was done by kicking the ball or hitting the ball into the goal with one’s head.
Before 1876, different schools played different versions of the sport; a more modern version of football was created when representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met up and decided on new rules. Walter Camp, a former rugby athlete at Yale became known as the “Father of Football” after creating the quarterback, the offensive line, cutting down team sizes, and changing the way the sport is scored. He also coached for Yale and was introduced into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
November 12, 1892 marks the day of the first professional football game, where one of the players was paid $500 to play. 28 years later, the NFL (National Football League) was created, including just 14 teams. The New York Giants, the Chicago Bears, and the Green Bay Packers are the only ones out of those original teams that still remain today. In 1933, the NFL had its first playoff, ending with a victory for the Bears over the Giants with a score of 23-21.
The Dangers of CTE
Though CTE wasn’t talked about in football until the early 2000s, it was first discovered in boxing in the 1920s and got its name in 1949. Throughout football history, rules have been made to make the game safer for the players, but because of the high contact nature of the sport, it is impossible to fully eliminate potential injury. CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) is a brain injury that can shorten lifespans and lead to life-altering symptoms like memory loss, strange behavior, depression, anxiety, confusion, and dizziness. These symptoms can even start years after the initial injury.
CTE is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head trauma. It is seen mostly in people who play high contact sports including rugby, hockey, and football. Out of all of the former NFL players that were studied, over 90% had it. About a third of the current NFL players are thought to have CTE based on if they show any of the symptoms listed above, though it can only be diagnosed after death so we can’t know for sure. This is because, according to Washington’s school nurse, Alexis Becker, “symptoms can be mistaken for other health conditions like depression, ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, among others.” To cut down on injuries, football gear is constantly changing and improving.
Development of Football Gear
Unlike today, at the start of football, athletes had minimal protective gear. Most athletes played with just a jersey, pants, cleats, and a simple leather helmet that provided the player with minimal protection. It wasn’t until 1943 when athletes were required to wear protective equipment while playing. Shoulder pads were then made in 1940 and it wasn’t until 1950 when hard helmets with padding were created. Since then, there have been many advancements in football gear in order to protect athletes. Now, football helmets consist of a hard outer shell with a thick layer of foam inside it. These layers help absorb and spread the force of an impact to a larger area.
Frank Sherrman, who is in his 31st year of coaching the Washington football team recalls playing in high school, saying that the safety equipment was much bigger than it is now and that the team today has “custom fit equipment that makes moving so much easier.” He also says that “it is better protection as well.” One of the newer additions to football gear is the Guardian Cap which is an extra layer of padding that goes over the helmet. These have been proven to reduce the risk of concussions and are now required to be worn by certain positions in the NFL. Mr. Sherman says that “with changes in technology and manufacturing, our equipment has become better. It is lighter, but more protective.”
Since it was created in the 19th century, football has grown and evolved in many ways, the game and equipment constantly being improved upon in order to become what today is America’s favorite sport.
