1.
College football
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It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. No minor league farm organizations exist in American football and it is in college football where a players performance directly impacts his chances of playing professional football. The best collegiate players will declare for the professional draft after 3 to 4 years of collegiate competition. Those not selected can still attempt to land an NFL roster spot as a free agent. Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League, college football remained extremely popular throughout the U. S, in many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests. This allows them to more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium. College athletes, unlike players in the NFL, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries, colleges are only allowed to provide non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books. Modern North American football has its origins in various games, all known as football, by the 1840s, students at Rugby School were playing a game in which players were able to pick up the ball and run with it, a sport later known as Rugby football. The game was taken to Canada by British soldiers stationed there and was soon being played at Canadian colleges, the first documented gridiron football match was a game played at University College, a college of the University of Toronto, November 9,1861. One of the participants in the game involving University of Toronto students was William Mulock, a football club was formed at the university soon afterward, although its rules of play at this stage are unclear. In 1864, at Trinity College, also a college of the University of Toronto, F. Barlow Cumberland, modern Canadian football is widely regarded as having originated with a game played in Montreal, in 1865, when British Army officers played local civilians. The game gradually gained a following, and the Montreal Football Club was formed in 1868, early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional mob football played in England. The games remained largely unorganized until the 19th century, when games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football, Princeton University students played a game called ballown as early as 1820. A Harvard tradition known as Bloody Monday began in 1827, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes, in 1860, both the town police and the college authorities agreed the Bloody Monday had to go. The Harvard students responded by going into mourning for a figure called Football Fightum. The authorities held firm and it was a dozen years before football was again played at Harvard. Dartmouth played its own version called Old division football, the rules of which were first published in 1871, all of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities
2.
Running back
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A running back is an American and Canadian football position, a member of the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a play, to catch passes from out of the backfield. There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback or a fullback, a running back will sometimes be called a feature back if he is the teams starting running back. The halfback or tailback position is responsible for carrying the ball on the majority of running plays, in the modern game, an effective halfback must have a blend of both quickness and agility as a runner, as well as sure hands and good vision up-field as a receiver. Quarterbacks depend on halfbacks as a safety valve receiver when primary targets downfield are covered or when they are under pressure, occasionally, halfbacks line up as additional wide receivers. As a trick play, running backs are used to pass the ball on a halfback option play or halfback pass. The difference between halfback and tailback is the position of the player in the offensive formation. In historical formations, the lined up approximately halfway between the line of scrimmage and the fullback. Because the halfback is usually the main ball carrier, modern offensive formations have positioned the halfback behind the fullback. As a result, some systems or playbooks will call for a tailback as opposed to a halfback, in most modern college and professional football schemes, fullbacks carry the ball infrequently, instead using their stronger physiques as primary lead blockers. On most running plays, the leads the halfback, attempting to block potential tacklers before they reach the ball carrier. When fullbacks are called upon to carry the ball, the situation calls for gaining a short amount of yardage. Fullbacks are technically running backs, but today the term running back is used in referring to the halfback or tailback. Although modern fullbacks are rarely used as carriers, in previous offensive schemes fullbacks would be the designated ball carriers. In high school football, where player sizes vary greatly, fullbacks are still used as ball carriers. In high school and college offenses, the triple option uses the fullback as a primary ball carrier. The fullback plays a role by establishing an inside running threat on every play
3.
Southern Methodist University
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Southern Methodist University is a private research university in Dallas, University Park, and Highland Park, Texas. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates satellite campuses in Plano, Texas, SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. Of the universitys 11,643 students,6,411 are undergraduates, the main campus of the university is divided into seven schools, including the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, the Bobby B. The university was chartered on April 17,1911, by the five Annual Conferences in Texas of the Methodist Episcopal Church, classes were originally planned to start in 1913 but were postponed until 1915. SMU was established after the attempt to relocate Southwestern University from Georgetown, Texas, the first relocation effort by Polytechnic College president Hiram A. Boaz and spearheaded by Southwestern president Robert Stewart Hyer involved merging Southwestern with Polytechnic College. The post-merger university would retain the Southwestern name while occupying Polytechnics campus in Fort Worth, the merger never came to fruition, primarily because the Dallas Chamber of Commerce set up a committee to raise funds and entice Southwestern to relocate to Dallas. This proposal gained traction since Southwestern was operating a medical school in Dallas. Plans were drawn for the campuss first building, Memorial Hall, Southwesterns trustees rejected the relocation plan, prompting Hyers resignation and move to Dallas to establish Southern Methodist University. SMU retained close connections to Southwestern and Polytechnic, Southwestern president Hyer became SMUs first president and Hiram A. Boaz, a Southwestern graduate, resigned as president of Polytechnic to become SMUs second president. Polytechnic attempted to become a school of SMU before becoming a womens college. SMU acquired Southwesterns medical school in Dallas and operated it until 1915, Southwestern and SMU were athletic rivals until Southwestern became a small liberal arts college. The church decided to support the establishment of SMU and dramatically increase the size of Emory University at a new location in DeKalb County, at the 1914 meeting of the General Conference, SMU was designated the connectional institution for all Conferences west of the Mississippi River. Classes were planned to begin in 1913, but construction delays on the universitys first building prevented classes from starting until 1915. In the interim, the only functioning academic department at SMU was the college it had acquired from Southwestern University. SMU named its first building Dallas Hall in gratitude for the support of Dallas leaders and local citizens and it remains the universitys symbol and centerpiece. Designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge after the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, Dallas Hall opened its doors in 1915 and housed the university as well as a bank. It is registered in the National Register of Historic Places, SMUs nickname The Hilltop was inspired by Dallas Hall, which was built on a hill. The universitys first president, Robert Stewart Hyer, selected Harvard crimson, in 1927, Highland Park United Methodist Church, designed by architects Mark Lemmon and Roscoe DeWitt, was erected on campus
4.
Stanford Cardinal football
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The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conferences North Division. Stanford, the academic institution with a FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The team is known as the Cardinal, adopted prior to the 1982 season. Stanford was known as the Indians from 1930 to January 1972, a student vote in December 1975 to change the nickname to Robber Barons was not approved by administrators. Stanford has fielded football teams every year since 1892 with a few exceptions, like a number of other teams from the era concerned with violence in the sport, the school dropped football in favor of rugby from 1906 to 1917. The school also did not field a team in 1918 or in 1943,1944, the school participated in the first-ever Rose Bowl against Michigan in 1902, in which they were routed 49-0. Its annual Big Game against California is the oldest and most storied rivalry in the Pac-12, the Cardinal also compete for the Legends Trophy against independent rival Notre Dame. Stanford claimed National Championships in 1926 and 1940, in 1926, led by legendary coach Glenn Pop Warner, who still has the most wins in Cardinal history, the team was undefeated in the regular season and tied Alabama in the 1927 Rose Bowl. The 1940 team went unbeaten and untied after defeating Nebraska 21–13 in the 1941 Rose Bowl, quarterback Jim Plunkett is the only Stanford player to win the Heisman Trophy, doing so in 1970. Stanford first fielded a team in 1891. The team was without a coach and only played a few games, early football pioneer Walter Camp served as Stanfords head coach in 1892 and from 1894–1895. Football on the Pacific Coast had been on the rise since the late 1910s, early in 1922, Warner signed a contract with Stanford University in which he would begin coaching in 1924. Health concerns, a significant pay raise and the status of Pacific Coast football made Warner make the big change. Years later, he wrote, I felt my health would be better on the Pacific coast, weather conditions at Pittsburgh during the football season are rather disagreeable, and much of the late season work had to be done upon a field which was ankle deep in mud. At the close of every season I would be in physical condition. Doctors advised me that the climate of the Pacific coast would be better for a man of my age. In 1924, Warner began his tenure at Stanford. When he began coaching, Stanford was one of nine teams in the Pacific Coast Conference, Warner inherited a notable squad from the previous year, including Ernie Nevers and All-American ends Ted Shipkey and Jim Lawson
5.
Doak Walker
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Ewell Doak Walker Jr. was an American football player. He played college football as a halfback at Southern Methodist University, Walker then played professionally in the National Football League with the Detroit Lions for six seasons, from 1950 to 1955. Walker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959, the Doak Walker Award, awarded annually since 1990 to the top running back in college football, is named after him. Born in Dallas, Texas, Walkers father was the assistant superintendent of schools for Dallas, Walker attended Highland Park High School in University Park, where he was a five-sport athlete in football, basketball, baseball, swimming, and track and field. In 1944, Doak Walker led his school football team to the State Championship. He and future college and NFL star Bobby Layne were teammates at Highland Park, following his graduation from high school in 1945, Walker joined the Merchant Marine as part of the American effort in World War II. The war was coming to a close, however, and Walker was discharged at the end of October 1945, in the Shrine game he garnered notice, throwing a tying touchdown pass for the West team. Walker did not play football in 1946, as he was called up by the U. S. Army in March 1946. His stint was brief, playing football for the Brooke Medical Center service team in San Antonio before being discharged in January 1947, following his discharge, Walker re-enrolled at SMU and rejoined the Mustangs football team. As a sophomore, he led Southern Methodist to a 1947 SWC championship and was named to a myriad of All-American teams and he gained similar All-American honors in 1948, and 1949. Walker won the Maxwell Award as a sophomore in 1947 and the Heisman Trophy in 1948 as a junior, during his award-winning 1948 season, Walker gained 532 yards on the ground, carrying the ball 108 times for a 4.9 yards per carry average. He also threw six passes from the halfback position, going 26-for-46. As a receiver, Walker hauled in 15 passes for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns, on the defensive side of the ball, he intercepted three passes. He also punted for a 42.1 yard average for the Mustangs, returned punts and kickoffs, Walker finished the year with 11 touchdowns scored, which combined with his kicking put 88 points on the scoreboard for the year. Walkers impact on SMU and football in the Dallas area led to the Cotton Bowls expansion and nickname and he was also a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, the mens society Cycen Fjodr, and lettered on the SMU basketball and baseball teams. In 2007, Walker was ranked No.4 on ESPNs list of the top 25 players in football history. Following his junior year at SMU, Walker was selected by the Boston Yanks with the pick of in the 1949 NFL draft. Following his senior season, the Detroit Lions acquired his rights in January 1950
6.
SMU Mustangs football
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The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University. The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the American Athletic Conference, in June 1915, Ray Morrison became SMUs football, baseball, basketball, and track coach, in addition to being to a math instructor. The football team began as a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the first game played by SMUs football team was a 13-2 victory over Hendrix College. After winning two games in a span of two seasons, Morrison left SMU for Fort Oglethorpe upon the United States’ entry into World War I, during this time, the football team was known as the Parsons, due to the large number of theology students on the team. On October 17,1917, the name Mustangs was selected as the schools mascot, for the 1917 season, Morrison would be replaced by J. Burton Rix, who would lead the Mustangs to a 3-2-3 record in their final season in the TIAA. The Mustangs’ first season in the conference ended with a 4-2 record. J. Burton Rix would continue to coach the team until the 1921 season, in which he was replaced by W. A. Cunningham and Victor Kelly, his co-coaches that season, as the team went on to lose six games. Ray Morrison would return to SMU in 1922, co-coaching the team with former Vanderbilt teammate Ewing Y, for the 1922 and 1923 seasons, Morrison would focus on the backfield and ends, while Freeland focused on the linemen. The team became known as the Aerial Circus by sportswriters because of Morrisons passing offense, Morrison would become known as the father of the forward pass, due to the teams use of passing on first and second downs, instead of as a play of last resort. At the time, most teams utilized the forward pass five to six times in one game, in the 1922 season, the Mustangs would compile a 6-3-1 record. Furthermore, end Gene Bedford and back Logan Stollenwerck were named first-team All-Southwest Conference, Bedford would go on to be the first player to play in the National Football League for the Rochester Jeffersons. In the 1923 season, the SMU Mustangs would go on to compile a perfect 9-0 record, after this season, Freeland would leave the SMU football team, later becoming head coach for the Texas Tech University football team, leaving Morrison as the sole head coach for SMU. SMU would go on to play in their first bowl game in 1924, playing in the Dixie Classic against West Virginia Wesleyan College, by 1926, the team began playing their home games at Ownby Stadium. In their first game at Ownby Stadium, the Mustangs defeated North Texas State Teachers College 42-0, the first Homecoming game would also be played in 1926, resulting in a 14-13 victory over Texas Christian University. The team would continue to have winning seasons until the 1932 season, the Mustangs would win their second conference title in 1926, compiling an 8-0-1 record, and a third conference title in 1931, compiling a 9-0-1 record. In 1928, guard Choc Sanders would become SMUs first All-American, in 1929, tackle Marion Hammon would become SMUs second All-American. After a winning 1934 season, Morrison left SMU to take over the Vanderbilt Commodores football team after the retirement of Dan McGugin, Morrison would be replaced by Matty Bell in 1935. Known as a coach, Bell brought discipline to his team
7.
National Football League
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The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is one of the four professional sports leagues in North America. The NFLs 17-week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing 16 games, the NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season, the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. S. The NFLs executive officer is the commissioner, who has authority in governing the league. The team with the most NFL championships is the Green Bay Packers with thirteen, the current NFL champions are the New England Patriots, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in Super Bowl LI. Another meeting held on September 17,1920 resulted in the renaming of the league to the American Professional Football Association, the league hired Jim Thorpe as its first president, and consisted of 14 teams. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Cardinals, remain, the first event occurred on September 26,1920 when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-league St. Paul Ideals 48–0 at Douglas Park. On October 3,1920, the first full week of league play occurred, the following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title over the Buffalo All-Americans. In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League, in 1932, the season ended with the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied for first in the league standings. This method had used since the leagues creation in 1920. The league quickly determined that a game between Chicago and Portsmouth was needed to decide the leagues champion. Playing with altered rules to accommodate the playing field, the Bears won the game 9–0. Fan interest in the de facto championship game led the NFL, beginning in 1933, the 1934 season also marked the first of 12 seasons in which African Americans were absent from the league. The de facto ban was rescinded in 1946, following public pressure, the NFL was always the foremost professional football league in the United States, it nevertheless faced a large number of rival professional leagues through the 1930s and 1940s. Rival leagues included at least three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference, on top of regional leagues of varying caliber. Three NFL teams trace their histories to these leagues, including the Los Angeles Rams
8.
Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference North division. The team plays its games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and called the Portsmouth Spartans, despite success within the NFL, they could not survive in Portsmouth, then the NFLs smallest city. The team was purchased and relocated to Detroit for the 1934 season and they are one of four current teams and the only NFC team to have not yet played in the Super Bowl. Aside from a change to maroon in 1948 instituted by then head coach Bo McMillin. The design consists of silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys, the shade of blue used for Lions uniforms and logos is officially known as Honolulu blue, which is supposedly inspired by the color of the waves off the coast of Hawaii. The shade was chosen by Cy Huston in 1935, houston, the Lions first vice president and general manager, said of the choice, They had me looking at so many blues I am blue in the face, Huston said about the selection. But anyway, its the kind of blue, I am told, there have been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the silver stripe patterns on the jersey sleeves, and changing the colors of the jersey numbers. White trim was added to the logo in 1970, in 1998, the team wore blue pants with their white jerseys along with grey socks but dropped that combination after the season. In 1999, the TV numbers on the sleeves were moved to the shoulders, in 1994, every NFL team wore throwback jerseys, and the Lions were similar to the jerseys used during their 1935 championship season. The helmets and pants were silver, the jerseys Honolulu blue with silver numbers. The team wore solid blue socks along with black shoes, the helmets also did not have a logo, as helmets were simple leather back then. The Lions also wore 50s-style jerseys during their traditional Thanksgiving Day games from 2001 to 2004 as the NFL encouraged teams to wear throwback jerseys on Thanksgiving Day, in 2003, the team added black trim to their logo and the jerseys. The face masks on the changed from blue to black with the introduction of the new color. Additionally, a home field jersey which makes black the dominant color was introduced in 2005. For 2008, the dropped the black alternate jerseys in favor of a throwback uniform to commemorate the franchises 75th anniversary. The throwback uniform became the teams permanent alternate jersey in 2009, the Lions officially unveiled new logo designs and uniforms on April 20,2009
