1.
Cornerback
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A cornerback, also referred to as a corner, is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles, other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position requires speed and agility, a cornerbacks skillset typically requires proficiency in anticipating the quarterback, back-pedalling, executing single and zone coverage, disrupting pass routes, block shedding, and tackling. Cornerbacks are among the fastest players on the field, the chief responsibility of the cornerback is to defend against the offenses pass. The rules of American professional football and American college football do not mandate starting position, movement, there are no illegal defense formations. Cornerbacks can be anywhere on the side of the line of scrimmage at the start of play, although their proximity, formations. Most modern National Football League defensive formations use four defensive backs, a cornerbacks responsibilities vary depending on how the defense assigns protection to its defensive secondary. In terms of defending the run, often corners may be assigned to blitz depending on the decisions in a game. In terms of defending passing plays, a corner will be assigned to either zone or man-to-man coverage. A shutdown corner is most often used to identify a cornerback that lines up on either side of the zone of the field of play. In American football, shutdown corner is used to refer to only an few elite players. In zone coverage, the cornerback defends an area of the field. Many schemes and variations were created to provide defensive coordinators great latitude, when a team is using zone coverage, some areas of the field require special attention when defending against specific pass plays. They include the flats, mid range zones including the void and these are basic terms for the basic zones and routes which vary system to system, league to league, and team to team. At this time the captain attempts to read the alignment of the offensive players in order to best predict. He will base his decision on past experience, game preparation, and a sound comprehension of his teammates strengths, abilities and these adjustments may change on a play by play basis, due to substitutions or even evolving weather or field conditions. The cover 1 defense has just one defender playing in a deep zone downfield, normally the one defender playing the deep zone downfield is the Safety. The corners primary responsibility is to play on or off the receiver, often defensive coordinators will not use Cover 1 unless the cornerbacks for that team are very good at man-to-man coverage
2.
San Diego
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San Diego is a major city in California, United States. It is in San Diego County, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. With an estimated population of 1,394,928 as of July 1,2015, San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California. It is part of the San Diego–Tijuana conurbation, the second-largest transborder agglomeration between the US and a country after Detroit–Windsor, with a population of 4,922,723 people. San Diego has been called the birthplace of California, historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly independent Mexico, in 1850, California became part of the United States following the Mexican–American War and the admission of California to the union. The city is the seat of San Diego County and is the center of the region as well as the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. San Diegos main economic engines are military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, the presence of the University of California, San Diego, with the affiliated UCSD Medical Center, has helped make the area a center of research in biotechnology. The original inhabitants of the region are now known as the San Dieguito, the area of San Diego has been inhabited by the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the region was Portuguese-born explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailing under the flag of Castile, sailing his flagship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain, Cabrillo claimed the bay for the Spanish Empire in 1542, and named the site San Miguel. In November 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast, in May 1769, Gaspar de Portolà established the Fort Presidio of San Diego on a hill near the San Diego River. It was the first settlement by Europeans in what is now the state of California, in July of the same year, Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded by Franciscan friars under Junípero Serra. By 1797, the mission boasted the largest native population in Alta California, with over 1,400 neophytes living in, Mission San Diego was the southern anchor in California of the historic mission trail El Camino Real. Both the Presidio and the Mission are National Historic Landmarks, in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and San Diego became part of the Mexican territory of Alta California. In 1822, Mexico began attempting to extend its authority over the territory of Alta California. The fort on Presidio Hill was gradually abandoned, while the town of San Diego grew up on the land below Presidio Hill. The Mission was secularized by the Mexican government in 1833, the 432 residents of the town petitioned the governor to form a pueblo, and Juan María Osuna was elected the first alcalde, defeating Pío Pico in the vote
3.
Arizona State Sun Devils football
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The Arizona State Sun Devils football team represents Arizona State University in the sport of American football. The Sun Devils team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Arizona State University has fielded a football team since 1897 and has an all-time record of 600-382-24. The Sun Devils are currently led by head coach Todd Graham and play their games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. The Sun Devils have won seventeen conference titles, including three Pac-12 titles, a number of successful and professional football players once played for ASU. The school has 3 unanimous All-Americans and 16 consensus selections, among the most lauded players the school has produced are Pat Tillman, Terrell Suggs, Mike Haynes, Darren Woodson, Charley Taylor, and John Henry Johnson. In addition to its players, ASUs football program has been noted for its coaches, most notably Frank Kush, Kush also led the Sun Devils on their longest winning streak against the University of Arizona, ASUs traditional rival. Frederick M. Territorial Normal did not field a team in 1897,1898. George Schaeffer served as the football coach at Tempe Normal School from 1914 to 1916. Aaron McCreary oversaw the schools football program from 1923–1929, during this time, the school changed its nickname from the Owls to the Bulldogs and the name of the school was changed to Arizona State University. McCreary left ASU with a 25–17–4 record, Ted Shipkey led the Arizona State football program from 1930–1932, compiling a record of 13–10–2. Shipkey was replaced by Rudy Lavik, who led Arizona State to a less impressive 13–26–3 mark in his five seasons, dixie Howell served as ASUs head coach from 1938-1941, compiling a record of 23–15–4. In 1947, Ed Doherty became head coach at Arizona State and he left after ASU five days after defeating rival Arizona, 47–13, because he felt that he didnt have enough job security. Clyde Smith took over the reins of the Arizona State football program in 1952, Smith resigned following the 1954 season. On February 5,1955, Michigan State assistant coach Dan Devine accepted the coaching position at Arizona State. Joining him as an assistant was Frank Kush, who would have greater success at the school after Devines departure. During his three years, Devine compiled a record of 27–3–1, including a spotless 10–0 mark during his final campaign, in that last season, Devines team led the nation in total offense and scoring, averaging just under 40 points per game in the latter category. Devines success at Arizona State resulted in an offer from Missouri, Frank Kush was promoted to the position of head coach at Arizona State, which he would hold for the next 22 years. During his time at Arizona State, Kush was known for being one of the most physically demanding coaches in the game and his daily football practices in the heat of the Arizona desert are still the stuff of legend today
4.
Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football franchise based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference East division. The franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets, when a group led by Bert Bell secured the rights to an NFL franchise in Philadelphia. Bell, Chuck Bednarik, Bob Brown, Reggie White, Steve Van Buren, Tommy McDonald, Greasy Neale, Pete Pihos, Sonny Jurgensen, the team has an intense rivalry with the New York Giants. This rivalry is the oldest in the NFC East and is among the oldest in the NFL and they also have a historic rivalry with the Washington Redskins, as well as their bitter rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys, which has become more high-profile in the last three decades. The team consistently ranks in the top three in attendance and has sold out every game since the 1999 season, in a Sports Illustrated poll of 321 NFL players, Eagles fans were selected the most intimidating fans in the NFL. Midway through the 1931 season, the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt, the Bell-Wray group had to pay an entry fee of $3,500 and assumed a total debt of $11,000 that was owed to three other NFL franchises. Neither the Eagles nor the NFL officially regard the two franchises as the same, citing the period of dormancy. Furthermore, almost no Yellow Jackets players were on the Eagles first roster, the Eagles, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the now-defunct Cincinnati Reds, joined the NFL as expansion teams. To accommodate football at Shibe Park during the winter, management set up stands in right field, some 20 feet high, these east stands had 22 rows of seats. The goalposts stood along the first base line and in left field, the uncovered east stands enlarged capacity of Shibe Park to over 39,000, but the Eagles rarely drew more than 25 to 30,000. The Eagles struggled over the course of their first decade, enduring repeated losing seasons, soon after, Bell and Rooney traded the Eagles franchise to Thompson and moved it to Pittsburgh, while Thompson moved the Steelers franchise to Philadelphia. By the late 1940s, head coach Earle Greasy Neale and running back Steve Van Buren led the team to three consecutive NFL Championship Games, winning two of them in 1948 and 1949. After the 1957 season, the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania, Franklin Field would seat over 60,000 for the Eagles, whereas Connie Mack had a capacity of 39,000. The stadium switched from grass to AstroTurf in 1969 and it was the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf. In 1960, the Eagles won their third NFL championship, under the leadership of future Pro Football Hall of Famers Norm Van Brocklin and Chuck Bednarik, the head coach was Buck Shaw. The 1960 Eagles, by a score of 17–13, became the team to defeat Vince Lombardi. The Eagles had a good 1961 season and then fell on hard times in 1962
5.
1994 NFL season
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The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFLs 75th season, a special logo was designed. Also, a committee of media and league personnel named a special NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. The Phoenix Cardinals changed their name to Arizona Cardinals in an attempt to widen their appeal to the state of Arizona instead of just the Phoenix area. The name was initially resisted by Bill Bidwill, the Seattle Seahawks played their first three regular season home games at Husky Stadium because the Kingdome, the Seahawks regular home field, was undergoing repairs for damaged tiles on its roof. The Seahawks returned for the 2000 and 2001 seasons while their new stadium was under construction, the 1994 season marked the last one until 2016 that the city of Los Angeles had an NFL team and the last one until 2017 that the city had two. Both the Rams and the Raiders left the city following the season. The Rams moved east to St. Louis, Missouri, after being in Los Angeles for 49 years, while the Raiders left Los Angeles after 12 years to return to their previous home in Oakland, California. The Rams eventually returned to Los Angeles in 2016 after failing to reach an agreement with St. Louis on a new stadium and this was also the first season that the then-fledgling Fox Network televised NFL games. Fox took over the National Football Conference package from CBS, who would return to televising the NFL in 1998, today the package remains exclusive to DirecTV. The season ended with Super Bowl XXIX when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 49–26 at Joe Robbie Stadium, both teams had met that regular season, the second straight season that had happened, and ninth time overall. This was also the first year of the current practice of whenever Christmas Day falls on a Sunday that most of that games were played on the Saturday afternoon of Christmas Eve. Every NFL season afterwards with Christmas Day on a Sunday has followed this same scheduling format, a package of changes were adopted to increase offensive production and scoring, The two-point conversion after touchdowns is adopted. The spot of the kickoff is moved from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line and this would remain intact through the 2010 season. The Neutral zone infraction foul is adopted, a play is automatically dead before the snap when a defensive player enters the neutral zone and causes an offensive player to react. After a field goal is missed, the team takes possession of the ball at the spot of the kick or the 30-yard line. During field goal attempts and extra point tries, players on the team cannot block below the waist. The league also honored its 75th season by having each team wear throwback uniforms during selected games, all jerseys displayed the players last names on the back, though this practice did not become standard until 1970
6.
New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League as a member of the leagues National Football Conference South division, the team was founded by John W. Mecom Jr. David Dixon and the city of New Orleans. The Saints began play in Tulane Stadium in 1967, the franchise was founded on November 1,1966. The teams primary colors are old gold and black, their logo is a simplified fleur-de-lis and they played their home games in Tulane Stadium through the 1974 NFL season. The following year, they moved to the new Louisiana Superdome, for most of their first 20 years, the Saints were barely competitive, only getting to.500 twice. In 1987, they finished 12–3—their first-ever winning season—and qualified for the NFL playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the next season of 1988 ended with a 10–6 record. In the year 2000, the Saints defeated the St. Louis Rams 31–28 to notch their first-ever playoff win, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast region. The Superdome was used as a temporary shelter for displaced residents. The stadium suffered damage from the hurricane, and from lack of available facilities, ultimately, however, the Superdome was repaired and renovated in time for the 2006 season at an estimated cost of US$185 million. The New Orleans Saints first post-Katrina home game was an emotionally charged Monday Night Football game versus their division rival, the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints, under head coach Sean Payton and new quarterback Drew Brees, defeated the Falcons 23–3. The 2009 season was a one for the Saints. Winning a franchise-record 13 games, they qualified for Super Bowl XLIV, over the course of 49 seasons, the Saints have compiled an overall record of 331–418–5, with a regular-season record of 324–409–5 and a playoff record of 7–9. First the brainchild of local sports entrepreneur Dave Dixon, who founded the Louisiana Superdome and the USFL. Senator Russell Long, and then–NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the NFL needed congressional approval of the proposed AFL–NFL merger. Dixon and a civic group had been seeking an NFL franchise for over five years and had hosted record crowds for NFL exhibition games. To seal the merger, Rozelle arrived in New Orleans within a week, and announced on November 1,1966, when the deal was reached a week earlier, Dixon strongly suggested to Rozelle that the announcement be delayed until then. Dixon told an interviewer that he cleared the name with New Orleans Archbishop Philip M. Hannan
7.
Oakland Raiders
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The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football franchise based in Oakland, California. The Raiders currently compete in the NFL as a club of the leagues American Football Conference West division. At the end of the NFLs 2015 season, the Raiders boasted a lifetime record of 444 wins,397 losses. The Raiders plan to remain in Oakland through 2018 – and possibly 2019 –, the Raiders off-field fortunes have varied considerably over the years. The teams first three years of operation were marred by poor performance, financial difficulties, and spotty attendance. In 1963, however, the Raiders fortunes improved dramatically with the introduction of head coach Al Davis, in 1967, after several years of improvement, the Raiders reached the postseason for the first time. The team would go on to win its first AFL Championship that year, in doing so, the Raiders advanced to Super Bowl II, the Raiders run of success intensified during the 1970s. From 1970 to 1977, the team won six division titles, in 1976, the team captured its first NFL Championship with a convincing victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. In 1982, amidst much controversy, the Raiders relocated to Los Angeles, the team finished with the NFLs best regular season record that year, one year later, the Raiders beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII to capture their third Super Bowl championship. The Raiders fortunes declined following the 1985 season, they would win just one division title. In 1995, the Raiders returned to Oakland, after several years of continued mediocrity, the team entered a brief period of pronounced success in the early 2000s. From 2000 to 2002, the Raiders won three division titles and four playoff games, their renaissance culminated with a lopsided 2002 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Super Bowl loss marked the beginning of a period of futility for the Raiders, from 2003 through 2015. In 2016, the Raiders finally ended their postseason drought with a victory over the division rival San Diego Chargers. At the end of the 2016 NFL season, the finished with a 12–4 record. The Raiders are known for their fan base and distinctive team culture. Since 1963, the team has won 15 division titles, four AFC Championships, one AFL Championship, fourteen former members of the team have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Having enjoyed a successful coaching career at Navy during the 1950s
8.
2001 NFL season
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The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the NFLs week 2 games were postponed and re-scheduled to the weekend of January 6–7, in order to retain the full playoff format, all playoff games, including Super Bowl XXXVI, were re-scheduled one week later. The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl, defeating the St. Louis Rams 20–17 at the Louisiana Superdome, following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day. With Super Bowls XXXVI-XXXVII already scheduled for fixed dates, the league decided to eliminate the Super Bowl bye weeks for 2001 and 2002 to adjust. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the originally scheduled for September 16–17 were postponed and re-scheduled to the weekend of January 6–7. In order to retain the full playoff format, all playoff games, the season-ending Pro Bowl was also moved to one week later. This was the last season in each conference had 3 divisions. Canceling the games scheduled for September 16–17 was considered and rejected since it would have canceled a game for half the teams of the league. As a result of rescheduling Week 2 as Week 17, the Pittsburgh Steelers ended up not playing a game for the entire month of September. The ESPN Sunday Night Football game for that week was also changed and it was originally scheduled to be Cleveland at Pittsburgh, but it was replaced with Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, which was seen as a more interesting matchup. Ironically, the Eagles and the Buccaneers would both rest their starters that night, and they would meet one week later in the playoffs. This way of flexible scheduling would not be utilized at all in 2007, the games that eventually made up Week 17 marked the latest regular season games to be played during what is traditionally defined as NFL season. Another scheduling change took place in October, when the Dallas Cowboys-Oakland Raiders game was moved from October 21 to 7 to accommodate a possible Oakland Athletics home playoff game on the 21st. The rescheduling ended up being unnecessary as the Athletics would not make it past the Division Series round. Also, this was the only NFL season where every jersey had a patch to remember those who died on 9/11, the season ended with Super Bowl XXXVI when the New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams. Fumble recoveries will be awarded at the spot of the recovery, taunting rules and roughing the passer will be strictly enforced. New Orleans Saints – Replaced their gold pants with black pants, Pittsburgh Steelers – New stadium, Heinz Field. San Diego Chargers – White pants with road uniforms, denver Broncos – New stadium, Invesco Field
9.
Pro Bowl
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The Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League. Between 2014 and 2016, the NFL experimented with an unconferenced format, the players were picked in a televised schoolyard pick prior to the game. Unlike most major leagues, which hold their all-star games roughly midway through their respective regular seasons. Between 1970 and 2009, it was held the weekend after the Super Bowl. Since 2010, the Pro Bowl has been played the weekend before the Super Bowl, Players from the two teams competing in the Super Bowl do not participate. Observers and commentators expressed their disfavor with the Pro Bowl in its current state and it draws lower TV ratings than its regular-season games, although the game draws similar ratings to other major all-star games, such as the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. However, the biggest concern of teams is to avoid injuries to the star players, the Associated Press wrote that players in the 2012 game were hitting each other as though they were having a pillow fight. Between 1980 and 2016, the game was played at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, on June 1,2016, the NFL announced that they reached a multi-year deal to move the game to Orlando, Florida as part of the leagues ongoing efforts to make the game more relevant. For years, the game has suffered from lack of interest due to perceived low quality, the 2017 Pro Bowl will also mark a return to the AFC–NFC format. The first Pro All-Star Game, featuring the all-stars of the 1938 season, was played on January 15,1939 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. The NFL All-Star Game was played again in Los Angeles in 1940 and then in New York, although originally planned as an annual contest, the all-star game was discontinued after 1942 because of travel restrictions put in place during World War II. During the first five games, an all-star team would face that years league champion. The league champion won the first four games before the all-stars were victorious in the game of this early series. The concept of a game was not revived until June 1950. The game was sponsored by the Los Angeles Publishers Association and it was decided that the game would feature all-star teams from each of the leagues two conferences rather than the league champion versus all-star format which had been used previously. This was done to avoid confusion with the Chicago College All-Star Game, the teams would be led by the coach of each of the conference champions. The first 21 games of the series were played in Los Angeles, the site of the game was changed annually for each of the next seven years before the game was moved to Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii for 30 straight seasons from 1980 through 2009. With the new rule being that the teams do not include players from the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl
10.
Interception
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In American or Canadian football, an interception occurs when a forward pass is caught by a player of the opposing team. This leads to a change of possession during the play. Following the stoppage of play, if the interceptor retained possession of the ball, interceptions are predominantly made by the secondary or the linebackers, who are usually closest to the quarterbacks intended targets, the wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends. Less frequently, a defensive lineman may get an interception from a ball, a near sack, a shovel pass, or a screen pass. For example, on December 4,2016, the Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry scored the winning points via a pick two in a 29-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Berry also achieved an ordinary pick six earlier in the same game, if the intercepting team can run out the clock, the intercepting player may down the ball immediately and not attempt to gain any yardage. This eliminates the chance of a fumble that could be recovered by the other team, there are also player safety implications, when the ball is turned over, the play is now suddenly and unexpectedly moving in the opposite direction. All of the players on offense are instantly susceptible to unexpected blocks, even if not attempting to stop the ball carrier, additionally, offensive players, particularly the quarterback, are often inexperienced tacklers and are at risk of injuring themselves while tackling the ball carrier. Only the interception of a pass is recorded statistically as an interception. The interception of a pass is recorded as a fumble by the passer. Lester Hayes of the Oakland Raiders was one of the National Football Leagues leaders at interceptions in the late 1970s and he was known for covering his chest, shoulders and forearms with a copious amount of the adhesive Stickum to help him hold on to the ball. He continued to use the substance, which he called pick juice, paul Krause holds the record for most career interceptions, with 81, and is tied for third place for most interceptions by an NFL rookie in his first season, with 12. He played his first three years in the NFL from 1964 to 1967 with the Washington Redskins but was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, Krause played until 1979 and appeared in four Super Bowls with the Vikings. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, Rod Woodson played 16 seasons with Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Oakland, and holds the NFL record for most interception returns for touchdown in an NFL career with 12. Also, he holds the NFL record for most total defensive TD returns in a career with 13, Woodson, who is third on the NFL all-time career interception list with 71, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. Sharper holds the NFL record for return yardage in a single season with 376 yards in 2009. He is also tied with Rod Woodson for most total defensive TD returns career with 13, charles Woodson, formerly with the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders has 65 career interceptions and tied Rod Woodson for most defensive touchdowns with 13. Woodson and Sharper are tied for all time in interceptions returned for touchdowns with 11
11.
Touchdown
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A touchdown is a means of scoring in both American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, to score a touchdown, one team must take the football into the opposite end zone. The touchdown is scored the instant the ball crosses the plane of the line while in possession of a player whose team is trying to score in that end zone. The play is dead and the scores the moment the ball crosses the goal line in possession of a player. The slightest part of the ball being over the line is sufficient for a touchdown to score. However, only the ball counts, not a players helmet, foot, touching one of the pylons at either end of the goal line with the ball constitutes breaking the plane as well. Touchdowns are usually scored by the offense by running or passing the ball, however, the defense can also score a touchdown if they have recovered a fumble or made an interception and return it to the opposing end zone. Special teams can score a touchdown on a kickoff or punt return, in short, any play in which a player legally carries the ball across the goal line scores a touchdown, and the manner in which he gained possession is inconsequential. A touchdown is worth six points, the scoring team is also awarded the opportunity for an extra point or a two-point conversion. Afterwards, the team scored the touchdown kicks off to the opposing team. This rule was changed to the iteration in 1889. If the teammate could fair catch the ball, he could follow with a try for goal from the spot of the catch, the governing rule at the time read, A match shall be decided by a majority of touchdowns. A goal shall be equal to four touchdowns, but in the case of a tie, in 1881, the rules were modified so that a goal kicked from a touchdown took precedence over a goal kicked from the field in breaking ties. In 1882, four touchdowns were determined to take precedence over a goal kicked from the field, two safeties were equivalent to a touchdown. In 1883, points were introduced to football, and a touchdown counted as four points, a goal after a touchdown also counted as four points. In 1889, the provision requiring the ball to actually be touched to the ground was removed, a touchdown was now scored by possessing the ball beyond the goal line. In 1897, the touchdown scored five points, and the goal after touchdown added another point, in 1900, the definition of touchdown was changed to include situations where the ball becomes dead on or above the goal line. In 1912, the value of a touchdown was increased to six points, the end zone was also added
12.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to 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, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie
13.
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
14.
Pac-12 Network
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Pac-12 Network is an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network that is owned by the Pac-12 Conference. The networks studio and production facilities are headquartered in San Francisco and it is the third sports network to be devoted to a specific collegiate athletic conference and the first to be owned by a conference outright without support from outside companies. The networks feature 24-hour coverage of Pac-12 sanctioned sporting events, including olympic sports as well as broadcasts of archived sports telecasts, the contract ensures that every football and mens basketball game is televised nationally. Sports not featured on the national Pac-12 Network are instead carried through the networks as well as on the Pac-12 Digital Network. The infrastructure of the Pac-12 Networks,12 member institutions and CMCs operations in Denver, master control origination services, including compression and satellite front-haul services, satellite receiver authorizations, and disaster recovery are also run through the CMC in Denver. The Pac-12 Networks produce telecasts of roughly 850 collegiate events each year, the national network includes 35 football games,100 mens basketball games and 40 womens basketball games on an annual basis. The Pac-12 national network also features all spring football games, coaches shows, the Pac-12 network has also shown rugby matches played by schools from the PAC Rugby Conference, even though college rugby is not a sport sanctioned by the NCAA. Presidents, chancellors, and professors supply additional context, providing viewers a unique and poignant look at the history, culture. The agreements did not guarantee that the Pac-12 Networks would be available in all areas within the territory of a Pac-12 university, the agreements complimented a 12-year deal that the Pac-12 Conference had struck with Fox Sports and ESPN that began in 2012. In addition, the network entered into extended negotiations with satellite providers, as of September 7,2013, the Pac-12 Network has not yet signed carriage deals with DirecTV, Charter Communications and Verizon FiOS. On July 28,2012, Frontier Communications announced on one of its official Facebook accounts that the company would carry the channel on Frontier FiOS TV, the deal was officially announced on August 1,2012. Several smaller providers reached carriage agreements with the network during the month of August 2012, on August 1, Oregon-based cable providers BendBroadband announced an intention to carry the Pac-12 Network as well as the Pac-12 Digital Network on their bendbroadband2go TV Everywhere platform. Two days later on August 3,2012, Arizona-based Western Broadband, on August 6, Astound Broadband announced an intention to carry the Pac-12 Bay Area Network. A day later on August 7, Wave Broadband announced an intention to carry the Pac-12 Bay Area, Oregon, on August 8,2012, CC Communications announced its intent to carry the Pac-12 National Network and one Pac-12 regional channel. Network also revealed on their official Facebook page that it would carry the Pac-12 Network, on August 21,2012, Canby Telecom announced an intention to carry the Pac-12 National Network as well as all Pac-12 regional networks. On September 8,2012, Dish Network announced that it would carry the Pac-12 National Network starting on September 8, on February 1,2016, however, Pac-12 restricted access to the regional channels for DISH subscribers. On September 6,2013, Pac-12 Networks entered into a deal with AT&T U-verse to carry the main feed on channel 759. As of 2015, the Pac-12 Networks were available in 90 million homes, Pac-12 Now is available through web browsers, mobile and iOS devices, with content accessible via a login through a pay television provider
15.
Fumble
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A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, a fumble may be forced by a defensive player who either grabs or punches the ball or butts the ball with his helmet. A fumbled ball may be recovered and advanced by either team and it is one of three events that can cause a turnover, where possession of the ball can change during play. Under American rules a fumble may be confused with a muff, a muff occurs where a player drops a ball that he does not have possession of, such as while attempting to catch a lateral pass or improperly fielding a kicking play such as a punt. Ball security is the ability of a player to control over the football during play. If the ball is fumbled the defensive team may recover the ball, the same is true for the offense, but usually when the offense recovers the ball it simply tries to down it. In American football the offense cannot advance the ball if it recovers its own fumble on fourth down, in American football, there is no separate signal to indicate a fumble recovery. If the offense recovers its own fumble, the official will indicate the recovery by a signal showing the next down. If the defense recovers the fumble, the official will indicate with a first down signal in the direction the team is driving the ball. Some officials have used a first down signal when the offense recovers its own fumble. This is not the thing as when a forward pass is attempted and is not caught. In this latter case, it is simply an incomplete pass, however, if the receiver catches the ball, but then drops it after gaining control of the ball, that is considered a fumble. Any number of fumbles can be committed during a play, including fumbles by the team originally on defense, Most famously, Dallas Cowboys defender Leon Lett fumbled during Super Bowl XXVII while celebrating during his own fumble return. A sometimes controversial rule is referred to as the ground cannot cause a fumble. If a player is tackled and loses control of the ball at or after the time he makes contact with the ground, the player is treated as down and the ball is not in play. However, in the NFL and CFL, if a ball carrier falls without an opponent contacting him and this is because in those leagues the ball carrier is not down unless an opponent first makes contact, or the runner is out of bounds. If a player fumbles in most other leagues, as soon as the knee or elbow touches the ground and it is also possible for the ground to cause a fumble in college football if the ball hits the ground before any part of the ball carriers body touches the ground. An example was the fumble by Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner vs. Tennessee in 1998, the effects of fumbles vary when the ball goes out of bounds without being recovered, A fumble going out-of-bounds between the end zones is retained by the last team with possession
16.
High school football
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High school football is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular sports in both countries. It is also popular amongst American High school teams in Europe, High school football began in the late 19th century, concurrent with the start of many college football programs. In the late 19th and early 20th century, many college, other traditions of high school football such as pep rallies, marching bands, mascots, and homecomings are mirrored from college football. No true minor league farm organizations exist in American football, therefore, high school football is generally considered to be the third tier of American football in the United States, behind professional and college competition. The National Federation of State High School Associations establishes the rules of high school football in the United States, two states, Texas and Massachusetts, use NCAA playing rules except as shown below. Kickoffs take place at the kicking teams 40-yard line, as opposed to the 35 in college, if an attempted field goal is missed it is treated as a punt, normally it would be a touchback and the opposing team will start at the 20-yard line. However, if it not enter the end zone, it can be downed or returned as a normal punt. Any kick crossing the line is automatically a touchback, kicks cannot be returned out of the end zone. Pass interference by the results in a 15-yard penalty. Pass interference by the results in a 15-yard penalty, from the previous spot. The defense cannot return an extra-point attempt for a score, any defensive player that encroaches the neutral zone, regardless of whether the ball was snapped or not, commits a dead ball foul for encroachment. 5-yard penalty from the previous spot, prior to 2013, offensive pass interference resulted in a 15-yard penalty AND a loss of down. The loss of down provision has been deleted from the rules starting in 2013, in college and the NFL, offensive pass interference is only 10 yards. The use of overtime, and the type of overtime used, is up to the state association. The NFHS offers a suggested overtime procedure based on the Kansas Playoff, intentional grounding may be called even if the quarterback is outside the tackle box. The home team must wear dark-colored jerseys, and the team must wear white jerseys. In the NFL, the team has choice of jersey color, and in the NCAA
17.
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
18.
Arizona State University
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Arizona State University is a public metropolitan research university on five campuses across the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area, and four regional learning centers throughout Arizona. The 2016 university ratings by U. S. News & World Report rank ASU No.1 among the Most Innovative Schools in America for the year in a row. ASU is the largest public university by enrollment in the U. S and it had approximately 82,060 students enrolled in 2014, including 66,309 undergraduate and 15,751 graduate students. ASUs charter, approved by the board of regents in 2014, is based on the New American University model created by ASU President Crow, ASU is classified as a research university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The Center for Measuring University Performance ranks ASU 31st among top U. S. public research universities, ASU was classified as a Research I institute in 1994, making it one of the nations newest major research universities. Students compete in 25 varsity sports, the Arizona State Sun Devils are members of the Pac-12 Conference and have won 23 NCAA championships. Along with multiple clubs and recreational facilities, ASU is home to more than 1,100 registered student organizations. To keep pace with the student populations growth, the university continuously renovates, the demand for new academic halls, athletic facilities, student recreation centers, and residential halls is being addressed with donor contributions and public-private investments. The campus consisted of a single, four-room schoolhouse on a 20-acre plot largely donated by Tempe residents George, classes began with 33 students on February 8,1886. The school accepted high school students and graduates, and awarded high school diplomas, in 1923 the school stopped offering high school courses and added a high school diploma to the admissions requirements. In 1925 the school became the Tempe State Teachers College and offered four-year Bachelor of Education degrees as well as two-year teaching certificates, in 1929, the legislature authorized Bachelor of Arts in Education degrees as well, and the school was renamed the Arizona State Teachers College. Under the 30-year tenure of president Arthur John Matthews the school was given all-college student status, the first dormitories built in the state were constructed under his supervision. Of the 18 buildings constructed while Matthews was president, six are still in use, Matthews envisioned an evergreen campus, with many shrubs brought to the campus, and implemented the planting of Palm Walk, now a landmark of the Tempe campus. His legacy is being continued to this day with the campus having been declared a nationally recognized arboretum. During the Great Depression, Ralph W. Swetman was hired as president for a three-year term, although enrollment increased by almost 100 percent during his tenure due to the depression, many faculty were terminated and faculty salaries were cut. In 1933, Grady Gammage, then president of Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff, became president of ASU, like his predecessor, Gammage oversaw construction of a number of buildings on the Tempe campus. He also oversaw the development of the graduate programs. The schools name was changed to Arizona State College in 1945, at the time, two other names considered were Tempe University and State University at Tempe
19.
National Football League Draft
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The National Football League Draft, also called the player selection meeting, is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players. It serves as the leagues most common source of player recruitment, from this position, the team can either select a player or trade their position to another team for other draft positions, a player or players, or any combination thereof. The round is complete when each team has selected a player or traded its draft position. Currently the draft consists of seven rounds, the original rationale in creating the draft was to increase the competitive parity between the teams as the worst team would, ideally, have chosen the best player available. In the early years of the draft, players were based on hearsay, print media. In the 1940s, some franchises began employing full-time scouts, the ensuing success of their corresponding teams eventually forced the other franchises to also hire scouts. Colloquially, the name of the each year takes on the form of the NFL season in which players picked could begin playing. For example, the 2010 NFL draft was for the 2010 NFL season, however, the NFL-defined name of the process has changed since its inception. The location of the draft has continually changed over the years to more fans. The drafts popularity now garners prime-time television coverage, in recent years, the NFL draft has occurred in late April or early May. The 2015 and 2016 NFL drafts were held in Chicago, in late 1934, Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, gave the right of usage of two players to the New York Giants because Rooneys team had no chance to participate in the post-season. After the owner of the Boston Redskins, George Preston Marshall, protested the transaction, at a league meeting in December 1934, the NFL introduced a waiver rule to prevent such transactions. Any player released by a team during the season would be able to be claimed by other teams, the selection order to claim the player would be in inverse order to the teams standings at the time. Throughout this time, Bert Bell, co-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, felt his teams lack of competitiveness on the field made it difficult for the Eagles to sell tickets and to be profitable. As a result, the NFL was dominated by the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Giants, and Redskins. At a league meeting on May 18,1935, Bell proposed a draft be instituted to enhance the possibility of competitive parity on the field in order to ensure the viability of all franchises. His proposal was adopted unanimously that day, although the first draft would not occur until the next off-season. The rules for the selection of the players in the first draft were, first, from this pool, each franchise would select, in inverse order to their teams record in the previous year, a player
20.
Reggie White
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Reginald Howard White was a professional American football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for 15 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and was recognized as an All-American, during his professional career, he was also known for his Christian ministry as an ordained Evangelical minister, leading to his nickname, the Minister of Defense. White is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, White was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He played high school football at Howard High School under Coach Robert Pulliam, during his senior year with the Hustlin Tigers, White recorded 140 tackles and 10 sacks, and received All-American honors. He was rated the number one recruit in Tennessee by the Knoxville News Sentinel, White played college football at Tennessee from 1980 to 1983. He was awarded the Andy Spiva Award, given annually to the Vols most improved defensive player, as a sophomore during the 1981 season, White registered 95 tackles, a team-leading eight sacks, and a team-leading seven tackles-for-loss. He also blocked three extra-point attempts and he had 10 tackles and two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, against Memphis State, and was named the teams outstanding defensive player for the game. For his performance in Tennessees 10-7 win over Georgia Tech, which included a fumble recovery that sealed the Vols victory. White had eight tackles in Tennessees 28-21 victory over Wisconsin in the 1981 Garden State Bowl, at the end of the season, he was named to the Sophomore All-American team by The Football News. White was named a Preseason All-American going into the 1982 season, but was bothered by an ankle injury. While he registered just 47 tackles, he led the team with seven sacks. His best game of the came in the Vols 24-24 tie against LSU, in which he registered eight tackles, including a sack. He had eight tackles, two sacks, and a fumble in Tennessees 28-22 loss to Iowa in the 1982 Peach Bowl. He had two sacks in Tennessees 31-6 win over New Mexico, and a school record four sacks in the Vols blowout win over the The Citadel. In Tennessees 30-23 win over Maryland in the 1983 Florida Citrus Bowl, White sacked heralded Maryland quarterback Boomer Esiason in the second quarter, White was a consensus All-American, SEC Player of the Year, and a Lombardi Award finalist. During his tenure at the University of Tennessee, White registered 293 tackles,32 sacks,19 tackles-for-loss, four fumble recoveries and his 15 sacks in a season remained a school record until 2016. His mark of 32 career sacks remained a record until it was broken by Derek Barnett during the 2016 season. His school single-game record of four sacks stood until 2013, when Corey Miller had four, after his college football career, White signed with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL
21.
Jerome Brown
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Willie Jerome Brown III was an American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He played his entire five-year NFL career with the Eagles from 1987 to 1991 and he was selected to two Pro Bowls in 1990 and 1991. He played college football at the University of Miami, Brown played college football at the University of Miami, where he was a standout player for one of college footballs most successful and perhaps its most dominant program. He graduated from the university in 1987, among his more notable moments as a Miami player, five days before the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, at a promotional Fiesta Bowl dinner with the Penn State team, Brown led a walkout by the Miami players. Leading the walkout, he asked, Did the Japanese go sit down and have dinner with Pearl Harbor before they bombed them, Brown and his teammates felt that the Penn State players had disrespected them by openly mocking Miamis coach, Jimmy Johnson, at a pre-game banquet. Penn State beat the heavily favored Hurricanes 14-10, and were declared National Champions, Brown was drafted in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. During his five-year professional career with the Eagles, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Brown graduated from Hernando High School in Brooksville, where he was seen in the off season running laps around the track. In June 1988, he received praise for his demeanor as he helped disperse a group of Ku Klux Klan protesters in his hometown of Brooksville. Brown was buried in his hometown of Brooksville, in 2000, the Jerome Brown Community Center was opened in Brooksville in memory of Brown. Browns son Dee Brown plays professional baseball as an outfielder for the Winnipeg Goldeyes, Brown and former teammate Reggie White were documented in A Football Life. Along with teammate Reggie White, Brown helped anchor an Eagles defense that intimidated and dominated offenses of the late 80s and early 90s. By the end of the 1991 season, Brown had established himself as one of the premier defensive tackles. Brown was not only a fan favorite, but a favorite of his first NFL head coach Buddy Ryan, who once remarked, “if you had 45 Jerome Browns, you would win every game. ”Browns jersey number was retired by the Eagles on September 6,1992 in an emotional pre-game ceremony at Veterans Stadium, prior to the Eagles first game of the 1992 season. After his death, Eagles players and fans started the unofficial motto Bring it home for Jerome, an indirect reference among Eagles fans to bringing a Super Bowl title to the city in Browns honor. Brown is mentioned in The Wonder Years track We Could Die Like This off their 4th album The Greatest Generation with the lyrics, We watched the 92 Birds take the field without Jerome Brown
22.
Andre Waters
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Andre M. Waters was an NFL safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFLs hardest-hitting defenders, serving as an part of one of the leagues top defenses. On November 20,2006, Waters committed suicide in his Tampa, Waters was born in Belle Glade, Florida and grew up in extreme poverty in rural Florida, and attended Pahokee High School. As a senior at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania he was recognized as All-PSAC, in 1984, Waters was signed as an undrafted free agent by Philadelphia Eagles head coach Marion Campbell. He returned a kickoff for an 89-yard game-winning touchdown against the Washington Redskins as a rookie in 1984 and he blossomed under defensive coordinator Bud Carson. NFL broadcaster Dan Dierdorf notoriously nicknamed the Eagles defender Dirty Waters and he scored a touchdown in 1989 when he took a lateral from William Frizzell after Reggie White caused a fumble by New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms. Waters served as part of the Eagles defensive unit that was regarded as one of the leagues best and his hard-hitting style translated into leading the team in tackles for four seasons and endeared him with Philadelphia fans but often led to penalties and fines for some of his tackles. He led the Eagles in tackles in 1986,1987,1988 and 1991 and he recorded 15 interceptions in 156 games. In 1994, he was replaced by Mike Zordich due to his contract ending and he tried unsuccessfully to get a job in the NFL and described his disappointment to a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter in April 2006. He remained very close to his former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, Waters committed suicide shortly after 1 a. m. on November 20,2006, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, dying of a gunshot to the head. He was at his home in Tampa, Florida where he was discovered by his girlfriend, after receiving permission, Nowinski had samples of Waters brain tissue sent to neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu at the University of Pittsburgh. Omalu believed, having examined the tissue, that Waters sustained brain damage from playing football, Omalu said he believed that the damage was caused and/or hastened by the numerous concussions Waters sustained playing football. Additionally, Omalu said that Waters would have been fully incapacitated within ten years, the NFL declined to comment on Waters case specifically. Waters was portrayed by actor Richard T. Jones in the 2015 film Concussion
23.
New York Jets
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The New York Jets are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues American Football Conference East division. The team is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, in a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the New York Giants. The franchise is legally and corporately registered as New York Jets, the team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League, later, the franchise joined the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The team began to play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds, under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise moved to Shea Stadium in 1964 and then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in 1984. Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs 13 times, however, the Jets have never returned to the Super Bowl, making them one of three NFL teams to win their lone Super Bowl appearance, along with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The teams training facility, Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, which opened in 2008, is located in Florham Park, the first organizational meeting of the American Football League took place on August 14,1959. Wismer was granted the franchise later dubbed the Titans of New York as Wismer explained. He secured the Titans home field at the decrepit Polo Grounds, by 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing the AFL to assume the costs of the team until seasons end. A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin, saved the team from certain bankruptcy, Werblin renamed the team the New York Jets since the team would play in Shea Stadium near LaGuardia Airport. The new name was intended to reflect the approach of his team. The Jets owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the manager and head coach. The early 1990s saw New York struggling, after firing coach Bruce Coslet, owner Leon Hess hired Pete Carroll who struggled to a 6–10 record and was promptly fired at the end of the season. Thereafter, Rich Kotite was selected to lead the team to victory, Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach. Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots head coach Bill Parcells to New York in 1997, Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, the franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000. Additionally, through the 2000s the Jets visited the five times. Rex Ryan was hired in January 2009, Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances during his first two years but the team never made the playoffs again during his tenure
24.
Randall Cunningham
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Randall Wade Cunningham is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played in the NFL for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham is also known for his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. He is the brother of former college and professional football player Sam Cunningham. After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Cunningham was selected in the round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Eagles. Following 11 seasons with the team, he announced his retirement from football and he was released by the Vikings following the 1999 season after failing to match his success during the previous year. In his final two seasons, he played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens for one year each, upon retiring for a second and final time, Cunningam became an ordained Protestant minister and a coach at Silverado High School. Cunningham attended Santa Barbara High School in Santa Barbara, California, and was a graduate of the class of 1981. As a senior, he led his team to a League title and the CIF Finals. He also competed in track and field at SBHS in the high jump and he then went on to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was a 1983 and 1984 College Football All-America Team selection as a punter, in 1984, his senior year, he led the UNLV Rebels to an 11–2 season—still the schools only 10-win season ever—however this was adjusted to 0–13 when it was found out several players were ineligible. Cunningham was the Eagles second-round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft, Cunningham was also sought by the United States Football Leagues Tampa Bay Bandits that same year. Eagles owner Norman Braman refused to negotiate with Cunningham if he accepted offers from the Bandits, ultimately, the USFL folded, thus ending that issue. In 1986, new head coach Buddy Ryan arrived in Philadelphia and made changes, many of them unorthodox. After a hand injury to Jaworski in week 10, Cunningham would replace him as the Eagles’ starter, despite his limited service and speed, the Eagles porous offensive line allowed him to be sacked a franchise record 72 times that season. Cunningham was permanently handed the Eagles starting job for the 1987 season, Cunningham was said to have reached elite status during the 1988 season, as he was elected by league players as the NFC starting quarterback for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. That same year, he combined with fellow Eagle Pro Bowler Reggie White to lead the Eagles to the NFC Eastern Division Championship. In the 1988 Divisional Playoffs, Cunningham threw 54 passes for 407 yards during the Fog Bowl 20-12 loss against the Chicago Bears, unfortunately, he also shares the franchise record with 3 interceptions in that same game. In the subsequent Pro Bowl a few later, Cunningham was named game MVP as the NFC defeated the AFC. In 1989, on October 2 Cunningham also set the franchise record with 62 pass attempts
25.
Boomer Esiason
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Norman Julius Boomer Esiason is a retired American football quarterback and current network color commentator. During a 14-year career in the National Football League, Esiason played for the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, Esiason is also co-host of the morning sports radio program Boomer and Carton on WFAN in New York. Esiason was born and raised in East Islip, New York and he attended Timber Point Elementary and East Islip High School, where he graduated in 1979. In high school, he was a varsity player in football, basketball. Esiason got the Boomer nickname before he was born and his mother, reacting to his constant kicking in the womb, called him Boomer, and he has kept the name since. Esiason played college football at the University of Maryland for head coaches Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross, at Maryland, he set 17 school records. Esiason completed 461 of 850 passes for 6,169 yards and 42 touchdowns with 27 interceptions and he was a two-time honorable mention All-American in 1982 and 1983. In his final game, he threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to lead a comeback victory over No.3 North Carolina and seal the ACC title. Esiason graduated with a B. A. in 1984 and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999, following his final year at Maryland, Esiason was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft with the 38th overall pick, surprisingly low. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper was, in Esiasons words, going ballistic that he was available in the latter stages of the first round. No quarterbacks were drafted in the first round, Esiason was actually the first one selected since Steve Young signed with the L. A. Express of the USFL and his USFL territorial rights were controlled by the Washington Federals franchise of the now-defunct United States Football League. At his retirement in 1997 he was among the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history, Boomer got his first pro start on October 7,1984, in Cincinnati in a game against the Houston Oilers. On a rainy day, Boomer led the Bengals to a 13–3 win over Houston, Boomer took over for Ken Anderson as the Bengals full-time starting quarterback on September 22,1985, in a game in Cincinnati against the San Diego Chargers. He could not repeat the victory of his first career start, as the Bengals fell to the Chargers and he was particularly adept at running the difficult no huddle offense devised by Bengal Head Coach Sam Wyche. A little over three years later, Esiason led the Cincinnati Bengals to their appearance in the Super Bowl. A last-ditch pass to wide receiver Cris Collinsworth was broken up, Esiason won the 1988 NFL MVP award and was named to the Pro Bowl, but didnt play in the Pro Bowl due to a shoulder injury he suffered late in the regular season. Smith was terribly upset about Esiasons injury and said he never heard a whistle blowing the play dead for false start and that horrific collision gave Esiason a severe concussion, which kept him out until November 19. He is thought to have been the first NFL player to enter a concussion study during the season, when he returned to the field it was coincidentally in a game that was played against the Bills
26.
Steve Sabol
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Stephen Douglas Steve Sabol was an American filmmaker. He was the president and one of the founders of NFL Films and he was also a widely exhibited visual artist. Sabol was born in Moorestown, New Jersey and attended Colorado College and he was the subject of a humorous article about his self-promotion exploits in the November 22,1965, issue of Sports Illustrated. He began working at NFL Films as a cameraman alongside his father Ed Sabol after graduation and he started in the filming industry when his father got the rights to the 1962 NFL Championship Game, played in Yankee Stadium on December 30. This company eventually grew into NFL Films, with Sabol serving mainly as a cameraman, editor, when ESPN was founded 1979, they soon signed NFL Films as a production company and Sabol became an on-air personality in the 1980s. He won 35 Emmy Awards and had a documentary about him air on 60 Minutes, Sabol played a part in founding the NFL Network. Sabol was the author of the poem The Autumn Wind, later adopted by the Oakland Raiders as an unofficial anthem, as president of the most honored filmmaker in sports, Sabol continued to be the artistic vision behind the studio that revolutionized the way America watches football. While NFL Films has won over 100 Emmys, Sabol himself has received 35 of those Emmys for writing, cinematography, editing, directing, no one else in all of television has earned as many Emmys in as many different categories. Building on the spirit of his father and founder of NFL Films. Sabol also received the prestigious Pete Rozelle Award, which is presented each year to someone who has made a contribution to the National Football League. He joins a group of honorees including, Vince Lombardi, Dan Rooney, Lamar Hunt, Tom Landry. In 2007, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honored Sabol with the Dan Reeves Pioneer Award recognizing his innovative ideas that have contributed to the game of professional football. Sabol and his father, Ed, were inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in November 2011, Sabol received the Sports Business Journals Champions – Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business award in March 2012 for shaping the business of sports through his career of distinguished success. Sabol began his career in 1964 as a cinematographer working for his father and founder of NFL Films, Sabol won over 40 Emmys during his time with NFL Films and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. Sabol took over NFL Films from his father Ed, who founded the company, NFL Films was the first company to wire coaches and players for sound as well as the first to use slow motion and montage editing in sports. The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Sabol into their Hall of Fame in 1996, Sabol was married for over a decade to his first wife, Lisa, mother of his only son, Casey Sabol. After their divorce, Lisa married John DeBella, Sabol then married his second wife, Penny Sabol. On September 18,2012, Sabol died of cancer in Moorestown
27.
NFL Films
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Founder Ed Sabol was a World War II veteran who worked selling topcoats after returning to the United States. In his spare time, he used a motion picture camera, received as a wedding gift. Inspired by his own work, Sabol founded a film company called Blair Motion Pictures. Sabol won the bidding for the rights to film the 1962 NFL championship game for $5,000, the film of that game impressed NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who asked the owners of the NFL to agree to buy out Sabols company. Although the owners rejected Rozelles proposal in 1964, they agreed a year later and he received $20,000 in seed money from each of the leagues 14 owners, and in return would shoot all NFL games and produce a highlight film for each team. Ed Sabol died on Monday, February 9,2015, at his home in Arizona, on August 6,2011, Ed Sabol was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a major contributor to the National Football League. Much has been made of the Films style, salon. com television critic Matt Zoller Seitz has called NFL Films the greatest in-house P. R. machine in pro sports history. An outfit that could make even a tedius stalemate seem as momentous as the battle for the Alamo, NFL Films productions follow certain patterns. J. K. Simmons was tapped to narrate the companys one-hour recap of the 16-0 regular season of the 2007 New England Patriots, team-specific films such as year-in-review films have occasionally been narrated by broadcasters or personalities involved with the team in question. Examples include the 2000 and 2001 Oakland Raiders season reviews being narrated by actor, the style has been called tight on the spiral, a reference to the frequently-used slow-motion shot of the spinning football as it travels from the quarterbacks hand to the receiver. NFL Films also dubs sound bites of local radio broadcasts over key plays, in addition, NFL Films often uses multiple camera angles. The company also makes use of footage of players and coaches in the locker room after the game. With these techniques NFL Films turns football games into events that mimic ballet, opera, among the companys most famous creations is the poem and accompanying music cue The Autumn Wind, which have become official themes for the Oakland Raiders. One of NFL Films most popular series is Hard Knocks, Hard Knocks won consecutive Outstanding Edited Sports Series Emmys in 2009 &2010. They appear on either ESPN or the NFL Network, NFL Films also produces the NFL Game of the Week, which showcases a previous-weeks game of the current season. ION Television has purchased the rights to air Game of the Week, Saturdays at 6PM ET beginning September 15, ESPN Classic has been known to air classic episodes of Game of the Week. Among other television programs NFL Films is credited for producing include NFL Total Access and much of the NFL Networks programming output. NFL Films game highlights were also a staple of HBOs Inside the NFL for its entire run, NFL Films is famous for producing an annual highlight film for each team every season
28.
Seattle Seahawks
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The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football franchise based in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference West division. The Seahawks joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, the Seahawks are owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and are currently coached by Pete Carroll. Since 2002, the Seahawks have played their games at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks previously played games in the Kingdome and Husky Stadium. Seahawks fans have referred to collectively as the 12th Man, 12th Fan. Largent, Kennedy, Jones, and Easley have been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame primarily or wholly for their accomplishments as Seahawks. Brown, Easley, Green, Jones, Kennedy, Krieg, Largent, Warner, the Seahawks have won ten division titles and three conference championships. They are the team to have played in both the AFC and NFC Championship Games. They are also the first, and to date only, post-merger expansion team in NFL history to play in consecutive Super Bowls, as per one of the agreed parts of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the NFL began planning to expand from 26 to 28 teams. In June 1972, Seattle Professional Football Inc. a group of Seattle business and community leaders, in June 1974, the NFL gave the city an expansion franchise. That December, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced the signing of the franchise agreement by Lloyd W. Nordstrom. In March 1975, John Thompson, former Executive Director of the NFL Management Council, the name Seattle Seahawks was selected on June 17,1975 after a public naming contest which drew more than 20,000 entries and over 1,700 different names. Thompson recruited and hired Jack Patera, a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, to be the first head coach of the Seahawks, the hiring was announced on January 3,1976. The expansion draft was held March 30–31,1976, with Seattle, the Seahawks were awarded the 2nd overall pick in the 1976 draft, a pick they used on defensive tackle Steve Niehaus. The team took the field for the first time on August 1,1976 in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in the then newly constructed Kingdome. The Seahawks are, to date, the only NFL team to switch conferences twice in the post-merger era, the franchise began play in 1976 in the aforementioned NFC West but switched conferences with the Buccaneers after one season and joined the AFC West. The Seahawks won both matchups against the Buccaneers in their first two seasons, the former of which was the Seahawks first regular season victory, in 1983, the Seahawks hired Chuck Knox as head coach
29.
Eric Turner (American football)
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Eric Ray Turner was a safety who played for the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders. He died of cancer at the age of 31, two weeks after claiming he was not gravely ill. He was buried at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, California, Turner attended Ventura High School and then played college football at UCLA where he was an All-American in 1990. Nicknamed E-Rock by his teammates, Turner drew comparisons to former Bruins great Don Rogers and he was the 2nd overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft—the highest choice for a defensive back in footballs modern era. After the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996, Turner played one season for them. Following the 1996 season Turner, who had the most expensive contract among all NFL safeties, was cut by the Ravens, Turner signed a four-year, $6 million deal with the Raiders in 1997. Turner recorded 30 interceptions in just 109 career games, including returns for touchdowns of 93 and 94 yards, in 2001 he was named to the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame. The football field at Ventura High School is named in his honor
30.
Safety (gridiron football position)
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Safety is a position in American and Canadian football, played by a member of the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up from ten to fifteen yards in front of the line of scrimmage, there are two variations of the position in a typical American formation, the free safety and the strong safety. Their duties depend on the defensive scheme, the defensive responsibilities of the safety and cornerback usually involve pass coverage towards the middle and sidelines of the field, respectively. While American formations generally use two safeties, Canadian formations generally have one safety and two halfbacks, a position not used in the American game. As professional and college football have become focused on the passing game. Safeties are the last line of defense, and are expected to be sure tacklers. Indeed, many safeties rank among the hardest hitters in football, Safety positions can also be converted cornerbacks, either by design or as a cornerback ages. The free safety tends to watch the play unfold and follow the ball, the free safety is typically assigned to the quarterback in man coverage, but as the quarterback usually remains in the pocket, the free safety is free to double cover another player. On pass plays, the safety is expected to assist the cornerback on his side. This phenomenon often tests how effective a free safetys wit and athleticism are at defending long pass plays, if the offense puts a receiver in the slot, then the free safety may be called upon to cover that receiver. Free safeties occasionally blitz as well, when this happens, the pressure on the quarterback is often very severe since a blitz by a defensive back is not usually anticipated. Because of their speed and deep coverage, free safeties are especially likely to make interceptions, the strong safety tends to be somewhat larger and stronger than the free safety. The strong safety tends to play closer to the line than the free safety does and he may also cover a player, such as a running back or fullback or H-back, who comes out of the backfield to receive a pass. A strong safetys duties are a hybrid of those belonging to a linebacker in a 46 or 3–4 defense, strong safeties are not seen in the Canadian game, where the role is filled by the two defensive halfbacks. PhillyBurbs. com Football 101, The Free Safety
