1.
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
2.
Miami Hurricanes football
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The Miami Hurricanes football team represents the University of Miami in the sport of American football. The Hurricanes compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships. Miami is ranked fourth on the list of All-time Associated Press National Poll Championships, tied with Southern California and Ohio State and behind Alabama, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. Miami also holds a number of NFL Draft records, including most first round selections in a single draft, two Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy and nine have been inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame. The team plays its games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Hurricanes are currently coached by Mark Richt, UM began with just a freshman football team in 1926. Its first game was played on October 23,1926, a 7–0 win over Rollins College before 304 fans, under the guidance of head coach Howard P. Buck, the freshman team posted a perfect 8–0 record in its inaugural season. Two of the wins were against the University of Havana, one on Thanksgiving Day in Miami, Miamis last home game at of the season featured a first, the first Hurricane football game played on New Years Day against Howard at Miamis University Stadium. Varsity competition began in 1927, with Miami beating Rollins 39–3 in its first game and going on to a 3–6–1 record. The team improved to 4–4–1 in 1928, but it was not enough for Buck to keep his job, rixs arrival was funded by a group of local businessmen. That off-season, the program, which competed as an independent during its first two years of existence, joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association,1929 saw Miami play its first varsity road game, and Rix led the team to its first winning season, going 3–2. His tenure, however, was short-lived, off-campus financing for the dried up in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash. Ernest Brett replaced Rix, and in 1930, Miami played Temple in its first game outside the South, losing 34–0 to the Owls in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On October 31,1930, the Hurricanes played in one of the nations first night games vs. Bowden College in Miami, Brett only lasted one year, and Tom McCann became the programs fourth head coach in 1931. Under McCann, the program experienced its most successful seasons to that point. After a difficult first year, Miami put together a record in 1932 and served as host to the inaugural Palm Festival. A 5–1–2 campaign and another Palm Festival berth followed in 1933, and in 1934, in 1935, a group of Miami football supporters sought to hire Red Grange as coach. However, the move was vetoed by President Bowman Foster Ashe, instead Irl Tubbs took over as head coach in 1935, and though Miami compiled an 11–5–2 record in his two seasons, it did not play in a bowl in either year
3.
Atlantic Coast Conference
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The ACC sponsors competition in twenty-five sports with many of its member institutions athletic programs held in high regard nationally. ACC teams and athletes have claimed dozens of championships in multiple sports throughout the conferences history. Generally, the ACCs top athletes and teams in any sport in a given year are considered to be among the top collegiate competitors in the nation. Also, the conference enjoys extensive media coverage, the ACC was one of the six collegiate power conferences, which had automatic qualifying for their football champion into the Bowl Championship Series. With the advent of the College Football Playoff in 2014, the ACC is one of five conferences with a contractual tie-in to an access bowl, the additions in recent years extended the conferences footprint into the Northeast and Midwest. The most recent expansion in 2013 saw the additions of the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pittsburgh, in 2012, the University of Marylands Board of Regents voted to withdraw from the ACC to join the Big Ten Conference effective July 1,2014. On November 28,2012, the ACCs Council of Presidents voted unanimously to invite the University of Louisville as a full member, replacing Maryland effective July 1,2014. Seven universities in the South Atlantic States were charter members of the ACC, Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, previously members of the Southern Conference, they left partially due to that leagues ban on post-season football play. After drafting a set of bylaws for the creation of a new league, the bylaws were ratified on June 14,1953, and the ACC was created, becoming the second conference formed by schools collectively withdrawing from the SoCon, after the Southeastern Conference. On December 4,1953, officials convened in Greensboro, North Carolina, and admitted Virginia, in 1960, the ACC implemented a minimum SAT score for incoming student-athletes of 750, the first conference to do so. This minimum was raised to 800 in 1964, but was struck down by a federal court in 1972. In 1971, South Carolina left the ACC to become an independent, the ACC operated with seven members until the addition of Georgia Tech from the Metro Conference on April 3,1978. The total number of member schools reached nine with the addition of Florida State, also formerly from the Metro Conference, on July 1,1991. The expansion was controversial, as Connecticut, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia filed lawsuits against the ACC, Miami, and Boston College for conspiring to weaken the Big East Conference. The ACC Hall of Champions opened on March 2,2011, next to the Greensboro Coliseum arena, on September 17,2011, Big East Conference members Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh both tendered formal written applications to the ACC to join its ranks. The two schools were accepted into the conference the day, once again expanding the conference footprint like previous expansions. Because the Big East intended to hold Pitt and Syracuse to the 27-month notice period required by league bylaws, however, on July 16,2012, the Big East and Syracuse came to an agreement that allowed Syracuse to leave the Big East on July 1,2013. Two days later, the Big East and Pittsburgh reached an identical agreement, on September 12,2012, Notre Dame agreed to join the ACC in all sports except football and hockey as the conferences first member in the Midwestern United States
4.
Omaha, Nebraska
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Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, which includes Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha. According to the 2010 census, Omahas population was 408,958, according to the 2014 Population Estimates, Omahas population was 446,599. Including its suburbs, Omaha formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2013, the Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, Nebraska-IA Combined Statistical Area is 931,667, according to the U. S. Census Bureaus 2013 estimate. There are nearly 1.3 million residents within the Greater Omaha area, comprising a 50-mile radius of Downtown Omaha, Omahas pioneer period began in 1854, when the city was founded by speculators from neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. The city was founded along the Missouri River, and a crossing called Lone Tree Ferry earned the city its nickname, Omaha introduced this new West to the world in 1898, when it played host to the Worlds Fair, dubbed the Trans-Mississippi Exposition. During the 19th century, Omahas central location in the United States spurred the city to become an important national transportation hub, throughout the rest of the 19th century, the transportation and jobbing sectors were important in the city, along with its railroads and breweries. In the 20th century, the Omaha Stockyards, once the worlds largest, Omaha is also the home to five Fortune 1000 headquarters, Green Plains Renewable Energy, TD Ameritrade, Valmont Industries, Werner Enterprises, and West Corporation. And Leo A Daly, the Gallup Organization, of Gallup Poll fame, Enron began in Omaha as Northern Natural Gas in 1930, before taking over a smaller Houston company in 1985 to form InterNorth, which Kenneth Lay moved permanently to Houston, in 1987. The modern economy of Omaha is diverse and built on skilled knowledge jobs, in 2009, Forbes identified Omaha as the nations number one Best Bang-For-The Buck City and ranked it number one on Americas Fastest-Recovering Cities list. Also, Omaha hosted the U. S. Olympic swim trials in 2008,2012 and 2016, the word Omaha means Dwellers on the bluff. In 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by the riverbanks where the city of Omaha would be built, there was fierce competition among fur traders until John Jacob Astor created the monopoly of the American Fur Company. The Mormons built a town called Cutlers Park in the area in 1846, while it was temporary, the settlement provided the basis for further development in the future. Through 26 separate treaties with the United States federal government, Native American tribes in Nebraska gradually ceded the lands comprising the state. The treaty and cession involving the Omaha area occurred in 1854 when the Omaha Tribe ceded most of east-central Nebraska, Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter for the Omaha and signatory to the 1854 treaty, played an essential role in those proceedings. Before it was legal to claim land in Indian Country, William D. Brown was operating the Lone Tree Ferry to bring settlers from Council Bluffs, Brown is generally credited as having the first vision for a city where Omaha now sits. The passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854 was presaged by the out of claims around the area to become Omaha by residents from neighboring Council Bluffs. On July 4,1854, the city was established at a picnic on Capital Hill
5.
Quarterback
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A quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the team and line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is considered the leader of the offensive team. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually the leader of the offense, the quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and his successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of his team. Accordingly, the quarterback is among the most glorified and scrutinized positions in team sports, prior to each play, the quarterback will usually tell the rest of his team which play the team will run. After the team is lined up, the center will pass the ball back to the quarterback, usually on a running play, the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a half back or full back. On a passing play, the quarterback is almost always the responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver downfield. Depending on the scheme by his team, the quarterbacks role can vary. While quarterbacks in Canadian football need to be able to throw the ball often, in the NFL, quarterbacks are required to wear a uniform number between 1 and 19. In the CFL, the quarterback can wear any number from 0 to 49 and 70 to 99. Because of their numbering, quarterbacks are eligible receivers in the NCAA, NFHS, after a Super Bowl victory, the starting quarterback is the first player to be presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The starting quarterback of the victorious Super Bowl team is chosen for the Im going to Disney World. Campaign, whether they are the Super Bowl MVP or not, examples include Joe Montana, Trent Dilfer, Dilfer was chosen even though teammate Ray Lewis was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, due to the bad publicity from Lewis murder trial the prior year. In addition to their role, quarterbacks are occasionally used in other roles. Most teams utilize a backup quarterback as their holder on placekicks, in the Wildcat, a formation where a halfback lines up behind the center and the quarterback lines up out wide, the quarterback can be used as a receiving target or a blocker. A more rare use for a quarterback is to punt the ball himself, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was known to perform quick kicks occasionally, typically when the Broncos were facing a third-and-long situation. As Roger Staubachs back-up, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White was also the teams punter, ascending the starting role upon Staubachs retirement, White held his position as the teams punter for several seasons—a double duty he performed to All-American standard at Arizona State University. White also had two touchdown receptions as a Dallas Cowboy, both from the halfback option, if quarterbacks are uncomfortable with the formation the defense is using, they may call an audible change to their play
6.
Florida State Seminoles football
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The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in the sport of American football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the team is known for its storied history, distinctive helmet, fight song and colors as well as the many traditions associated with the school. They are considered to be one of the most successful football programs ever. Florida State has won three championships, eighteen conference titles and six division titles along with a playoff appearance. The Seminoles have achieved three undefeated seasons and finished ranked in the top four of the AP Poll for 14 straight years from 1987 through 2000, ESPN ranks the 1999 team among the top teams in college football history. The team has produced three Heisman Trophy winners, quarterbacks Charlie Ward in 1993, Chris Weinke in 2000 and Jameis Winston in 2013, the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the top receiver in college football, is named for Florida State hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff. Many former Seminoles have gone on to have careers in the NFL. The program has produced 218 All-Americans and 250 professional players, the Seminoles have the tenth-highest winning percentage among all college football programs in Division I FBS history with over 500 victories. Florida State has appeared in postseason bowl games and rank ninth nationally for bowl winning percentage. The Seminoles archrivals are Florida, whom they meet annually in the last game of the regular season, a rivalry with Clemson has developed and grown due to both teams competing yearly for the ACC Atlantic division. Florida State University joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in July 1991, Florida State is considered one of the teams that brought the conference to its pinnacle becoming the overall most successful program in the ACC. Since the ACC expanded from nine to twelve universities in 2005, and instituted divisional play in football, Florida State plays an eight-game ACC football schedule. Six of these contests pit the Seminoles against the members of the ACC Atlantic Division, Boston College, Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina State, Syracuse. Throughout a rotation schedule, Florida State plays each coastal division team at least twice every six years with possible meetings in the game in between regular season meetings. Florida State will also play Notre Dame as a home-and-home twice every six years per a conference agreement, in addition to the conference foes, the Seminoles face in-state rival Florida from the SEC at the end of the regular season. The two teams emergence as perennial football powers in the 1980s and 1990s helped build the Florida–Florida State football rivalry into a game that has held national title implications. Florida State remains the team in the state of Florida to play both powers, Florida and Miami, every year. The remaining dates on Florida States regular season schedule are filled with various non-conference opponents that vary year to year
7.
East Carolina Pirates football
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The East Carolina Pirates are a college football team that represents East Carolina University. The team is a member of the American Athletic Conference, which is in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Scottie Montgomery is currently the teams head coach. The Pirates have won seven championships and nine bowl games. The Pirates have 20 All-Americans over its history, four players have their jerseys retired. Numerous Pirates have played in the NFL, including ten current players, the team played its inaugural season in 1932. The team played games at College Stadium on the main campus from the 1949 to the 1962 season. With the exception of the 1999 Miami football game, they have played their games at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium every year since 1963. The stadium is located south of East Carolinas main campus near the intersection of South Charles Boulevard, Dowdy-Ficklen underwent an expansion in 2010, raising the capacity of the stadium to 50,000. The Pirates announced a $55 million renovation project to Dowdy-Ficklen in 2016, the coaches and administrative support is located in the Ward Sports Medicine Building, which is located adjacent to the stadium. The Pirates also practice and train at the Cliff Moore Practice Facility, which was renovated in 2005. East Carolina began organized football in the fall of 1932, the first football coach in school history was Kenneth Beatty. They played under the nickname Teachers because the school was a training school. The team played five games, with two in Greenville and they however did not score a point the whole season, while opponents scored a combined 187 points. The 1933 season started just as they left the 1932 season, the team lost the first four games not scoring a point. The first victory in history came against Campbell on November 11,1933. The 1933 team lost their game against Appalachian St. 14–0. Coach Beatty left after the season, doc Mathis was appointed the head coach after Coach Beatty left. Before the season, the decided to change their nickname
8.
Georgia Bulldogs football
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The Georgia Bulldogs football program represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and they play their home games at historic Sanford Stadium on the universitys Athens, Georgia, campus. Georgias inaugural season was in 1892, UGA claims two national championships, the AP and Coaches Polls have each voted the Bulldogs the national champion once. UGA declines to claim four national championships awarded by some selecting organizations and publications. The Bulldogs have won 14 conference championships, including 12 SEC Championships, and have appeared in 52 bowl games, the program has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, four No.1 National Football League draft picks, and many winners of other national awards. The team is known for its history, unique traditions. Georgia was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Georgia participated in the SIAA from its establishment in 1895 until 1921, during its tenure in the SIAA, Georgia was conference co-champion in two years,1896 and 1920. In 1921, the Bulldogs, along with 12 other teams, left the SIAA, during its time in the Southern Conference, the team never won a conference championship. In 1932, the Georgia Bulldogs left the Southern Conference to form and join the SEC, the first mention of Bulldogs in association with Georgia athletics occurred on November 28,1901, at the Georgia-Auburn football game played in Atlanta. Traditionally, the choice of a Bulldog as the UGA mascot was attributed to the alma mater of its founders and first president, Abraham Baldwin, prior to that time, Georgia teams were usually known as the Red and Black. After a 0-0 tie with Virginia in Charlottesville on Nov.6,1920, the name has been used ever since. Uga is the name of a lineage of white Bulldogs which have served as the mascot of the University of Georgia since 1956. The current mascot, Que, officially took the role of Uga X on October 23,2015, shortly before Uga IX, or Russ, deceased Ugas are interred in a mausoleum near the main entrance to Sanford Stadium. Georgia is the school to bury its past mascots inside the football stadium. Glory, Glory is the song for the Georgia Bulldogs and was sung at football games as early as the 1890s. The rally song was arranged in its current form by Georgia professor Hugh Hodgson in 1915, while Glory, Glory is the most commonly played Georgia song, the schools official fight song is Hail To Georgia which is played after field goals. Today, freshmen are no longer required to do the chore, with students, alumni, how bout them Dawgs is a slogan of recent vintage that first surfaced in the late 1970s and has become a battle cry of Bulldog fans
9.
University of Miami
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The University of Miami is a private, nonsectarian research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. As of 2015, the university enrolls 16,848 students in 12 separate colleges/schools, the university offers 116 undergraduate,105 masters, and 63 doctoral degree programs, of which 59 are research/scholarship and four professional areas of study. Over the years, the students have represented all 50 states. With more than 14,000 full and part-time faculty and staff, uM’s main campus in Coral Gables has 239 acres and over 5.7 million square feet of buildings. In the 2017 U. S. News and World Report study of colleges and universities, Research is a component of each academic division, with UM attracting $346.6 million per year in sponsored research grants. UM offers a library system with over 3.1 million volumes and exceptional holdings in Cuban heritage. UM also offers a range of student activities, including fraternities and sororities. UMs intercollegiate athletic teams, collectively known as the Miami Hurricanes, UMs football team has won five national championships since 1983 and its baseball team has won four national championships since 1982. They believed that a university would benefit their community. They were overly optimistic about future financial support for UM because the South Florida land boom was at its peak, the university began in earnest in 1925 when George E. Merrick, the founder of Coral Gables, gave 160 acres and nearly $5 million, to the effort. These contributions were land contracts and mortgages on real estate that had sold in the city. The university was chartered on April 18,1925 by the Circuit Court for Dade County. By the fall of 1926, when the first class of 372 students enrolled at UM, the boom had collapsed. For the next 15 years the university barely remained solvent, the construction of the first building on campus, now known as the Merrick Building, was left half built for over two decades due to economic difficulties. In the meantime, classes were held at the nearby Anastasia Hotel, with partitions separating classrooms, in 1929, Walsh and the other members of the Board of Regents resigned in the wake of the collapse of the Florida economy. UMs plight was so severe that students went door to door in Coral Gables collecting funds to keep it open, a reconstituted ten-member Board was chaired by UMs first president Bowman Foster Ashe. The new board included Merrick, Theodore Dickinson, E. B, douglas, David Fairchild, James H. Gilman, Richardson Saunders, Frank B. Shutts, Joseph H. Adams, and J. C, in 1930, several faculty members and more than 60 students came to UM when the University of Havana closed due to political unrest
10.
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
11.
Florida State University
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Florida State University is an American public space-grant and sea-grant research university. Its primary campus is located on a 1,391. 54-acre campus in Tallahassee, Florida and it is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida, the university is classified as a Research University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university comprises 16 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study, the university has an annual budget of over $1.7 billion and an annual economic impact of over $10 billion. Florida State is home to Floridas only National Laboratory – the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and is the birthplace of the commercially viable anti-cancer drug Taxol. Florida State University also operates The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Florida State University leads Florida in four of eight areas of external funding for the STEM disciplines, FSU officially launched the Raise the Torch, The Campaign for Florida State on October 17,2014. The campaign has a goal of more than $1 billion which will improve academics, research. As of September 30,2016, Florida State Universitys Raise the Torch campaign has raised $938,972,249, for 2017, U. S. News & World Report ranked Florida State as the 38th best public university in the United States. FSUs intercollegiate sports teams, commonly known by their Florida State Seminoles nickname, compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, in their 113-year history, Florida States varsity sports teams have won 20 national athletic championships and Seminole athletes have won 78 individual NCAA national championships. In 1819 the Florida Territory was ceded to the United States by Spain as an element of the Adams–Onís Treaty, the Territory was conventionally split by the Appalachicola or later the Suwannee rivers into East and West areas. Florida State University is traceable to a set by the 1823 U. S. Congress to create a system of higher education. The 1838 Florida Constitution codified the system by providing for land allocated for the schools. In 1845 Florida became the 27th State of the United States, in 1851 the Florida Legislature voted to establish two seminaries of higher education on opposite sides of the Suwannee River. Francis W. Eppes and other city leaders established an academy called the Florida Institute in Tallahassee as a legislative inducement to locate the West Florida Seminary in Tallahassee. The East Florida Seminary opened in Ocala in 1853, closed in 1861, the East Florida Seminary is the institution to which the modern University of Florida traces its foundation. Two years later the institution absorbed the Tallahassee Female Academy founded in 1843 as the Misses Bates School, the West Florida Seminary stood near the front of the Westcott Building on the existing FSU campus, making this site the oldest continually used location of higher learning in Florida. In 1860–61 the legislature started formal training at the school with a law amending the original 1851 statute
12.
Bobby Bowden
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Robert Cleckler Bowden is a retired American football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons, after a difficult 2009 season and amid questioning fans, Bowden stepped down, just weeks after his 80th birthday. But he was allowed to make his final coaching appearance in the 2010 Gator Bowl game on January 1,2010, with a 33–21 victory over his former program, Florida State appealed the ruling, but the NCAA upheld it on January 5,2010. Upon final investigation by Florida State University it was determined that Bowden was to vacate 12 wins, born in Birmingham, Alabama, Bowden spent a portion of his childhood ill in bed. Bowden is the son of Bob Bowden and Sunset Bowden, when he was 13 years old, Bowden was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. After a six-month hospital stay, Bowden was confined to his bed at home for just over a year with nothing more than his imagination to pass the time. It was listening to World War II reports on the radio that began Bowdens interest in the war and it was also around this time that his love for football increased, as he would listen to University of Alabama football on Saturday mornings. He then returned to Birmingham and married his school sweetheart, Ann Estock. Today, the couple have six children and 21 grandchildren, Bobby transferred to Howard College, where he played football, baseball, ran track and became a brother in Pi Kappa Alpha. In his junior year he was elected president of Pi Kappa Alpha and that year his Alpha Pi chapter recorded the highest grade point average in the nation among all Pi Kappa Alpha chapters. His senior year he was reelected to the presidency as well as captain of the team where he garnered All-American honors at quarterback. The Howard College faculty nominated him for Whos Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges in recognition of his academic and athletic leadership, Bowden graduated from Howard in 1953. Bowden served as an assistant football coach and head track and field coach at Howard College in Birmingham and he left his alma mater to become Athletic Director as well as head football, baseball, and basketball coach at South Georgia College from 1956 to 1958. Bowden then returned to Howard as head coach, where he compiled a 31–6 record between 1959 and 1962, in 1962, Bowden went to Florida State University as an assistant coach under Head Coach Bill Peterson. Three other coaching legends who worked under Coach Peterson during this time were Bill Parcells, Joe Gibbs, Bowden left Florida State in 1965 to go to West Virginia University as an assistant under Jim Carlen. When Carlen left following the 1969 season to become coach at Texas Tech. Bowden then compiled a 42–26 record at WVU before returning to FSU as head coach in 1976, during Bowdens first year as head coach at WVU, the football team of the states other top-division school, Marshall University, were killed in a plane crash. Bowden asked NCAA permission to wear Marshall jerseys and play Marshalls final game of the 1970 season against Ohio, in memory of the victims of the crash, Mountaineers players put green crosses and the initials MU on their helmets
13.
East Carolina University
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East Carolina University is a public, doctoral/research university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities designates East Carolina as a Sea Grant university and an Innovation and Economic Prosperity campus. Founded on March 8,1907 as a training school. The nine undergraduate colleges, graduate school, and four schools are located on these four properties. All of the non-health sciences majors are located on the main campus, the College of Nursing, College of Allied Health Sciences, The Brody School of Medicine, and School of Dental Medicine are located on the health science campus. There are ten social sororities,16 social fraternities, four historically black sororities, five historically black fraternities, one Native American fraternity, there are over 300 registered clubs on campus including fraternities and sororities. Although its purpose was to young white men and women. In 1920, ECTTS became an institution and renamed East Carolina Teachers College. A masters degree program was authorized in 1929, the first such degree granted by ECTC was in 1933. Progress toward full college status was made in 1948 with the designation of the bachelor of arts as an arts degree. A change of name to East Carolina College in 1951 reflected this expanded mission, over the objections of Governor Dan K. The university did not remain independent for long, on July 1,1972, it was incorporated into the University of North Carolina System, the successor to the Consolidated University. Today, ECU is the third–largest university in North Carolina with 21,589 undergraduate and 5,797 graduate students, East Carolina is separated into three distinct campuses, Main Campus, Health Sciences Campus, and West Research Campus. It owns two sports complexes, Blount Recreational Sports Complex and North Recreational Complex and it owns a field station in New Holland, North Carolina. The main campus, also known as the east campus, is about 530 acres in a residential area of downtown Greenville. The 158 buildings on main campus comprise more than 4.6 million square feet of academic, research, many of the Main Campus buildings feature the Spanish–Mission style architecture, inspiration drawn from Thomas Jarvis time as an ambassador to Brazil. He wanted to bring the unique architecture to eastern North Carolina, on the main campus, there are five districts, Campus Core, Downtown District, Warehouse District, Athletic fields and the South Academic District. On the Campus Core, there are 15 residence halls which are divided into three separate neighborhoods, the distinct feature of the main campus is the mall, which is a large tree–laden grassy area where many students go to relax
14.
University of Georgia
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Its primary location is a 762-acre campus adjacent to the college town of Athens, Georgia, approximately an hours drive from the global city of Atlanta. The university has been labeled one of the Public Ivies, a publicly funded university considered to provide a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League. The university was founded in 1785 as the United States first state-chartered university and its historic North Campus is on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places as a designated historic district. The contiguous campus areas include rolling hills, gardens, and extensive green space including nature walks, fields, shrubbery, and large and varied arboreta. Close to the campus is the universitys 58-acre Health Sciences Campus that also has an extensive landscaped green space, more than 400 trees. The university offers over 140 degree programs in an array of disciplines. Consisting of thirteen separate libraries, the UGA Libraries rank among the nation’s largest and best research libraries containing 5.7 million volumes, the University of Georgia is one of 126 member institutions that comprise the Association of Research Libraries. The university is organized into seventeen schools and colleges, the university has three primary campuses. The largest one is the campus in Athens that has 460 buildings. The university has two campuses located in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, Georgia. The university operates several service and outreach stations spread across the state, the total acreage of the university in 30 Georgia counties is 41,539 acres. Varsity and intramural student athletics are a part of student life. UGA served as a member of the SEC in 1932. In their 121-year history, the varsity sports teams have won 39 national championships and 130 conference championships. The Georgia Redcoat Marching Band, the marching band of the university, plays at sports. The Senatus Academicus was composed of the Board of Visitors and the Board of Trustees with the Georgia Senate presiding over those two boards, the first meeting of the universitys board of trustees was held in Augusta, Georgia on February 13,1786. The meeting installed its first president, Abraham Baldwin, a native of Connecticut, Baldwin was a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and one of two Georgia delegates to sign the final document. Many features on the University of Georgia campus resemble the campus of Yale, on July 2,1799, the Senatus Academicus met again in Louisville, Georgia and decided that the time was right to open the university
15.
Blue-collar worker
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In English-speaking countries, a blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs non-agricultural manual labour. Often something is physically being built or maintained, in contrast, the white-collar worker typically performs work in an office environment and may involve sitting at a computer or desk. A third type of work is a worker whose labour is related to customer interaction, entertainment. Many occupations blend blue, white or pink industry categorizations, blue-collar work is often paid hourly wage-labor, although some professionals may be paid by the project or salaried. There is a range of payscales for such work depending upon field of specialty. Industrial and manual workers wear durable canvas or cotton clothing that may be soiled during the course of their work. Navy and light blue colors conceal potential dirt or grease on the clothing, helping him or her to appear cleaner. For the same reason, blue is a color for boilersuits which protect a workers clothing. Some blue collar workers have uniforms with the name of the business or the name embroidered or printed on it. Historically the popularity of the color blue among manual labourers contrasts with the popularity of white shirts worn by people in office environments. The blue collar/white collar color scheme has socio-economic class connotations, however, this distinction has become blurred with the increasing importance of skilled labour, and the relative increase in low-paying white-collar jobs. The term blue collar was first used in reference to trades jobs in 1924, Alden, a higher level academic education is often not required for many blue-collar jobs. However, certain fields may require specialized training, licensing or certification as well as a school diploma or GED. With the information revolution, Western nations have moved towards a service, many manufacturing jobs have been offshored to developing nations which pay their workers lower wages. This offshoring has pushed formerly agrarian nations to industrialized economies and concurrently decreased the number of jobs in developed countries. Due to this economic osmosis, the rust belt has experienced high unemployment, poverty, blue-collar can be used as an adjective to describe the environment of the blue-collar worker such as a blue-collar neighborhood, restaurant, or bar
16.
Boulder, Colorado
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Boulder is the home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Boulder County, and the 11th most populous municipality in the U. S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5,430 feet above sea level, the city is 25 miles northwest of Denver. The population of the City of Boulder was 97,385 people at the 2010 United States Census, while the population of the Boulder, furthermore, the city of Boulder frequently receives high rankings in art, health, well-being, quality of life, and education. The university officially opened on September 5,1877, Boulder adopted an anti-saloon ordinance in 1907. Statewide prohibition started in Colorado in 1916 and ended with the repeal of prohibition in 1933. As of the census of 2010, there were 97,385 people,41,302 households, the population density is 3,942.7 inhabitants per square mile. There were 43,479 housing units at a density of 1,760.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 88. 0% White,0. 9% Black or African American,0. 4% Native American,4. 7% Asian,0. 1% Pacific Islander,3. 2% some other race, and 2. 6% from two or more races. 8. 7% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race,35. 8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7. 1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16, and the family size was 2.84. Boulders population is younger than the average, largely due to the presence of university students. The median age at the 2010 census was 28.7 years compared to the U. S. median of 37.2 years. In Boulder,13. 9% of the residents were younger than the age of 18,29. 1% from 18 to 24,27. 6% from 25 to 44,20. 3% from 45 to 64, for every 100 females there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and older, there were 106.2 males, in 2011 the estimated median household income in Boulder was $57,112, and the median family income was $113,681. Male full-time workers had an income of $71,993 versus $47,574 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,600,24. 8% of the population and 7. 6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the population,17. 4% of those under the age of 18 and 6. 0% of those 65. Boulder housing tends to be priced higher than surrounding areas, for the 2nd quarter of 2006, the median single-family home in Boulder sold for $548,000 and the median attached dwelling sold for $262,000
17.
Boca Raton Community High School
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Boca Raton Community High School is a public, coeducational high school that is part of the School District of Palm Beach County, Florida. The school has been rated an A school each year by the Florida Department of Education since the year 2005. In 2010, Boca High ranked 62 in the 2010 Newsweek list of the 1,000 Top High Schools, in 2011, Boca High was ranked 22nd in the country according to Newsweek. com. In 2002, the school was almost entirely demolished, and then reconstructed as a new, fully functional, there is a brand new science building. In August 2007, the building of a new stadium began, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the stadium features FieldTurf, a type of artificial turf with a thin, blade-like carpet that will allow use no matter what the weather. The new turf is also twice as soft as the previous field, the stadium is accessible to the handicapped. It also has a vault and high jump, along with seven new lighted tennis courts. An Olympic-sized swimming pool was added and opened in early 2011, 41% of teachers have Advanced Degrees. The average number of years teachers spend teaching is 2 and this stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and was started during the 2004-2005 school year. S. Government & Politics, Comparative German Language Music Theory Physics B Psychology Spanish Language Spanish Literature Statistics U. S, History World History Recently, Boca Raton High School began to offer AICE classes, or Advanced International Certificate of Education. These courses are college accredited throughout universities in Florida, AICE is run by the University of Cambridge in England, in soccer and volleyball, however, the rivalry is with Spanish River High School. They went on to repeat the title in 2008. The boys team placed 37th in 2007, and followed with state runner-up in 2008, in 2012, the boys team places 1st overall at the state championships As of 2005, the swim team is coached by Eric Hill. Soccer, In 2010, the varsity soccer team finished first in Florida. In 2009, the varsity soccer team finished 2nd in the state championship. Boys Lacrosse, In 2009, the Varsity lacrosse team went 10-6 before losing to Spanish River 6-5 in the district semifinals, the Boys Lacrosse program is led by Chris Holly. Cross Country, In 2008 the boys cross country team defeated St. Thomas Aquinas to capture its first district title in 13 years, the boys team is coached by John Combs. Marching Band, In 2010, the PRIDE of the Gold Coast Marching Band, directed by Laura Beard, in 2012, the PRIDE of the Gold Coast Marching Band, directed by Jenn Mammino and Ben Sparrow, won 3rd place in the FMBC State Finals
18.
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
19.
Howard Schnellenberger
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Howard Leslie Schnellenberger is a retired American football coach with long service at both the professional and college levels. He won a championship with Miami in 1983. Schnellenberger also worked extensively as an assistant coach at the college and pro levels and he is also famous for recruiting Joe Namath to Alabama for Bear Bryant in 1961. Schnellenberger was born to German-American parents in the hamlet of Saint Meinrad. Schnellenberger graduated from Flaget High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he played football, basketball and baseball before earning a scholarship to the University of Kentucky. Schnellenberger was an All-American end at Kentucky and worked as an assistant coach at Kentucky under head coach Blanton Collier in 1959 and 1960, there he joined the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. This success led to him being hired as the new coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1973. After the Colts started the 1974 season 0-3, Schnellenberger was fired by the teams owner Robert Irsay and replaced on the field by the teams General Manager and Vice President Joe Thomas. He returned to the Dolphins coaching staff the year and remained there until he was offered the head coaching job at the University of Miami. Schnellenberger arrived to a Miami program that was on its last legs, by his third season at Miami, the team had finished the season in the AP Poll top 25 twice—something that had not happened there since 1966. Schnellenberger revolutionized recruiting South Florida high school talent by building a fence around South Florida. His eye for talent in this led to many programs around the nation paying greater attention to south Florida high school prospects. He coached Miami to a championship in 1983, defeating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. In August, however, the USFL announced that it would shift to a fall schedule, the owner-to-be for the Federals backed out of the deal, knowing he could not hope to compete head-to-head with the Miami Dolphins. A new backer moved the team to Orlando as the Renegades, Schnellenberger was replaced as head coach of the Hurricanes by Jimmy Johnson. Schnellenberger was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, in 1985, Schnellenberger returned to his hometown to coach another struggling program, the University of Louisville Cardinals. Schnellenberger inherited a situation that was as bad, if not worse, the Cardinals had not had a winning season since 1978, and only two winning records in the previous 12 years. They played at Cardinal Stadium, a baseball stadium
20.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football. As of 2017, there are a total of 310 members of the Hall of Fame, groundbreaking for the building was held on August 11,1962. The original building contained just two rooms, and 19,000 square feet of interior space, in April 1970, ground was broken for the first of many expansions. This first expansion cost $620,000, and was completed in May 1971, the size was increased to 34,000 square feet by adding another room. The pro shop opened with this expansion and this was also an important milestone for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as yearly attendance passed the 200,000 mark for the first time. In November 1977, work began on another project, costing US$1,200,000. It was completed in November 1978, enlarging the shop and research library. The total size of the hall was now 50,500 square feet, the building remained largely unchanged until July 1993. The Hall then announced yet another expansion, costing US$9,200,000 and this expansion was completed in October 1995. The buildings size was increased to 82,307 square feet, the most notable addition was the GameDay Stadium, which shows an NFL Films production on a 20-foot by 42-foot Cinemascope screen. Through 2017, all inductees except one, played part of their professional career in the NFL. For CFL stars, there is a parallel Canadian Football Hall of Fame, only one player, the Chicago Bears have the most Hall of Famers among the leagues franchises with 32 enshrinees. Enshrinees are selected by a 46-person committee, largely made up of media members, each city that has a current NFL team sends one representative from the local media to the committee. A city with more than one franchise sends a representative for each franchise, there are also 13 at-large delegates, and one representative from the Pro Football Writers Association. Except for the PFWA representative, who is appointed to a term, all other appointments are open-ended and terminated only by death, incapacitation, retirement. To be eligible for the process, a player or coach must have been retired for at least five years. Any other contributor such as an owner or executive can be voted in at any time. Fans may nominate any player, coach or contributor by simply writing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame via letter or email
21.
Jim Kelly
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James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for eleven seasons and spent the entirety of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills. He also played two seasons with the Houston Gamblers in the United States Football League, Kelly was selected by the Bills in the first round of 1983 NFL draft and was taken fourteenth overall. He chose to sign with the Gamblers instead and did not play for the Bills until the USFL folded in 1986, employing the K-Gun offense, known for its no-huddle shotgun formations, Kelly led one of the greatest NFL scoring juggernauts. From 1991 to 1994, he helped guide the Bills to a four consecutive Super Bowls. In 2002, Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and his jersey number 12 is one of two numbers retired by the Buffalo Bills. Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up about 60 miles to the northeast and he was a standout at East Brady High School and won all-state honors after passing for 3,915 yards and 44 touchdowns. After his senior year, Kelly played in the Big 33 Football Classic, Kelly also played basketball in high school, scoring over 1,000 points with six 30-plus-point games. As a senior, he led East Brady to the state semifinals. Kelly wanted to play football at Penn State University under Joe Paterno. He went to the University of Miami, where he played an important role in helping build the program one of the nations best. Kelly finished his career at Miami with 406 completions in 646 attempts for 5,233 yards and 32 touchdowns, Kelly, who disliked cold weather, listed the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Buffalo Bills. Although Kelly at the stated that he had expected the Bills to choose him, he later said. Im like, You got to be kidding me, although he believed that team owner Ralph Wilson would not bring in the right players to build a championship team, Kelly was resigned to playing for the Bills. Kelly later claimed that the USFL offered him his choice of teams because of the leagues interest in signing quarterbacks and he signed with the Houston Gamblers, who played in the climate-controlled Houston Astrodome, and said, Would you rather be in Houston or Buffalo. He was the USFL MVP in 1984, when he set a record with 5,219 yards passing and 44 TD passes. Kellys USFL records eclipsed those of fellow league quarterbacks Doug Williams, when the Houston Gamblers folded, Kelly went to the New Jersey Generals and was slated as their starting quarterback. Kelly also appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated while holding a Generals helmet, Kelly remained on good terms with Generals owner Donald Trump, who provided his family with lodging during Kellys later health issues. Kelly finally joined the Bills in 1986 after the USFL folded and he helped lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and six divisional championships from 1988 to 1995
22.
Vinny Testaverde
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Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. is a former American football quarterback who played for 21 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Miami, where he was an All-American, Testaverde was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers first overall in the 1987 NFL Draft. After leaving as an agent, he signed with the Cleveland Browns and was among the personnel transferred to the newly created Baltimore Ravens during a controversial attempt to relocate the Browns. He then joined the New York Jets, where he achieved his greatest success, in the last four seasons of his career, he played with the Dallas Cowboys, the Jets for a second time, the New England Patriots, and the Carolina Panthers for one year each. His professional career was characterized by its longevity, lasting a remarkable 21 seasons. However, despite being in the top 10 for most career passing statistics, Testaverde was not a successful quarterback in terms of wins. His 123 losses as a quarterback is an NFL record. Testaverdes 90 wins are the most for any quarterback with more losses than wins and he played in five postseason games in his NFL career with a record of 2–3. Testaverde was born in Brooklyn, New York, while living in Elmont, New York, on Long Island, Testaverde went to school at Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, and graduated in 1981. He then went to Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, growing up, he was a fan of the Jets. He accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Miami. As a senior in 1986, he was a consensus first-team All-American and won the Heisman Trophy, Testaverde played an important part in the University of Miamis history as one of the top collegiate football programs of the 1980s and 1990s. Along with Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Steve Walsh, Gino Torretta, Craig Erickson and he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. On May 7,2013, Testaverde was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, Testaverde was originally drafted with the first overall pick in 1987, and played for the first seven years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He retired after the end of the 2007 season, after a career spanned an impressive 21 seasons. Testaverde has thrown for more yards and more touchdowns in the NFL than any other eligible quarterback who is not in the Hall of Fame, but despite his long career and overall statistical achievements, Testaverde only had moderate success in terms of wins and losses. During the regular season as a starter he led his teams to 90 wins and 123 losses and he has led his team to the postseason on three occasions, with an overall postseason record of 2-3. Testaverde was the first overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL draft
23.
Bernie Kosar
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Bernard Joseph Kosar Jr. is a former American football quarterback who played professionally in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys, with the Cowboys, he won Super Bowl XXVIII, beating the Buffalo Bills, on January 30,1994. An American of Hungarian descent, Kosar was born in Youngstown, Ohio and he attended Boardman High School, where he earned Parade magazine All-American honors as a senior for the 1982 season. He also gained recognition as a player, especially for his pitching skills. Kosar chose to play football at the University of Miami. After being redshirted in 1982, Kosar started all 12 games as a freshman in 1983, in the game, Kosar passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns, and the Hurricanes topped the Cornhuskers 31–30 for Miamis first national championship. Kosar earned Orange Bowl MVP honors for his performance, in 1984, he set Hurricane season records with 3,642 yards and 25 touchdowns, was a second-team All-American and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Kosars career completion percentage of 62.3 percent is still a Hurricanes record, earlier in the same year, Kosar watched as replacement quarterback Frank Reich of the University of Maryland launched what was then the biggest comeback in college football history. Reich led the Maryland Terrapins back from a deficit of 31–0. In his final game, the 1985 Fiesta Bowl against UCLA. He also had two passes and one interception. Kosar graduated from college with a major in Finance and economics. He took 18 credit hours during the spring of 1985, Kosar was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12,2009 on ESPN. Under National Football League rules at the time, only seniors, Kosar, who was scheduled to graduate over the summer from the University of Miamis business school with a double major in finance and economics, had two years of college eligibility remaining. In 1985 underclassmen had until April 15 to notify the league about their eligibility for the April 30 regular draft, in January 1985, a Florida television report stated that Kosar had decided to forgo his two years of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft. Kosar denied the report at the time, but added that he would keep his options open. At a March 15 news conference, Kosar announced that he would make available for the 1985 NFL Draft. The Buffalo Bills held the first pick in the 1985 NFL Draft, since the Bills had the worst record in the 1984 season, they held the first pick in both the regular NFL draft and the supplemental draft in 1985
24.
Earl Morrall
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Earl Edwin Morrall was an American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for twenty-one seasons. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve, in the latter capacity, he became known as one of the greatest backup quarterbacks in NFL history. Morrall made Pro Bowl appearances following the 1957 and 1968 seasons, Morrall led Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan to a state football championship in 1951. Morrall attended Michigan State University, where he played three seasons for the Michigan State Spartans football team, leading them to a 9–1 record in the 1955 season and he capped his senior year with a victory over the UCLA Bruins in the 1956 Rose Bowl. Morrall also played baseball at Michigan State and played in the College World Series as a shortstop and he was offered the opportunity to play professional baseball but chose instead to play football. In his more than two decades on the gridiron, Morrall played for six different teams, starting with his rookie year in 1956 as a first-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers. On September 16,1957, he was traded along with guard Mike Sandusky to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for linebacker Marv Matuszak and two first-round draft picks. Despite the high cost of the transaction, the Steelers traded Morrall just over a year later to the Detroit Lions in order to obtain future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne. Morrall was with the Lions for the six years, having his best season in 1963 by throwing for 24 touchdowns. The following year, he suffered a shoulder injury in an October 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. After spending the off-season rehabilitating from his injury, Morrall was dealt to the New York Giants as part of a transaction on August 30,1965. Enduring his role during the Giants rebuilding phase, Morrall threw for 2,446 yards and 22 touchdowns that season, on August 25,1968, he was traded to the Baltimore Colts for an undisclosed draft choice. When regular Colts signal caller Johnny Unitas was injured in the exhibition game. Morrall proceeded to lead the Colts to a 13-1 record, then added two victories en route to winning the NFLs Most Valuable Player award, leading the Colts into Super Bowl III. However, in one of sports greatest upsets, the Colts lost 16-7 to the New York Jets, wide receiver Jimmy Orr was wide open near the end zone, but Morrall inexplicably didnt see Orr. His throw down the middle was short and picked off by Jim Hudson to blunt the Colts momentum, on April 25,1972, Morrall was claimed on waivers for $100 by the Miami Dolphins, reuniting him with his former Colt head coach, Don Shula. Shula described Morrall as an intelligent quarterback whos won a lot of games for me. Morrall replaced the injured Bob Griese for the Dolphins during the teams October 15 win over the San Diego Chargers
25.
John Elway
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John Albert Elway Jr. is a former American football quarterback and current executive vice president of football operations and general manager of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Elway played college football at Stanford and his entire 16-year professional career with the Denver Broncos, at the time of his retirement in early 1999, Elway recorded the most victories by a starting quarterback and statistically was the second most prolific passer in NFL history. He was also a prolific rusher of the ball, being one of two players ever to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls and the only quarterback to do so. Elway set several records for passing attempts and completions while at Stanford. He was the first selection in the 1983 NFL Draft, famously known as the class of 1983. The moment is known in National Football League lore as The Drive, following that game in Cleveland, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants. The Broncos repeated as champions the following season in Super Bowl XXXIII by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19, as Denvers quarterback, Elway led his teams to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning two. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in his first year of eligibility, Elway and his twin sister were born in Port Angeles, Washington, to Janet and Jack Elway, then the head coach at Port Angeles High School on the Olympic Peninsula. The family of five included sister Lee Ann, an older than the twins. They moved the year to southwestern Washington, where Jack was the junior college head football coach at Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen for five seasons. As a youth, Elway lived primarily in Missoula, Montana, and Pullman, Washington, in February 1976, Jack joined the staff at Palouse neighbor Idaho, but a month later became the head coach at Cal State-Northridge, a Division II program in southern California. Also an accomplished player, Elway was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft. In 1979, he started attending Stanford University, where he played football and baseball. In his senior season in 1982, Stanford was 5-5 and needed to win their final game, with two minutes remaining in the game, Stanford was down 19-17 and had 4th-and-17 on their own 13-yard line. Elway completed a 29-yard pass and drove the ball downfield to the 35-yard line, however, the clock had four seconds remaining, so Stanford had to kick off. What followed is now known as The Play, in which Cal players lateraled the ball, rugby-style. Elway was bitter about the game afterward, stating that the officials ruined my last game as a football player. Stanford athletics director Andy Geiger said the loss cost Elway the Heisman Trophy, twenty years later, Elway came to terms with The Play, saying that each year it gets a little funnier
26.
Heisman Trophy
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The Heisman Memorial Trophy, is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football in the United States whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work and it is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust in early December before the postseason bowl games. The award was created by the Downtown Athletic Club in 1935 to recognize the most valuable football player east of the Mississippi. After the death in October 1936 of the Clubs athletic director, John Heisman, Heisman had been active in college athletics as a football player, a head football, basketball, and baseball coach, and an athletic director. It is the oldest of several awards in college football, including the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award. The most recent winner of the Heisman Trophy is University of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, the trophy itself, designed by sculptor Frank Eliscu, is modeled after Ed Smith, a leading player in 1934 for the now-defunct New York University football team. The trophy is made out of cast bronze, is 13.5 inches tall, Eliscu had asked Smith, his former George Washington High School classmate, to pose for a commissioned sculpture of a football player. Smith did not realize until 1982 that the sculpture had become the Heisman Trophy, the Downtown Athletic Club presented Smith with a Heisman Trophy of his own in 1985. From its inception in 1935, the statue was cast by Dieges & Clust in New York until 1980, for a time until at least 2008, the statues were cast by Roman Bronze Works in New York. There are 870 media voters,145 voters from each of six regions, according to Heisman. com there are currently 57 prior winners eligible to vote and, thus,57 potential votes. Fans, As the Premier Partner of the Heisman Trophy, Nissan has a vote, fan voting done through a survey collected by ESPN on NissanHeismanHouse. com. Each voter identifies three selections, ranking them in order, each first-place selection is awarded three points. Each second-place selection is awarded two points, each third-place selection is awarded one point. Voters must make three selections and cannot duplicate a selection, else the ballot is invalid and none of the selections count, the accounting firm Deloitte is responsible for the tabulation of votes, which has moved almost exclusively to online voting since 2007. Larry Kelley and Clint Frank of Yale were the first teammates to win the Heisman Trophy, nile Kinnick of Iowa was the only Heisman Trophy winner to have a stadium named after him. In 1972, the University of Iowa renamed its football complex Kinnick Stadium, Kinnick is also the only winner to die in military service of the United States, he went down piloting an F4F Wildcat from the deck of USS Lexington. His death in 1943 made him the first Heisman Trophy winner to die, Doc Blanchard was the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy when he led Army to the national title in 1945. Paul Hornung was the player to win the Heisman Trophy as a player for a losing team
27.
Charlie Ward
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Charlie Ward Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey OBrien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Despite his NCAA football success, Ward was one of the few players who won a Heisman trophy but was not drafted in the NFL draft. He won the College Football National Championship with the Florida State University Seminoles, Ward played several years with the New York Knicks and started in the NBA Finals. He was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame along with Emmitt Smith, an avid tennis player, Ward also displayed his skills at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Tournament in 1994. Ward holds the second-largest margin of victory in the history of Heisman trophy balloting, with a 1,622 point difference, simpsons 1,750 point win in 1968. He was also the only Heisman winner to play in the NBA, in 1993, Charlie Ward won the James E. Sullivan Award from the Amateur Athletic Union as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. An avid tennis player, Ward also shone in the Arthur Ashe Amateur Tennis Tournament in 1994, Ward was a model student-athlete at Florida State. Charlie served as a big brother to Dunn during the latters first year in Tallahassee, helping him through a trying time by becoming his roommate. With Wards help on and off the field, Dunn eventually became one of the running backs in the country. Ward also played basketball for four years at Florida State University, former teammates included future NBA players Bob Sura, Doug Edwards and Sam Cassell. His 1993 team made it to the Southeast Regional Final where they lost to Kentucky 106–81 with the advancing to the Final Four. Wards 1992 team made the Sweet Sixteen and he made the game-winning shot in its Metro Conference Tournament Championship game win over Louisville in 1991. Ward still holds FSU basketball records for career steals at 236, steals in one game at 9 and he played a shortened season his senior year, joining the basketball team just 15 days after winning the Heisman Trophy. He started 16 games at the point guard position that year, in his senior year at Florida State, he also served as Student Government Vice-President, after he was asked to run by the Monarchy Party, a student government reform organization. Ward proclaimed that he deserved to be a first rounder, ward’s mother reported that the family was told he was probably a third-to fifth-round pick. Because teams did not want to waste a first round pick on a player that might choose the NBA. Instead of pursuing a career as a player in the NFL. An inquiry was made during Wards rookie year with the Knicks for him to become the quarterback for Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs
28.
Chris Weinke
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Christopher Jon Weinke is an American football coach and former player. Weinke is a former professional American football and baseball player, after spending six years in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball system, he enrolled at Florida State University at the age of 26, and played quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles. He thereafter played professionally in the NFL, where he spent most of his career with the Carolina Panthers, Weinke played minor league baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system from 1990 to 1996, advancing to class Triple-A, before deciding to attend Florida State University. Head coach Bobby Bowden had initially recruited Weinke when he was a quarterback in 1989 at Cretin-Derham Hall High School. After quitting baseball, Weinke called Bowden, and Bowden offered him a scholarship with 1997 recruiting class, after arriving he quickly distinguished himself as a starting quarterback, leading the team to victory in the 1999 National Championship. In 2000, at 28, he became the oldest person to receive the Heisman Trophy and he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 2001 NFL Draft, where he served mostly as backup quarterback until being released in 2006. He then spent one season with the San Francisco 49ers before leaving the NFL after the 2007 season, Weinke only had two wins in his entire NFL career and won the first game of the 2001 Carolina Panthers season and then lost the rest. He also has the second longest losing streak in NFL at 17 behind Dan Pastorini, despite this, Weinke is tied with Geno Smith for fourth most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback, behind Vince Young, Robert Griffin III and current Panther Cam Newton. Weinke was born and raised in St. However, he was also a baseball player and was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 1990 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Head football coach Bobby Bowden promised Weinke that he would always have an offer if he wished to return. Although he was one step away from playing in the major leagues, after the 1996 season Weinke decided to give up professional baseball. Weinke entered Florida State University in 1997, when he was 25 years old, during his junior season in 1999, he led the #1-ranked Seminoles to the schools first undefeated season and second national championship, defeating Michael Vick and the Virginia Tech Hokies, 46–29. He also led the Seminoles to the Orange Bowl for their national championship game in as many years. At the age of 28, Weinke was the oldest player ever to win the Heisman Trophy and he finished his Florida State career with a 32–3 record and held numerous FSU records including most passing yards in a career and most career touchdown passes. In 2001, Weinke became the seventh Seminole to have his jersey retired and he also graduated with a degree in Sports Management and was a two-time ACC All-Academic Team selection. However, because of Weinkes long hiatus in baseball, Weinke, Weinke was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. In 2001, he was the starter when the Panthers finished with a 1-15 record, at the time, the Panthers 15 consecutive losses in 2001 was a single season record. Weinke averaged 36 pass attempts per game, more than any rookie in NFL history up to that point, after the season, Weinke became the Panthers backup quarterback
29.
Brad Johnson (American football)
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James Bradley Brad Johnson is a former American football quarterback. Johnson grew up in Black Mountain, North Carolina, at Florida State University, Johnson originally played college basketball before switching to football in his third year. The Minnesota Vikings drafted Johnson in the round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Vikings and two seasons with the Washington Redskins before becoming the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001 and he led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl XXXVII title. He played for the Buccaneers for four seasons from 2001 to 2004, born in Marietta, Georgia, Brad Johnson attended Charles D. Owen High School in Black Mountain, North Carolina. At Owen High School, Johnson played football and basketball, he received All-American honors as quarterback on the football team, among his teammates on the basketball team was future NBA player Brad Daugherty. After graduating from Owen High School in 1987, Johnson attended Florida State University, from 1987 to 1989, Johnson played on the Florida State Seminoles mens basketball team and started 11 games as a freshman. In 1988, Johnson joined the team at Florida State as a redshirt freshman and served as holder in every game. The 1988 Florida State football team won the 1989 Sugar Bowl, in 1989 as a sophomore, Johnson was third-string quarterback behind Peter Tom Willis and Casey Weldon, Johnson completed 7 of 12 passes for 67 yards. Johnson won the 1990 Fiesta Bowl title with the Seminoles, as a junior in 1990, Johnson started the first six games of the season before being replaced by Weldon. With a 4-2 record starting those games, Johnson finished the 1990 season with 109-for-163 passing for a career-high 1,136 yards with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, for the third consecutive season with Johnson, Florida State won a bowl game, the Blockbuster Bowl. Johnson would play nine games as a senior in 1991, on 37-for-61 passing for 462 yards, Johnson passed for 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, and Florida State won the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1992. In the 1992 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings drafted Johnson in the 9th round as the 227th overall pick, as third-string quarterback behind starter Rich Gannon and backup Sean Salisbury, Johnson dressed only for one game as a rookie in 1992 but did not play. In 1993, Johnson continued to be the quarterback for the first 10 games of the season and was inactive for the final six. In 1994, Johnson became backup to starter Warren Moon and played his first NFL regular season game in Week 3, the Vikings won 42-24 over the Chicago Bears in that game, and Johnson completed 3 of 3 passes for 16 yards. Johnson would play in three games in 1994. In Week 8, a 36-13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Johnson had his first significant playing time in Week 15, a 41-19 loss to the Detroit Lions. In that game, Johnson completed 14 of 29 passes for 104 yards, in the spring of 1995, Johnson joined the London Monarchs of the World League, an American football league based in Europe
30.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers currently compete in the National Football League as a team of the National Football Conference South division. Along with the Seattle Seahawks, the joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. After the season, the club switched conferences with the Seahawks, during the 2002 league realignment, the Bucs joined three former NFC West teams to form the NFC South. The club is owned by the Glazer family, and plays its games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. They are also the first team since the merger to complete a season when starting 10 or more rookies. In 1976 and 1977, the Buccaneers lost their first 26 games, after a brief winning era in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the team suffered through 14 consecutive losing seasons. Over the course of 41 seasons, the Buccaneers have compiled an record of 256–402–1, with a regular-season record of 250–393–1. Unlike in the case of Green Bay, Wisconsin, there is no municipality known as Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay in the names of local professional sports franchises, such as the Buccaneers, Rowdies, Rays, Lightning and Storm, denotes that they represent the entire region, the Tampa Bay expansion franchise was originally awarded to Tom McCloskey, a construction company owner from Philadelphia. McCloskey soon entered a dispute with the NFL, so the league found a replacement in Hugh Culverhouse. A name-the-team contest resulted in the nickname Buccaneers, a reference to the legends of Southwest Florida. They were one of the few teams to wear white home uniforms, the teams first home was Tampa Stadium, which had recently been expanded to seat just over 72,500 fans. Steve Spurrier was the quarterback for Tampa Bay during their expansion season, the Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, instead of a traditional schedule of playing each division opponent twice, the Buccaneers played every conference team once, plus the Seahawks. Tampa Bay did not win their first game until the 13th week of their second season, until the Detroit Lions in 2008, the 1976 Bucs held the dubious title as the worst team in NFL history. Their losing streak caused them to become the butt of late-night television comedians jokes and their first win came in December 1977, on the road against the New Orleans Saints
31.
New York Giants
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The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference East division. The team plays its games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants hold their training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925 and their championship tally is surpassed only by the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Throughout their history, the Giants have featured 28 Hall of Fame players, including NFL Most Valuable Player award winners Mel Hein, Frank Gifford, Y. A. Tittle, and Lawrence Taylor. The teams heated rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933, the Giants played their first game as an away game against All New Britain in New Britain, Connecticut, on October 4,1925. They defeated New Britain 26–0 in front of a crowd of 10,000, the Giants were successful in their first season, finishing with an 8–4 record. In its third season, the finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title. In 1930, there were many who questioned the quality of the professional game. In December 1930, the Giants played a team of Notre Dame All Stars at the Polo Grounds to raise money for the unemployed of New York City and it was also an opportunity to establish the skill and prestige of the pro game. Knute Rockne reassembled his Four Horsemen along with the stars of his 1924 Championship squad and told them to score early, Rockne, like much of the public, thought little of pro football and expected an easy win. But from the beginning it was a one-way contest, with Friedman running for two Giant touchdowns and Hap Moran passing for another, when it was all over, Coach Rockne told his team, That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I am glad none of you got hurt, the game raised $100,000 for the homeless, and is often credited with establishing the legitimacy of the professional game for those who were critical. It also was the last game the legendary Rockne ever coached, in a 14-year span from 1933 to 1947, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game 8 times, winning twice. During this period the Giants were led by Hall of Fame coach Steve Owen, the period also featured the 1944 Giants, which are ranked as the #1 defensive team in NFL history. a truly awesome unit. They gave up only 7.5 points per game and shut out five of their 10 opponents, though they lost 14-7 to the Green Bay Packers in the 1944 NFL Championship Game. The famous Sneakers Game was played in this era where the Giants defeated the Chicago Bears on an icy field in the 1934 NFL Championship Game, the Giants played the Detroit Lions to a scoreless tie on November 7,1943
32.
Danny McManus
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He played every season in the league from 1990 to 2006, as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and finally with the Calgary Stampeders. On December 2,2013, McManus was named the Assistant General Manager, scouting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Previous to that, he served as the director of scouting for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, McManus spent four seasons at Florida State University, from 1984 to 1987, coached by Bobby Bowden. McManus was named the starter as quarterback in 1985 and led the Seminoles to defeat Nebraska, after four victories, he suffered a pair of concussions and he had spent the rest of 1985 on the bench. In 1987, McManus started every game for Florida State, leading them to an 11-1 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl, due to his leadership, FSU had one of their greatest campaigns. McManus, who threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns in the game, was named the most valuable player, and wound up with 1,984 yards. After this season, McManus was selected in the 1988 NFL Draft, McManus made the Chiefs out of training camp, and spent his first, and only, National Football League season on the bench as the third quarterback. McManus saw no action, and was released during 1989s training camp, McManus spent all of 1989 trying to catch on with another NFL team, but was unsuccessful. Unable to find a place to play in 1989, McManus signed with the Canadian Football Leagues Winnipeg Blue Bombers in time for the 1990 season. Unlike the terrible Chiefs team that he had just left, the Blue Bombers of the era were in the middle of a mini-dynasty, where they won two Grey Cups in three years. The 1990 season gave the Blue Bombers perhaps their best ending ever, through 1991 and 1992, McManus remained with the Blue Bombers as the backup quarterback to Matt Dunigan. McManus made his second Grey Cup appearance in 1992, again coming in for a relief stint. This time, however, the circumstances were not so good, as Dunigan had been ineffective and the Blue Bombers went on to lose the 80th Grey Cup 24-10 to Calgary at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. After the Grey Cup, McManus left Winnipeg as an agent and ended up signing with the BC Lions. For 1994, McManus was again the backup, this time to Kent Austin and it was McManuss second Grey Cup and third appearance in five years in the Canadian Football League. In 1995, McManus was given the reins as the Lions full-time starter, McManus threw for 4,655 yards and 19 touchdowns. Any animosity McManus must have felt to the Eskimos must have quickly cooled, however, once again, McManus was second in the league in passing yardage for 1996, this time behind Doug Flutie, with 4,425 yards,22 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. McManus led the Eskimos to second in the Western Division and the Grey Cup game, in the driving snow at Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Toronto Argonauts defeated Edmonton in the 84th Grey Cup 43-37
33.
Kansas City Chiefs
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The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues American Football Conference West division. The team was founded in 1960 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt and was a member of the American Football League. In 1963, the relocated to Kansas City and assumed their current name. The Chiefs joined the NFL as a result of the merger in 1970, the team is valued at just under $1 billion. The Chiefs were also the team, after the Green Bay Packers, to appear in more than one Super Bowl. The Chiefs Wild-Card playoff victory ended what was at the time the third-longest drought in the NFL, in 1959, Lamar Hunt began discussions with other businessmen to establish a professional football league that would rival the National Football League. Hunts desire to secure a team was heightened after watching the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts. After unsuccessful attempts to purchase and relocate the NFLs Chicago Cardinals to his hometown of Dallas, Texas, Hunt went to the NFL and asked to create an expansion franchise in Dallas. The NFL turned him down, so Hunt then established the American Football League and started his own team, the Dallas Texans, to begin play in 1960. Hunt hired an assistant coach from the University of Miami football team, Hank Stram, to be the teams head coach after the job offer was declined by Bud Wilkinson. The Texans shared the Cotton Bowl with the NFLs cross-town competition Dallas Cowboys for three seasons, the Texans were to have exclusive access to the stadium until the NFL put an expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys, there. While the team averaged a league-best 24,500 at the Cotton Bowl, in the franchises first two seasons, the team managed only a 14–14 record. In their third season, the Texans strolled to an 11–3 record, the game was broadcast nationally on ABC and the Texans defeated the Oilers 20–17 in double overtime. The game lasted 77 minutes and 54 seconds, which stands as the longest championship game in professional football history. It turned out to be the last game the team would play as the Dallas Texans and he considered moving the Texans to either Atlanta or Miami for the 1963 season. However, he was swayed by an offer from Kansas City Mayor Harold Roe Bartle. Bartle promised to triple the franchises season ticket sales and expand the capacity of Municipal Stadium to accommodate the team
34.
Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships and one Super Bowl and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Bears have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise. The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, in 1919 and it is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFLs founding. The team played games at Wrigley Field on Chicagos North Side through the 1970 season, they now play at Soldier Field on the Near South Side. The Bears have a rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. The team headquarters, Halas Hall, is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, the Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season. They hold their training camp from late July to mid-August at Ward Field on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur and this was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas and Edward Dutch Sternaman in 1920 to run the team, the 1920 Decatur Staleys season was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association. Full control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921, official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL. The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys, under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for US$100. In 1922, Halas changed the name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise, as with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their citys baseball team. Halas liked the bright colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois. The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years and their rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals, the oldest in the NFL, was key in four out of the first six league titles. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts, the Bears rivalry with the Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921. The franchise was a success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in 1921
35.
Southeastern Conference
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The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the Southern part of the United States. Its fourteen members include the public universities of ten states. The conference is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the SEC participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I in sports competitions, for football, it is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A. The SEC was also the first NCAA Division I conference to hold a game for college football and was one of the founding members of the Bowl Championship Series. The current SEC commissioner is Greg Sankey, the conference sponsors team championships in nine mens sports and twelve womens sports. The SEC consists of 14 member institutions located within the borders of 11 contiguous states and these divisional groupings are applied exclusively to football and baseball as well as their scheduling and standings. The other charter members were, The University of the South left the SEC on December 13,1940 and it is currently a member of the Division III Southern Athletic Association. Georgia Institute of Technology left the SEC in 1964, in 1975, it became a founding member of the Metro Conference, one of the predecessors to todays Conference USA. Georgia Tech competed in the Metro Conference in all sports except football, in 1978, Georgia Tech joined another Southern Conference offshoot, the Atlantic Coast Conference, for all sports, where it has remained ever since. Tulane University left the SEC in 1966, along with Georgia Tech, it was a charter member of the Metro Conference. Unlike Tech, however, Tulane remained in the Metro Conference until it merged with the Great Midwest Conference in 1995 to form Conference USA, Tulane remained an independent in football until C-USA began football competition in 1996. Tulane left C-USA in 2014 for the American Athletic Conference, in 1990, the SEC expanded from ten to twelve member universities with the addition of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The two new members began SEC competition with the 1991–1992 basketball season, at the same time, the SEC organized competition for some sports into two divisions. Initially, the format was used in football, baseball. The divisional format was dropped for mens basketball following the 2011–2012 season, the 1992 and 1993 championship games were held at Legion Field in Birmingham, and all championship games from 1994 onward have been held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. On November 6,2011 the SEC commissioner announced that the University of Missouri would also join the SEC on July 1,2012, for football, Texas A&M was scheduled to compete in the Western Division, and Missouri in the Eastern Division. Texas A&M and Missouri both left the Big 12 Conference, the office of Commissioner was created in 1940. Under the leadership of Michael F, the SECU rebranded its mission to better serve as a means through which the collaborative academic endeavors and achievements of Southeastern Conference universities would be promoted and advanced
