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FOR PLAYERS

HISTORY of FOOTBALL

Early History

American football evolved from the English sport of rugby football. Rugby is a team sport where two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp, the "Father of American Football", established the snap, eleven-player teams and the concept of downs. Later, rule changes legalized the forward pass, created the neutral zone and specified the size and shape of the football. The early form of football was extremely violent with many players actually dying every year.

 

The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton Universities with 25 players on each team, used a round ball, and followed rules that were a combination of rugby and soccer rules. The ball could not be picked up or carried, but it could be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, with the ultimate goal of advancing it into the opponent's goal.

 

The First Professional Football Player

In 1892, the Allegheny Athletic Association paid Pudge Heffelfinger $500 to play in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. That amount of money is equivalent to about $10,000 today.

 

The American Professional Football Association/NFL

In 1920, 14 teams made up the American Professional Football Association, which was renamed the National Football League (NFL) two years later. The NFL had a very hard time surviving in the 1930s and 1940s which was the period of the Great Depression. Families didn't have enough money to feed themselves, let alone to pay to watch football games. Also, many football players had to fight in World War II from 1939 – 1945.

 

Football League
In 1959, a rival league was formed, the American Football League (AFL). The AFL was very successful and soon was competing with the NFL for players. In 1970, the two leagues merged together to become the NFL.

NFL
There are currently 32 teams in the NFL divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Within each conference are 4 divisions of 4 teams each. Each team is allowed to have up to 53 players during the regular season, but only 46 can be active (eligible to play) on game days. The NFL runs a 17-week regular season from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing sixteen games and having one bye week each season.The first Super Bowl was held January 1967. Roger Goodell is the commissioner.
 

Hygiene

 

  • Shower every day with soap/body wash. Wash under armpits, feet and private areas.< > and condition hair as needed. Scrub your scalp and rinse all the product out of your hair until it is "squeaky" clean. (Do not use soap to wash hair as it leaves a residue) Keep hair neat.

  • Use deodorant to prevent armpit odor. (Use the deodorant when you are clean)
  • Use lotion to hydrate dry skin. Lotion prevents dry, ashy, cracked skin.
  • Keep fingernails clean and clipped.
  • Brush your teeth and tongue each morning, after every meal and before bed. Floss at least once a day. Using mouthwash is also highly recommended.
  • Wash your face every day with a face cleanser to prevent acne. Wash each morning when you get up and each night before you go to bed.
  • Don't wear dirty clothes. You can sometimes wear the same jeans twice; but don't wear the same t-shirt, socks or boxers more than once. When your clothes get dirty or if you've worn them more than two times, make sure to wash them.
  • Take off your shoes as soon as you get home so they can air out and dry out.
  • Wear socks when you wear shoes as your feet sweat during the day.
  • Wear an undershirt to help keep your regular shirt smelling fresh.

 

FOOTBALL FUN FACTS

  • NFL players weren't required to wear helmets until 1943.

  • The Chicago Bears had 6 tie games in 1932.

  • A 30 second commercial in the 2011 Super Bowl cost around $3 million.

  • More than 100 million people watch the Super Bowl every year. They eat around 14,500 tons of chips!

  • The Dallas Cowboys is worth over $1.5Billion and is one of the most valuable franchises in all of sports.

  • Eli and Peyton Manning are the only brothers to both win the Super Bowl MVP.

  • Willie Thrower was the first African-American quarterback in the NFL. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1953.

  • The three bird mascots of the Baltimore Ravens are named Edgar, Allan and Poe.

  • The Oakland Raiders were originally named the Oakland Senors.

  • The Colts were the first NFL team to have cheerleaders.

  • In 2006, controversial receiver Terrell Owens wrote a children’s book. Entitled “Little T Learns to Share,” the book teaches children the benefits of sharing.

  • The most consecutive games a team has ever lost in one season is 15 (2001 Carolina Panthers).

  • The Washington Redskins were the last segregated team in the NFL.

  • Tony Dungy is the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl.

  • Defensive end Corey Sears has a tradition of eating a whole lemon before each game.

  • Following Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the largest food consumption day in the United States.

  • In 1948, the Rams became the first team to have a helmet insignia. The distinctive Ram horns were hand-painted onto the helmets by the team’s halfback, Fred Gehrke.

  • For a year’s supply of footballs for the NFL, it takes 3,000 cows to supply the leather.

  • Post World War II, the Rams were the first team to employ African-American players.

  • Ray Lewis’ favorite song is “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.

 

Nutrition

 

 

 
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