The Foundations of America’s Football Frenzy

The Foundations of America’s Football Frenzy

As the professional football season draws to a dramatic close, the research efforts behind The StickerTalk were directed towards the genesis of the sport. We hope this compilation of curiosities both fascinates and enlightens our readers.

1. Modern American football traces its origins to back to the Nineteenth Century. The nation’s initial glimpse of the sport occurred in 1869 when Rutgers University defeated Princeton University on Rutger’s home field.
2. The football we enjoy today is a combination of soccer and rugby. Early football players were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands, and each team maintained twenty-five players on the field at all times.
3. Football was almost outlawed on American soil in the early Twentieth Century; the general public as well as legislators expressed horror at the increasing multitude of football-related deaths. However, thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt, new safety standards and requirements helped saved the sport from obscurity.

References:

https://www.loc.gov/rr/news/topics/football1.html

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/footballhistory.html