College Football

            College football endured extensive rule changes, and game improvements throughout its history. Today it is still an ever changing game, within the past 10 years kickoffs have been moved up 10 yards, and the targeting rule has been implicated. These are two major rule changes that have happened very recently. However the rule changes made when the sport was just getting started are the most important changes the sport has had. These rule changes helped to make the game into what it is today, and most importantly, save the game that is loved by America.

An early college football game.

            At its inception college football was a brutal blood sport. It was much more like rugby than the football played today. It was a violent sport, it was common for fights and brawls to break out during a game. There were even cases of players running into the stands to engage with spectators. Along with these extracurricular violent acts, the plays committed within the rules were just as brutal, and sometimes lethal. Formations like the “flying wedge” in which players joined arms, and used their helmets as battering rams. When ball carries were gang tackled and trapped under countless bodies. These types of plays, along with the lack of protective equipment led to injuries and even deaths. The Chicago Tribune reported in 1904 that there were 18 football deaths, and 159 serious injuries. These injuries included; crushed skulls, wrenched spines, and broken ribs that led to pierced hearts. Football faced much criticism, some schools even went as far as dropping their programs.  Football had to undergo serious reform to survive.

President Teddy Roosevelt

            Football was on thin ice. It was facing heavy criticism from all over. University presidents, the media, schools were dropping their programs. The most notable supporter of college football was President Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt was instrumental in saving college football. Before the 1905 season Teddy called a meeting with the head coaches and some representatives of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton at the White House. Roosevelt told them to stop the violence, and to set an example for the rest of the country to play fair. The schools all released a letter condemning violence. That season play was much of the same. 19 deaths and 137 serious injuries were reported. Harvard president Charles Eliot said college football was, “more brutalizing than prizefight, cockfighting, or bullfighting.” Eliot said dropping the program could be Harvard’s next move, something that could hurt college football and Harvard alum President Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt vowed to not let Eliot “emasculate” the sport, but he called another meeting to urge the coaches of Harvard and other universities to make radical rule changes. In 1906 an intercollegiate conference, which would later become the NCAA, approved rule changes for the 1906 season. Among the rule changes were; legalizing forward passing, eradicated dangerous formations, formed a neutral zone between offense and defense, and doubled the first-down distance to 10 yards in three downs. Football was still dangerous, however deaths dropped to 11 per year in 1906 and 1907, injuries fell sharply as well. In 1909 fatalities spiked and more rule changes were made. These new rules lessened the restrictions on forward passing and created the foundation of the modern sport seen today.

            The formation of college football has been a very important to American life. Football is a sport enjoyed by countless Americans. Without the rule changes imposed by Teddy Roosevelt and others the game may not be in existence today. Over 1 million high school students played football in America in the 2012-2013 school year. This makes football the number one participation sport in the American high schools. These players along with the college, and professional players make an astounding number of football players in America. There is an average of 110 players on a Division I football team. Each professional team has 53 players on roster along with 5 practice squad players. Football is a huge part of American life, it can be seen on TV almost every night during football season. Pro games on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. College on Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday. Including all the Friday night high schools throughout the country that can be seen. Football teaches character, toughness, how to be a part of a team, leadership, along with other countless life lessons. It is considered by many to be the ultimate team game, unlike other sports such as basketball, the success of every play is dependent on every player on the field doing their job. If a lineman misses a block, a running back loses yards. If a quarterback throws a bad ball, a receiver misses a chance at a touchdown. Football is very important to America, you cannot go anywhere in America where football is not being played somewhere in that state at least. Football has shaped many of the men of America. It has made them the leaders they are, the mentally tough the men they are, it has built them into the productive members of society they are.  

            Football had to endure rigorous and drastic changes to survive in America. Football is a staple in American culture today. It is unavoidable, some of the leaders of America have played football, and some of the CEOs of major corporations in America played football. Football is America’s sport.