Walter Camp, who is often credited as the “father of American Football” was responsible for instituting those changes in America which came to separate football from the more traditional rugby-style game. Camp introduced a variety of new rules, including those which governed downs and distances on the field, and the forward pass. The sport first became dominant from a collegiate perspective, as coaches experimented with new offenses and styles of play that allowed them to exploit the forward pass. Some of these coaches include legendary figures such as Amos Alonzo Stagg, Knute Rockne, and Glenn "Pop" Warner.

College Football grew even more popular in the late 1800’s, particularly amongst Ivy League schools such as Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. By 1900, 43 Universities were fielding football teams, and rivalries began to emerge that are still prevalent today. During the 1900’s, a variety of innovations were introduced to football that transformed the game. New play styles and practice techniques were explored by coaches, and officials began introducing more rules to help protect the safety of the players. Conferences began to emerge, and college football broke the bounds of regional restrictions by creating the Bowl games. Although there

were only 5 in 1940, today there are more than 30. The popularity of football has continued to grow both in colleges and high schools, and today it is considered the most popular spectator sport in America.

The NFL

As the popularity of American Football began to grow in the early twentieth century, club teams began to compete against one another and soon formed heated and passionate rivalries. A Pittsburgh area club known as the Allegheny Athletic Association paid former Yale All-American guard William "Pudge" Heffelfinger $500 to play for their team. On November 12, 1892, Heffelfinger became the first known professional football player. The first known professional league was then formed in 1902 and played a World Series championship, but that league only lasted 2 seasons.

As the game continued to expand westward, Ohio gradually became the center of professional football in America, and former Olympian and Carlisle Indian School standout Jim Thorpe became the face of pro football and was present at the founding of the National Football League in 1920. The rival American Football League emerged a few years later, only to fold after just one year. However, the emergence of the new league helped to create even more awareness and interest in pro football.

In the 1940’s and 50’s, the NFL became integrated and more teams began to enter the league. Although many teams didn’t last, new franchises emerged to take their places, and the league grew even stronger as the NFL Players Association was formed in 1956. In 1959, the AFL re-emerged and became a threat to the NFL as it attempted to entice talented players away from the more traditional league. In the 1960’s, the 2 leagues agreed to have a common draft and play in a season ending championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl.

The NFL has continued to grow and expand, and today 32 teams compete to play in the Super Bowl, which has become a sports spectacle of amazing proportions. Today a great deal of emphasis is placed on player conduct and labor contracts, and current commissioner Roger Goodell has attempted to keep salaries low and competitive while also teaching players to maintain good conduct on and off the field.