FOOTBALL TIME LINE1873-2010

Standardization of rules19 Oct 1873

On October 19, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. Before this meeting, each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home team's own particular code. At this meeting, a list of rules, based more on soccer than on rugby, was drawn up for intercollegiate football games.

Rules11 Jan 1876

At the Massasoit convention, the first rules for American football were written. Walter Camp, who would become known as the father of American football, first became involved with the game

Football started1 Jan 1879

American football Derived from the English game of rugby, American football was started in 1879 with rules instituted by Walter Camp, player and coach at Yale University

First professional football player12 Nov 1892

William yale all-american guard also known as "pudge" heffelfinger was knows as the first professional football player

American Football vs Canadian Football 13 Jan 1895

Other codes of football share a common history with American football. Canadian football is a form of the game that evolved parallel to American football. While both games share a common history, there are some important differences between the two

Touchdown11 Jan 1912

A touchdown was increased from five points to six.

AFL-NFL1 Jan 1920

In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was formed. This league changed its name to the National Football League (NFL) two years later, and eventually became the major league of American football.

First African American Head Coach1 Jan 1921

Akron Pros star Fritz Pollard adds coaching responsibilities to his on-field duties, becoming the NFL's first black head coach.

Expansion Of AFL13 Jan 1921

In 1921, several more teams joined the league, increasing the membership to 22 teams.

Strongest Franchises Survive23 Apr 1927

The NFL, hoping to eliminate rampant turnover in financially weak franchises, decides to eliminate all but its most economically stable teams. The move cuts the number of franchises from 22 to 12, and permanently moves the league's center of gravity from small Midwestern towns to large Eastern cities.

In it to quit it!!1 Jan 1929

In the NFL's first twelve years of existence, more than forty different teams will join the league, only to drop out almost right away or go out of business completely.

NFL Playoff Game, 193213 Jan 1932

The end of the 1932 season, the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans were tied with the best regular-season records. To determine the champion, the league voted to hold its first playoff game. Because of cold weather, the game was held indoors at Chicago Stadium, which forced some temporary rule changes

Football Segregates11 Jan 1933

At the insistence of Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, the NFL imposes a new de facto policy of total racial segregation. No more black athletes will play in the NFL until after World War II.

Heisman Trophy is introduced1 Jan 1935

New York City's Downtown Athletic Club awarded the first Heisman Trophy to Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger

First Draft1 Jan 1936

The NFL holds its first annual draft of college players. The first player selected, Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger

First Televised Game11 Jan 1939

An NFL game airs on television for the first time, with NBC producing a local broadcast of a game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Eagles. Since fewer than 1,000 TV sets are known to exist in New York at the time, it is unclear whether anyone actually watches the broadcast.

National Titles for the Army13 Jan 1945

During World War II, college football players enlisted in the armed forces. As most of these players had eligibility left on their college careers, some of them returned to college at West Point, bringing Army back-to-back national titles in 1944 and 1945 under coach Red Blaik. Doc Blanchard (known as "Mr. Inside") and Glenn Davis (known as "Mr. Outside") both won the Heisman Trophy, in 1945 and 1946 respectively. On the coaching staff of those 1944–1946 Army teams was future Pro Football Hall o

First African-Americans11 Jan 1946

First African-AmericansThe Los Angeles Rams sign former UCLA stars Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, who will become the first African-Americans to play in the NFL in the modern era, ending 13 years of whites-only football in the league.

First Helmet Logo11 Jan 1948

The Los Angeles Rams become the first NFL team to wear a helmet logo, painting rams' horns onto their leather hats.

NFL Championship28 Feb 1951

For the first time, the NFL Championship Game is televised nationwide.

First African American Quarterback11 Jan 1953

The Chicago Bears' Willie Thrower becomes the first black player to throw a pass as quarterback in the modern NFL

First Super Bowl15 Jan 1957

The first super bowl played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and was then named the AFL-NFL World Championship.

The Greatest Game Ever Played1 Jan 1958

At the conclusion of the 1958 NFL season, the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants met at Yankee Stadium to determine the league champion. Tied after 60 minutes of play, it became the first NFL game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17. The game has since become widely known as "the Greatest Game Ever Played".

Football Beats Baseball as Favorite Sport 11 Jan 1965

For the first time, more people polled in a national survey choose pro football than baseball as their favorite sport.

AFC is Out20 May 1970

The AFL-NFL merger takes full effect, therefore leaving the AFL completely out. The National Football Conference and The American Football Conference are formed.

Coke Ad22 Jan 1979

During the broadcast of Super Bowl XIII, Coca-Cola airs one of the most popular Super Bowl ads of all time, showing fearsome Pittsburgh linebacker "Mean" Joe Greene and a young fan "having a Coke and a smile" in a stadium tunnel after a game

First Halftime Concert24 Jan 1982

Super Bowl XVI, held just outside Detroit in Pontiac, Michigan, includes the first Super Bowl musical performance by a major recording industry superstar: Motown's own Diana Ross. Ross's performance will kick off a new era in elaborately produced pregame and halftime entertainment.

Forty-Two Years Too Long28 Jan 2010

After forty-two long years, the New Orleans Saints are the 2010 National Football League Champions!!

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