The reason American Football Day is called American Football Day and not just “Football Day” is elementary. In Europe, Football is Soccer. In Canada, it is Canadian Football. While in Australia, it is Australian Rules Football. People often refer to Rugby as football. So, to differentiate it, it is American Football Day which is celebrated each year on November 5th.
No one is sure why it is celebrated on November 5th. The first college football game was played on November 6th. On November 6th, 1869, Princeton played Rutgers with 25 men on each side of the field. Rutgers won the game 6 to 4. A field goal was worth one point in those days, and the winning team had to make six field goals.
FAQs
Here are frequently asked questions about American Football Day.
How do I celebrate American Football Day?
If you are ambitious, you can join a flag football league and relive your glory days.
You can throw a football-themed party with appropriate tailgate food and football-shaped appetizers.
Join or start a football wagering pool. You can get together with your friends and draft teams. Follow your players each Saturday or Sunday to see who gets the most points.
Invite your friends over to watch a game. Make it a pot-luck and give an award for Most Valuable Treat.
Buy a football and have all your friends sign it. It will become a favorite keepsake.
How did Football Become a Sport?
Not long after the Civil War, America was looking for an athletic spectacle that the country could rally around. Sports enthusiasts and schools observed Rugby and Soccer and thought, we need our own unique game.
The result was American Football. A game unique to the United States but played with elements of Rugby and Soccer. Kicking the ball toward a goal comes from Soccer, and running with the ball comes from Rugby. A rugby ball influenced the shape of the ball.
How Many Football Teams are There in the United States?
There are 32 NFL Professional Teams,
125 Division I College Teams,
169 Division II College Teams,
250 Division III College Teams, and
16,047 High School Teams (With more than 400,000 players.)
How are Footballs Made?
The first footballs were made from pig’s bladders that were inflated and covered in leather. With the invention of vulcanized rubber (rubber treated with sulfur to make it harder), American football began to change. Bladders were made of rubber and covered with leather. The leather allows for a better gripping surface.
With the popularization of the forward pass, the design of American football evolved. The original American footballs were more rounded like rugby balls; they had to change for throwing purposes. The ball’s shape was elongated, and the size was slightly smaller. Creating what is known as a prolate spheroid, perfect for today’s American Football.
Making a Football Video
Fun Facts About Football
Princeton holds the most Division I College National Championships with 28. Their last championship was in 1950.
The Green Bay Packers won the first American Football Super Bowl in 1967. The Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35 to 10.
Jim Brown was the NFL’s leading rusher more times than anyone else. He led the league for eight consecutive seasons from 1957 – 1965.
The most points ever scored in a college football game was 220-0, racked up by Georgia Tech. Their hapless opponent was the Cumberland College Bulldogs.
A football field measures 360 feet long by 160 feet wide.
Hall of Famer Don Shula holds the record for most coaching wins with 328 during his career.
The longest college losing streak is 80 games at Prairie View College. The school won two National Black College Championships in 1953 and 1964.
Emmitt Smith holds the record for most yards gained, with more than 18,000 yards in his 15-year career.
Sammy Baugh held the record for average punt yardage at 51.4 yards in 1940. His record was not broken until 2021 by A.J. Cole III with 53 yards per punt.
Football Trivia
The football huddle was invented in the 1890s by Paul Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard was deaf and used the huddle to call plays with hand signals.
The forward pass was legalized for college football games in 1906. It did not become popular until 1913 when Notre Dame beat Army 35 to 13 thanks to the forward pass. Notre Dame’s quarterback Charlie “Gus” Dorias threw to his favorite receiver Knute Rockne.
The first professional football game was televised in 1939. The contest was broadcast to five hundred televisions in New York. The game was between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Eagles.
See Football Terms and Definitions.
Jokes About Football
What do you call a group of embarrassed men playing football? Foot in Mouth Ball.
The New York Jets are terrible at football. No offense.
Unfortunately, my wife of seven years walked out on me today. Well, at least we lasted seven football seasons.
A professional football player goes to a restaurant and orders a pizza. The waiter asks if he wants it cut into eight or ten pieces. The player says eight; I don’t think I can eat ten.
It seems like trading humans like property is immoral and should be illegal unless you are a football general manager.
Why is Tom Brady so optimistic? He sees the football as half full.
A young boy asked a man at the football game why he was so drunk. The man replied, “I have been getting blitzed all game.”
I have given up smoking and drinking, but football is one habit I will never be able to kick.
What made you decide to watch the football game today? It was a snap decision.
Here is my game plan: Sit on the couch, eat snacks, and watch football. Sounds like a winner.
Football Quotes
A champion is simply someone who did not give up when they wanted to.
Tom Landry
No one ever drowned in sweat.
Lou Holtz
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Vince Lombardi
If you’re not in the parade, you watch the parade. That’s life.
Mike Ditka
Everyone has the fire; the champions know when to ignite the spark.
Amit Ray
I may win, and I may lose, but I’ll never be defeated.
Emmitt Smith
Some people think football is a matter of life or death; I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more severe than that.
Bill Shankly
Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority.
Vince Lombardi
Make sure when anyone tackles you, he remembers how much it hurts.
Jim Brown
I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved.
Urban Meyer
Football Captions for Instagram
It’s your play.
Go long.
They call me Crazy Legs.
I think I just fumbled.
Third and long.
It’s not how hard you play; it’s how smart you play.
The referee is in their pocket.
One team, one goal, win!
Play like you own the field.
If it were easy, everyone would play.
See more great Football Captions.
By Tim Moodie
Tim Moodie likes all things football. He enjoys professional football but is an avid college football fan. On Saturdays in the fall, you can see him cheering on his alma mater’s team, the “Golden Gophers.”
Overtime
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