-
First Professional Football player
William "Pudge" Heffelfinger is considered to be the first professional football player. For a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, the Allegheny Athletic Association football team paid Heffelfinger $500. This affects the game today since football players make millions in their careers after the first paid professional football player. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193 -
First Pro team
The Latrobe Athletic Association became the first to host an all-pro team. They played a full season with only paid, professional players. This Changed the Game because only pro teams play in the NFL. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_football_timeline/242/ -
more changes on rules
The rules of the game evolved over time. Field goals changed from five points to four points, and eventually three points; touchdowns were increased from five points to six points. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_football_timeline/242/ -
Creation of The NFL
A group of men, including the most famous of the time -- Jim Thorpe -- and a man who would be involved in the game for more than six decades -- George Halas -- gathered at the Hupmobile showroom in Canton, Ohio to create what was first known as the American Professional Football Association (APFA), later renamed the National Football League in 1922. This affected the game since the NFL is the biggest sport league in America. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193 -
Football on TV
The 500 or so New Yorkers who actually owned televisions were the fortunate few who were able to witness a defining moment in pro football's relationship with mass media. NBC was the first network to televise a pro football game when the Philadelphia Eagles and Brooklyn Dodgers faced off in front of 13,050 spectators at Brooklyn's legendary Ebbets Field. This affected the game because the joy of football was shared with those who couldn't attend. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193 -
Football Leading sports
What became known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played" was a climactic event in professional football's rapid rise in popularity during the 1950s at a time when baseball dominated the sporting scene. The Colts ultimately triumphed, 23-17, to earn the league title in a game that featured 17 future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This changes the game because it made football become the leading sport in popularity in America. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193 -
Merging leagues
Longtime rivals, the NFL and the AFL, made the decision to merge leagues. They now classify teams as the American Conference and the National Conference, but play by the same set of rules with a yearly playoff at the Super Bowl. This changed the game because the NFL is a Huge league now. http://www.softschools.com/timelines/history_of_football_timeline/242/ -
Super Bowl
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game -- later to be known as Super Bowl I -- was the first major step in the AFL-NFL merger and laid the groundwork for the NFL landscape as fans know it today. The Green Bay Packers were the ideal representative for the NFL in its initial on-field showdown with the upstart AFL, whose champion in 1966 was the Kansas City Chiefs. This changes the game because the super bowl is the biggest football event. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193 -
The Catch
If you had to pick one play from the 120-year history of professional football, you could hang your hat on "The Catch" -- you just couldn't hang your Dallas Cowboy hat. The San Francisco 49ers' 28-27 win over the Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship launched Bill Walsh's short passing game on pro football, as well as the 49ers' dynasty. This changed the game because it set a record in the NFL history for the best catch ever captured. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193 -
The tuck rule
The "Tuck Rule" as it came to be known, stated that if a quarterback loses the football during his throwing motion, including bringing the ball back after changing his mind, it was an incomplete pass. it kickstarted the league's latest dynasty, as New England won three of the next four Super Bowls. The play also heightened the power of instant replay. This changed the game because it created a new rule in the game of football. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000094193
