NFL 1912-2012

By tdmagnet34

  • More Points

    More Points
    In 1912, the touchdown was changed from 5 points to 6 points.
    A team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the other team's endzone.

  • Eligible Receivers

    Eligible Receivers
    In 1918, the rules on eligible receivers were changed to allow eligible players to catch the ball anywhere on the field. The former strict rules that were in place only allowing passes to certain areas of the field.

  • The Beginning of a New League

    The Beginning of a New League
    The NFL was formed. It only had 11 teams and they called themselves the American Professional Football Association

  • First Black Coach

    First Black Coach
    Fritz Pollard was the first African-American Head Coach in the professional football. He coached the Akron Pros.

  • A New Name

    A New Name
    The American Professional Football Association decided to change its name from APFA to NFL.

  • First Nationally Televised Game

    First Nationally Televised Game
    The first Nationally Televised football game was broadcasted by NBC, it was between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Eagles.

  • First Night Game

    First Night Game
    The Chicago Cardinals played host to the Providence Steamrollers. The Cardinals won 16-0. The game was considered a success with over 6,000 fans in attendance.

  • First Championship Game

    First Championship Game
    1933 was the year the very first Championship Game was played. It helped raise the games popularity.

  • New Helmets

    New Helmets
    Prior to 1939, Professional Football was a very dangerous game with very little protection. But all of that would change when the founder of the Riddell Sports Company, John Riddell, developed the first plastic helmets.

  • First black players

    First black players
    In 1946 the Cleveland Browns signed Marion Motley, who was one of the first African-Americans in professional football. This ended the 13 year long "whites only" era in professional football.

  • First logo on helmet

    First logo on helmet
    In 1948, the Los Angeles Rams were the first team to put a logo on their helmet. They painted ram horns on the helmet.

  • First Penalty Flag

    First Penalty Flag
    The referees received yellow flags to be thrown whenever a player, regardless of team, broke a rule.

  • Facemasks

    Facemasks
    The NFL now required players to wear a facemask on their helmets due to the high number of injuries such as broken noses, broken jaws, and shattered teeth. But they also created rules that made it illegal to grab an opposing players facemask.

  • A New League

    A New League
    The American Football league was created by Lamar Hunt. This league was created to feature more excitement, allowing a wide open passing game and no descrimination by color.

  • First Modern Era Shoulder Pads

    First Modern Era Shoulder Pads
    The mid-1960's saw the introduction of plastic-shelled pads. Stuffed with a cloth or foam, the pads provided greater protection of the upper torso than the leather models.

  • The Merger

    The Merger
    On this day in 1966, the rival NFL and AFL announce that they will combine their leagues. The first "Super Bowl" between the these leagues took place at the end of the 1966 season.

  • First Super Bowl

    First Super Bowl
    The NFL and the AFL came to an agreement to have each league's champions face off annually. This game would soon become the most popular sporting event in America. It was played between the Packers and Chiefs. The Packers would win 35-10. Packers quarterback Bart Starr was named Most Valuable Player.

  • Monday Night Football

    Monday Night Football
    In 1970, there was the very first airing of Monday Night Football. It brought in very high ratings by mixing Sports with Entertainment.

  • Perfect Season

    Perfect Season
    The Miami Dolphins of 1972 recorded the only undefeated season in NFL history. They went 17-0 and won the Super Bowl that year.

  • First Halftime Show

    First Halftime Show
    Super Bowl XVI had the very first Halftime Concert. It was performed by Diana Ross.

  • The Record

    The Record
    In 1984, Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton broke Jim Brown's record for most rushing yards with 12,312 yards. He would end up finishing his career with 16,726.

  • Losing Streak

    Losing Streak
    The Buffalo Bills have arguably one of the most embarassing losing streaks in NFL History. They made it all the way to the Super Bowl 4 years in a row, and were unable to win one.

  • Relocation

    Relocation
    After the unsuccessful 1997 season, the Houston Oilers relocated the Nashville, Tenessee. They would change not only their location but their team logo as they decided to become the Tennessee Titans.

  • NFL Network

    NFL Network
    The NFL has become so popular that they decided to create a channel specifically for updating the football world. This channel is still airing and is being hosted by Rich Eisen.

  • Champions at Last

    Champions at Last
    After being one of the most snake-bitten franchises in the history of the NFL the New Orleans Saints finally received a break. After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the city of New Orleans didn't think they had what it took to suport a professional football franchise. But after 5 short years, the city would finally have a reason to celebrate in their first Super Bowl Championship.

  • Releasing a Legend

    Releasing a Legend
    Just last week, the Indianapolis Colts decided to part ways with arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks of All-Time. For the first time in his career, Peyton Manning would have the option to choose where he wanted to play. He will undoubtedly sign one of the highest paying contracts in the history of professional football. He is considering the Denver Broncos, the Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans.