A Brief History of the NFL
Contents
A look at the National Football League, from its humble beginnings in the late 1800s to its current status as one of America’s most popular sports leagues.
The Early Years
The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920, but its roots date back to the late 1800s. In 1892, William “Pudge” Heffelfinger became the first professional football player when he was paid $500 to play for the Allegheny Athletic Association in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. Heffelfinger’s historic play signaled the start of professional football, which would eventually lead to the formation of the NFL.
The first professional football game
On November 12, 1892, William “Pudge” Heffelfinger was paid $500 by the Allegheny Athletic Association to play in a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. This marked the first ever professional football game.
While $500 may seem like a small sum today, it was a significant amount of money in 1892. In fact, it was more than double the annual salary of the average American worker.
Interestingly, this game was not just a milestone for professional football; it was also a turning point for the Allegheny Athletic Association. The team had been struggling financially and this game gave them the boost they needed to stay afloat.
Today, the NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry and professional football has become one of America’s favorite pastimes. But it all started with one man being paid to play a game more than 125 years ago.
The founding of the NFL
In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was founded in Canton, Ohio. This new league was made up of teams from four states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Michigan. The APFA only lasted two years before merging with the NFL in 1922.
In those early years, the NFL was not the only professional football league vying for players and fans. The most notable competitor was the American Football League (AFL), which began play in 1960. The two leagues spent the next decade engaged in a bitter rivalry before finally agreeing to merge in 1970.
The Modern Era
The National Football League was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association. The first game was played on October 3, 1920, between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles. The Triangles won 14-0.
The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the biggest and most important American football game of the year. It is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game is played between the winners of the NFL’s American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC). The winner of the Super Bowl receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is named after the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games. The first Super Bowl was played in 1967. Today, it is watched by millions of people around the world and is one of the most watched television events in America.
The NFL today
The National Football League is truly a modern professional sports league. In just a few decades, it has gone from a loosely organized group of teams to one of the largest and most popular sports leagues in the world. The NFL today is made up of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. Each conference is then divided into four divisions, and each division contains four teams.
