The History of Pro Football (1983), Part 1

No copyright infringement is intended with this, or any other video I upload. The purpose of uploading this video is for the viewing pleasure for those that watch it. This is a must-see for those wanting to know and learn about the history of professional football.

This final of the eight features that make up the NFL Films Legacy Series, may be the ultimate lost treasure of NFL Films, as it documented the entire history of professional football, as it existed in 1983. It is also, to my knowledge, the first full-length movie ever made by NFL Films.

This first part of seven first brings you the prologue to this movie about the history of pro football, as well as gives you teasers about just some of those you'll be seeing during the movie about the sport's history. Then you'll seee the first part, which gives you detail about some of the men that built the foundation of the NFL.

The first, obviously, is George Halas, who was one of the founding fathers, and was in the meeting from which, the NFL was created. He tells the story about where the meeting took place and how much money was needed to start a franchise back in 1920, when the NFL was created. I'll promise that the amount will shock you. Next was George Preston Marshall, who owned the Washington Redskins from their inception through the mid 1960's. His first big contribution was to convince the owners to split the league into two conferences, with the winners of each facing off in a championship game. The first NFL Championship Game took place in 1933. Marshall also introdued marching bands and halftime shows to the NFL. [His contributions to the passing game will be mentioned in the quarterback segment.]

Next was Bert Bell, who was comissioner from the late 1940's until his death in 1959. Bell realized that television would be a big boost for the popularity of the sport nationwide. His successor, Pete Rozelle, who took control in 1960, may very well have been the greatest comissioner across the history of all major sports [at 29 years, he's certainly the longest-serving to this day], and his contributions are too many to mention, but his biggest would be the merger of the American and National Football Leagues [along with the contributions of Lamar Hunt and Al Davis], which led to the creation of the Super Bowl, the biggest annual sporting event in America, and quite possibly, the entire world. Rozelle also brought stability to the sport, as the number of teams that have moved have diminished dramatically since Rozelle took over as comissioner in 1960.

All credits go to NFL Films, APM Music, HBO, which first broadcast this feature, Heron Communiactions, and Fox Hills Video.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• NFL
• Films
• pro
• football
• history
• George
• Halas
• Preston
• Marshall
• Bert
• Bell
• Pete
• Rozelle

[TheEaglesfanindc]

damn i love john facenda's voice

[cjs3872]

@TheEaglesfanindc

Well, there's a reason why he's considered "THE Voice of NFL Films", even more than 25 years after his death in 1984. Of the eight programs comrpising the NFL Films Legacy Series, which totals 37 videos, six feature Facenda's voice, and five feature Facenda's voice entirely. The 1986 feature "Super Stars of the Super Bowl" features Facenda's voice through the part on Marcus Allen and SB XVIII. The years after that feature the voice of Brad Crandall.

[xxxVinnie2016]

That was stupid it took forever to play. Now I'm mad

[cjs3872]

@xxxVinnie2016

More likely than not, you've got a computer problem. I know that before I got my new laptop in the last week, I was having the same problem habitually, as videos were taking forever to load, sometimes even in the lowesst resolution (240p), so you've probably got problems with yor computer.

[Categorycinque]

I like rugby, but "200 pound men"? That's small in the NFL. I mean, really small. These NFL guys are faster than rugby players too. No contest there.

[melbournesbe]

What the entire NRL players make in 1 season, Cutler makes in just 3! So no matter what, NFL or American Football is a much better and much more popular sport.

[melbournesbe]

Love sitting here and hearing people say Rugby is better. Ok s they don't wear pads? Wearing pads means you are able to hit harder thus creating the same impact and pain as with out. This is a much more skilled game and it involves brains, no a bunch of guys basing into eachother. And pay. An entire NRL roster (Professional Rugby League in Australia) makes $4.3 million. Jay Cutler the QB for the Chicago Bears makes $22 million a year. that's 5 times an entire NRL Roster.

[cambadass]

@RunWhilstYouCan Rugby has shorter and smaller players. and less athletic. Rugby is just a sport for skinny ass Eupeans trying to look tough.

[RunWhilstYouCan]

This sport sucks lol why doesn't the rest of the world play it? Because it sucks. Go watch the hardest contact sport going, it's called Rugby those MEN don't wear 20 foot shoulder pads or cups or helmets, 200 pound men crashing into each other non stop for 80+ minutes. In American Rugby they stop every 5 seconds gaaaaay.