American football is one of the most loved sports in the world, with the NFL having around 184 million fans all around the world. This is why it is worthy to talk about some facts about American football and its history.

1- American football was originally born as a cross between rugby and soccer. It emerged as a distinct sport in America to differentiate the country from other sports. On the first "college game day," the new sport was introduced with the first official football game.

2- At first, NFL players were not required to wear helmets during play or practice, but as contact sports safety rules grew, in 1943 they were required to wear protective gear during play and practice.

3- The first football games took place between amateur clubs and college athletic departments, with both attempting to obtain exceptional players, which led to the habit of "rewarding" them with presents and unofficial remuneration.

4- On November 6, 1869, Rutgers and Princeton played the first football game of all time. The rules did not become official until the 1880s, when famed rugby player Walter Camp formulated new restrictions.

5- The National Football League (NFL) evolved from the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was founded in 1920 by 14 Ohio football teams. Since then, between Labor Day and New Year’s Day, the NFL schedules 256 games, with playoffs following the regular season and having it all culminate in the Super Bowl.

6- As they embraced athletics following the Civil War, universities across the United States began introducing football into their curriculum in the 1880s, which then resulted in a spike in popularity that still lasts today.

7- The Pittsburgh Steelers have six Super Bowl triumphs in eight appearances, taking the place as the team with the most Super Bowl wins. The New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys have each won five games, with the Cowboys taking five and the Patriots taking four.

8- With an average of 96.2 yards per game, Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons is the fastest player in NFL history to surpass 10,000 career receiving yards.

9- Over the past 17 years, the NFL rushing champions have included a number of outstanding players, including an actor, Rhodes Scholar, and Supreme Court Justice.

10- Georgia Tech was the one to set the record for the most points scored in a college game, with an impressive 222-0 in the year 1916.

11- Kentucky and Arkansas played the longest college football game, spanning nearly four hours and featuring seven overtime sessions, with the Razorbacks prevailing 71-63. This was in the year 2003.

12- The longest professional game ever played was the 1971 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, which lasted 82 minutes and 20 seconds, including four 15-minute quarters and 22 minutes and 20 seconds of overtime.

13- It may come as a surprise for some, but Princeton has won the most collegiate national football championships. The majority of people can be astonished by this because these triumphs occurred in the early 1900s, and Princeton’s most recent victory was in 1950. Princeton has won a total of 28 national titles.

14- Vinny Testaverde became the first collegiate athlete to win the Maxwell, O’Brien, Walter Camp, and Heisman Trophy in his senior year. He was later drafted first overall in the NFL.

15- Steve McNair has multiple records, including the FCS season passing yardage record of 5,799 yards, the most career passing yards (14,496), and the most games with 400-yard passing yards (14).

16- Despite an 80-game losing streak, Prairie View College won two national championships for black colleges in 1953 and 1964, highlighting the college’s diversified football heritage.

17- Fox today pays $1.15 billion per year for NFC broadcast rights, which showcases the rapid price change compared with the $4.65 million they first payd when the NFL Championship game was established in 1962.

18- Pro football games have been played on every day of the week, the only time one Tuesday was an exception was due to a blizzard in Pennsylvania, and one Wednesday due to a rescheduled Washington-New York game to avoid overtaking John McCain’s acceptance speech.

19- Since 1988, every team has competed in a conference championship game, with Houston being the only exception.

20- Don Shula, a Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts coach, set the record for most wins as a coach, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 after winning 347 games.

21- Established in 1919, the Green Bay Packers, one of the NFL’s oldest clubs, has over 100,000 fans waiting for season tickets due to their large fan base.

22- In January 1967, in Los Angeles, the Green Bay Packers became the first team to win the Super Bowl.

Next Chapter: Ikenna Ike- The Super Bowl: origins.