The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football

by Miller, John J.

• ISBN13: 9780061744525
• ISBN10: 0061744522
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-17
• Publisher: Harpercollins

Summary

Football's first golden age was characterized by incredible violence and life-threatening danger, and the new sport's popularity grew even as the casualties rose. After dozens of players were killed in brutal incidents that rattled the national consciousness, a proto-progressive movement attempted to abolish the game. At that critical moment, President Roosevelt, an outspoken advocate of "the strenuous life" and a longtime fan of the game, fought to preserve football's rugged essence. In 1905, Roosevelt summoned key football coaches to the White House for a historic meeting. The result was the establishment of the NCAA and a series of rule changes, including the advent of the forward pass, which not only saved the sport but transformed football into what it is today: the quintessential American game.

Author Biography

John J. Miller is director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College, national correspondent for National Review, a contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and the author of five books, including the novel The First Assassin.

Table of Contents

Introduction: America's Game	p. ix
The Killing Fields	p. 1
Creation Stories	p. 19
Game Time	p. 47
Camp Days	p. 65
The Capacity to Inflict Pain	p. 91
The Virile Virtues	p. 111
Let Them Be Men First	p. 135
Rough Riding.	p. 155
Football Is a Fight	p. 175
The Air War	p. 205
Appendix	p. 223
Acknowledgments	p. 225
Notes	p. 227
Index	p. 247
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.