By Lance Tominaga, ESPN Honolulu Web Editor.
Baseball may still be America’s Pastime, but there’s no doubt that football reigns supreme as the most popular sport in the U.S. Whether it’s the NFL, the college game or the prep level, we can’t seem to get enough of it. But how much do you know about the history of this great game? Take this short Pop Quiz and go deep into the annals of American football, from its earliest stages to some of its major milestones. We even tossed in three Hawaii-related questions just for kicks. See how well you do!
1. Who is regarded as the “Father of American Football”?
A. Frank Bellamy
B. Walter Camp
C. Alonzo Stagg
2. The National Football League held its first season in 1920. What was the league’s original name?
A. American Professional Football Association (APFA)
B. National League of American Football (NLAF)
C. Association of Professional Football (APF)
3. Who served as the league’s first president?
A. Jim Thorpe
B. Schroeder Halas
C. Jack Wilmington
4. Of the 14 original NFL teams, only two remain in existence. Name them.
A. Green Bay and Chicago
B. New York Giants and Philadelphia
C. Chicago and Arizona
5. Which two schools played in what is regarded as the very first college football game?
A. Yale and Harvard
B. Syracuse and Penn
C. Princeton and Rutgers
6. The 1894 game between Harvard and Yale became known as…?
A. Battle of the Century
B. The Hampden Park Blood Bath
C. The War of the Ivies
7. Who was the first Heisman Trophy winner?
A. Frank Tilley
B. Jay Berwanger
C. Elroy Lassiter
8. The Green Bay Packers won the very first Super Bowl in 1967. Who did they beat?
A. Kansas City Chiefs
B. Oakland Raiders
C. Miami Dolphins
9. The Birmingham Americans were the inaugural champions of what league?
A. The USFL
B. The WFL
C. Arena Football League
10. Which trio of players began their pro careers in the USFL?
A. Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and Eric Dickerson
B. Tim Brown, Bruce Smith and Mike Rozier
C. Herschel Walker, Steve Young and Doug Flutie
11. The first University of Hawaii football game was held on Oct. 23, 1909. Who did they play?
A. McKinley H.S.
B. College of Oahu
C. Schofield Barracks
12. The very first Prep Bowl, Hawaii’s mythical state football championship, was held in 1973. Who won?
A. Kamehameha
B. Waianae
C. Punahou
ANSWERS:
1. B – Walter Camp
2. A – APFA
3. A – Jim Thorpe
4. C – The Chicago Bears (then known as the Decatur Staleys) and Arizona Cardinals (then known as the Chicago Cardinals).
5. C – Princeton and Rutgers. The game was played on Nov. 6, 1869.
6. B – Four players received crippling injuries during the game. As a result, the game was suspended until 1897.
7. B – Berwanger was a halfback at the University of Chicago.
8. A – The Packers pummeled the Chiefs, 35-10.
9. B – The World Football League was a short-lived League in the mid-1970s. Birmingham was the first champion. Honolulu has a franchise called the Hawaiians.
10. C – Walker, Young and Flutie played in the USFL before jumping to the NFL.
11. A – The “Fighting Deans” beat McKinley H.S, 6-5.
12. B – Waianae was the first Prep Bowl champion. The Seariders beat Saint Louis, 6-0.
# # #