History of American Football Trivia Quiz

Answer: Charles Follis

Charles W. Follis (1875-1910) played college football at Wooster College in Ohio. In 1902 he became the first African-American professional football player (Shelby Blues). His death in 1910 ended his career. He also was a catcher in the Negro Baseball League for the Cuban Giants. One of his college team mates was Branch Rickey, the manager who signed Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers.

Answer: Pete Gogolak

Peter Kornel Gogolak was born in Hungary in 1942. He and his family came to the USA in 1956 after the Hungarian Revolt against the USSR. He played football for Cornell then kicked for the Buffalo Bills (1964-1965) and the New York Giants(1966-1974). He used the soccer style of kicking . That style allowed more of the foot to touch the ball giving more distance and accuracy.

He was successful with 173 of 294 field goal attempts. His younger brother, Charles, kicked for Princeton University and the Washington Redskins and the New England Patriots. Today it is hard to find a place kicker who does not use this style.

Answer: He formed the first fantasy football league

He was a limited partner in the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders of 1962 were not very good and owners and fans would dream of whom they would like on their team. In a NYC hotel Winkerbach created GOPPPL-the Greater Oakland Pigskin Prognosticators League-the first fantasy football league.

It had its first draft in August 1963 with just eight participants. Today there are many fantasy football leagues and they involve literally thousands of people and many millions of dollars.

Answer: Yale

Yale football began in 1872. In 1873 they began their famous rivalry with Princeton and in 1875 they began to play against their arch rival, Harvard. Yale won their 18th title in 1927. The famous Walter Camp played for(1876-1881) and was the first head coach at Yale (1888-1892). They're called the Yale Bulldogs.

Answer: Ove Johansson

In 1964 Mike Prater kicked a 64 yard field goal. Tom Dempsey kicked a 63 yarder in 1970. Jason Elam hit a 63 yarder in 1998. Those were all in the professional league. In October 1976 playing for Abilene Christian University, Ove Johansson kicked a 69 yard field goal. He was born in Sweden in 1948. In the NFL he only made one out of four field goals (one season with the Eagles, in 1977).

Answer: 20

In 1873 each side had 20 players. In 1876 they reduced it to 15 per side. It was not until 1880 that there were 11 men per team.

Answer: 1906

In 1906 Bradbury Robinson of Saint Louis University threw a forward pass to Jack Schneider. In those days if you threw an incomplete forward pass you were penalized fifteen yards (or a turnover if it wasn't touched); so the forward pass was rare even after the success of the forward pass in 1906.

Answer: Guatemala

He was born November 1, 1947 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He played 15 seasons (1969-1983) in the NFL after a great career at Miami University. He was a four time Super Bowl Champion. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. He was inducted in the Football Hall of Fame in 1990. He is the first Guatemalan-born person in those halls of fame.

Answer: Terry Bradshaw

Terry Paxton Bradshaw (Steelers 1970-1983) has a star at 7080 Hollywood Avenue for his work on TV. He received his star in October 2001. He has been TV football analyst. He has also done some movie and TV acting. Frank Gifford was also an NFL star, an actor and an analyst. Jim Brown has been an actor. Joe Namath has done acting and some game analysis.

Answer: 18

Minnesota sent Issiac Holt, David Howard, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, and eight draft picks to Dallas. Dallas sent Herschel Walker and four draft picks to Minnesota. Minnesota sent Darrin Nelson to San Diego for a fifth round draft choice.