Where did football originate from? By: Joel M

The American game of football was invented after British rugby players introduced their sport to the Americans. This introduction occurred in 1868, when British soldiers living in Montreal showed players at an American university how to play rugby and the rules involved with that sport. It would be over thirty years later that the American version of rugby, football, became a fully developed sport.

One of America’s presidents was almost responsible for the demise of football. Theodore Roosevelt thought the sport was too violent, and after stories of severe injuries that players had incurred, Roosevelt threatened that he would ban the sport altogether. After much debate, Roosevelt decided that he would not fight against the sport if a set of safety regulations were enacted to help prevent players from being injured. Roosevelt’s requirement and other improvements led to the eventual establishment of American football that is played today.

Walter Camp

For over thirty years, football remained an unorganized sport that was only played by a few university teams. The un-organization led Walter Camp to work on a set of rules for the sport that would help to establish football as a real sport. He didn't invent the sport, but his rules and regulations made the sport a little more sophisticated and it gave more people a chance to play. Once his rules began to catch on, Camp worked to promote the sport throughout America in hopes that it would become more popular in the States.