The Origins and Development of Professional Football, 1890-1920

"For all its recent high-octane energy and high-profile success, the NFL for years struggled to overcome the disreputable reputation that attached to professional football. As a well-researched, cleanly-written introduction to the chaotic, controversial origins of the professional game that led to the founding of the NFL, this book is a gem." -- William J. Baker, Chair, Dept. of History, University of Maine