Not satisfied to control the fate of Red Grange, the greatest player in the game, C.C. “Cash and Carry” Pyle decided to form his own rival league to take on the NFL directly.

First there was Thorpe, then Pollard. Now, a small-town, all-American was about to redefine what was possible for football, both on the field and off.

Five years in and the young NFL was a success – if the goal of every team was to lose money.

Lombardi, Belichick, Landry, Shula – only a handful of names so completely evoke the heart and soul of a team.

In 1920, the first official year of the NFL’s storied history, its success was anything but assured.

While Jim Thorpe helped resuscitate the pro game on the field, the loose affiliation of teams were still in desperate need of organization and legitimacy. With an ever-changing number of self-interested owners, competing for ticket sales and victory at all costs, they needed a new sheriff who could come in and impose order.

Rocked by an unproven betting scandal, the professional game needed a bright new star to light its way.

The sport of American football began as a stand-in for war – a place where young men at elite colleges could prove their mettle fighting on the gridiron.

American Football is the untold tale of the rough-and-tumble origins of the National Football League.