General Football Knowledge

Find the answers to the general questions about football. This section is a great way to strengthen your football trivia knowledge!

What nickname is stamped on every official NFL football?

That would be “The Duke,” named after former New York Giants’ owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Wellington Mara. Apparently he was named Wellington by his father after the Duke of Wellington. As a youngster, he worked with the Giants as a ball boy in the 1920s.”I spent all my time with the players and coaches,” said Mara. “The players used to call me ‘Duke’ because of my name.”

And that decision to put the “The Duke” onto the NFL football had much to do with Wellington’s father, Tim. He was a pivotal part of an agreement with the Wilson Sporting Goods Company. The logo has a rich history indeed and had taken on more than one form and placement on the ball.

Why is the American version of football called football?

When it comes to the world in general, the game of soccer is commonly referenced as “football.” When it comes to the NFL, the collegiate game and even the Canadian version of the “pigskin,” their version of the game has also been referred to as football. The kicking game remains a very prominent part of the National Football League (originally named the American Professional Football Association), NCAA College Football and the Canadian Football League.

As to a factual explanation for why this game is also called football, one has never really been provided. There are certainly numerous theories but nothing concrete.

What shape is a football?

Try saying “prolate spheroid” three times fast. Or even once. Apparently it would be inaccurate to describe the shape of a football as “oval.” And it’s interesting to point out that while a football is often referred to as a pigskin (not because of its appearance but of the material), it’s shaped more like an egg. And the somewhat-unusual shape of a football, combined with its overall construction, has made the great game what it is with its strange and unpredictable bounces.

Who was the first football coach to win both an NCAA Division-1 championship and a Super Bowl?

The first was a recent addition to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jimmy Johnson led the Miami Hurricanes to a national title in 1987. They capped off a 12-0 season with a 20-14 win over Oklahoma. Johnson would take over as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. Three years after suffering through a 1-15 season, the Cowboys would win the first of back-to-back Super Bowls (XXVII and XXVIII) under his guidance.

The only other coaches to win a collegiate national championship and a Super Bowl are Barry Switzer and Pete Carroll. The former won three titles with the Sooners and Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys in 1995. Carroll won a national title with the USC Trojans and Super Bowl XXXVIII with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013.

How do you kick a football?

This is a very interesting question. And there are certainly fans and even coaches who question the prowess of their own specialist. Of course, kicking a football can mean two different things. Kicking the football for a PAT or on a kickoff with the help of a tee or a holder is one form of kicking. Then there are punters, who usually kick the ball away on fourth down when a team fails to make a first down on three plays. That has the punter himself taking the long snap by extending his arms/hands, dropping the ball slightly and booting it to the opposition.

What is the Maxwell Award in college football?

Of course, the most famous award in college football is the Heisman Trophy – given to the best player in the country. The first Heisman was given out in 1935 and the recipient was University of Chicago standout Jay Berwanger (who went on to become the first player in the initial NFL Draft in 1936). But only two years after that prestigious honor was given out (1937), the Maxwell Football Club (born in 1935) awarded Yale University halfback/safety Clinton E. Frank the initial Maxwell Club Award. That same year, Frank was also awarded the Heisman Trophy by the Downtown Athletic Club

Why do football players put black under their eyes?

Contrary to what some people may believe, there’s a definitive reason as to why players put eye black or eye grease underneath your eyes. It’s just not worn to look mean or tough or as if the player had just gotten into a scuffle – although there are appearances to the contrary – but it is done too is done to cut down on the glare of the sun. And in some cases, it also can cut down the effects of the lights at those well-lit stadiums.

There’s even a company named “EyeBlack,” which explains that “Bare cheeks reflect sunlight…EyeBlack eliminates reflective surface.”

How much do/did Arena Football players make?

The Arena Football League was born in 1987 and lasted until 2019. At last count, via ScottFujita.com, the average player’s salary was approximately $80,000 per year. On a side note, the United States Football League re-emerged in 2022. The original USFL began in 1983 and would last three seasons from 1983-85. This new version featured eight teams, with the Birmingham Stallions defeating the Philadelphia Stars, 33-30, for the championship. And according to Boardroom TV, a player earned between $45,000 and $75,000 for the season based on bonuses, training camp participation and performances by the team.

What are the stickers on college football helmets?

Many college football teams like to reward their players for accomplishments by putting stickers on their helmets. We have seen over the years some very notable players have so many of these decals on their headgear that it’s hard to tell who they play for.

You could make a case that no college program does more when it comes to decorating its players’ helmets than The Ohio State University. And as FanSided’s Alicia de Artola explains, this is not a case of “sticker shock.” There is actually a method to the madness when it comes to what those Buckeyes are wearing on their heads come game day.

How do you catch a football?

Preferably with your hands. And while that may be stating the obvious, there are different strokes for different folks. Ideally, you catch the ball with both of your hands (not everyone can be Odell Beckham Jr. and snare the ball with one hand). Your chance of securing the ball if you use your hands opposed to other parts of your body. For instance, looking the ball into your chest or abdomen to cushion the impact is not ideal. It’s also interesting to see how many players prefer to wear gloves opposed to the barehanded approach. And catching the ball and making sure both feet are in bounds along the sidelines is an art.

What is semi-pro football?

For what it’s worth in terms of trivia, there was a motion picture in the 1970s starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson and Jill Clayburgh titled “Semi Pro.” For our purposes, semi-pro football is basically a part-time job for those who play the game and receive some sort of payment. But they are technically not professional athletes because this is not their full-time profession. There is the tale of defensive tackle Eric Swann, who wound up not playing college football and latched on with the semi-pro Bay State Titans. And he wound up the sixth overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the then-Phoenix Cardinals.

How many countries play American football?

There was a time when the National Football League invested it’s time into growing the game internationally. And the NFL continues to do that regular-season contests in England, Mexico City and other countries. In the early 1990s, there was the WLAF (World League of American Football) which eventually became NFL Europe. The original league featured teams in both the United States and Europe before eventually settling overseas. These days, according to the International Association of American Football, there are some 80 countries worldwide that have some sort of American Football.