American football emerged in the late 19th century from a blend of rugby and soccer, with the first intercollegiate game played in 1869 between Princeton and Rutgers. Over the following decades, it evolved into a distinctly American sport, codified by figures like Walter Camp, who introduced the line of scrimmage, downs, and the quarterback position. The professionalization of the sport began in the early 1900s, leading to the formation of the National Football League (NFL) in 1920, which would grow into a major cultural and economic institution. Football became deeply tied to American identity through high school and college programs, television broadcasting, and major events like the Super Bowl, one of the world’s most-watched spectacles. However, the sport’s physical nature has long been a defining and controversial feature, with recurring concerns about player safety dating back to early reforms under President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. The vocabulary surrounding the sport—tackles, scrimmage, concussion protocol, and gridiron—reflects both its strategic depth and its physical intensity. Today, American football occupies a central place in U.S. culture, symbolizing teamwork, discipline, and national pride, while also existing within ongoing conversations about health, tradition, and the future of contact sports.