ROUSES_SeptOct2019_Magazine

Quarterback This word now evokes an idyllic image of the one person a team relies on for leadership, with a smiling face that lands on magazine covers and a rocket arm

Blitz This term is ripped straight from the history books. A blitz, in football parlance, is when a defense sends more than four rushers after the ball is snapped, with the rushers coming from the second line of the defense. The goal in a blitz is to quickly get to the quarterback or ball carrier — one might say, with lightning speed.

that delivers touchdowns. But, back when Walter Camp first came up with the term, it had a more straightforward meaning: The quarterback simply lined up halfway between the line of scrimmage and the halfback, and the halfback was between the line of scrimmage and the farthest person away from the ball, the fullback.

Of course, this term is derived from the German war tactic “Blitzkrieg,” or lightning war, used in World War II.

Pigskin The origin of this phrase makes logical sense, but maybe not in the way you

Nickel Standard defensive packages in football have four defensive backs on the field at once. When a fifth defensive back is added, it is called

think: In the sport’s earliest days, the ball was made from an inflated animal bladder — sometimes, but not

a “nickel” package — an obvious reference to the U.S. currency that is worth five cents. This defensive alignment was originally used by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship game, though former Bears coach George Allen is credited with coming up with the name.

always, from a pig. Sometimes, to avoid the unpleasant act of having to blow up an animal bladder, they were filled with straw and rocks instead of air. Eventually, a leather covering was added. The balls used in football today are actually made from steer hide or vulcanized rubber.

and ran with it. In 2006, Roger Goodell became NFL commissioner, and began reshaping the sport into what we see today. Though he defended the league before Congress, he later implemented the NFL concussion protocol, whereby professional concussion spotters and neurologists on the field and in booths keep watch for players who look as though they have received concussive injuries. (The special- ists can even speak directly — via wireless headsets — with referees, who can stop the game if a player appears to have symptoms of trauma.) Those players identified as being injured are immediately pulled for on-site evaluation by physicians. Some remain sidelined for the duration of the game. Some are medically evacuated to hospitals for further brain scans. Except for the team doctors, who are consulted, everyone involved is unaffiliated with the NFL. Meanwhile, the NFL has implemented rule changes on tackling: A player can no longer lead with his helmet. And there is an ever- evolving effort to improve player equipment — though ironically, the helmets of today are only scarcely better for the concussion problem than the leather helmets of the 1920s. Because head- on-head contact isn’t likely to result in skulls smashing open and brains spilling onto the field, players are essentially incentivized to

collide heedlessly with one another with more force than they might otherwise use. In short, the system isn’t perfect. In the meantime, the most pressing change in store for the league involves its referees. In the 99th season, all you needed to be a referee in the NFL was a white hat, a striped shirt and a whistle. In its 100th, the league might consider adding eyeglasses to the list as well.

“ I preheat my Weber grill to 419 degrees (simply joining the two numbers of Kamara and Brees) — I tried putting Brees first but it was too damn hot), then cook my wings on indirect heat for 13 minutes a side (the Thomas method) and serve them up 94 minutes (exactly one Cam Jordan) before kickoff. Just in time for pregame!” - D. HEBERT ; MY SAINTS SUPERSTITION

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