Kyle Atkins

Wright

English 1201

18, March 2022

Football is a game that has a long, storied history from peewee all the way up to

the pros. One of the things that remain consistent no matter where you are in the

process is the contributions that John Heisman has made to the game and how it is

played. The question I ask is how much has John Heisman impacted the modern game

of football?

Possibly the most important thing John Heisman ever did for the game was

convince the rules committee to legalize the forward pass. One of the most

recognizable things about football is the quarterback especially nowadays and this

allowed them to thrive and change the game. Overall 34 quarterbacks have won the

Heisman trophy which is the equivalent to the MVP in college and 38 quarterbacks have

won the NFL MVP.

Of course, none of this success would have come without his next innovation,the

quarterback- center snap. Along with the hut/hike cadence this made the game easier to

play. It allowed for a more fluid style of play instead of what was previously done. This

also led to a very early what would later become knowns as the wildcat offense which

the Miami Dolphins used very effectively for one season to make the playoffs. It was
most effectively used on a September 21’st game where they ran the play 6 times and

scored 5 touchdowns.

Heisman was also instrumental in the improvements to safety especially after the

1905 season where 18 players were killed and 159 were seriously injured. Among the

changes made the one that Heisman had the most influence over was the forward pass

being made legal. This also stopped the mass formation and led to the creation of the

neutral zone between the offensive and defensive line. There was also the change from

two halves to four quarters which allowed for more time to recover between quarters

leading to less injuries.

Heisman was also a big upporter in making the game easier to understand for

fans. He was the first to put yards to go and down marker up on the scoreboard. He

also wrote a book called the principles of football. In this book he outlined the five

fundamental principles of football and the goes further into them outiling the most

important parts of those principles.

Overall, John Heisman has been one of if not the most influential person in

football history. His contributions not only to the on field product but the fan experience

and the safety of the players. He left behind a legacy in not only in football but in

basketball and baseball that will never be able to be replicated.