The United States created the game of American football in 1867 at universities such as Yale, Columbia, Rutgers and Princeton. The first game was played between Princeton and Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869. Thus, the game of the pigskin began to rapidly take over America.

Unlike soccer, the “football” of other countries, American football is a game where every second of the full four quarters are filled with plays that are designed to win. There is no loitering time that a viewer has to sit through to only see an average of two or three points scored a game. Whether the football game is high school or professional, adrenaline-pumping plays and heartbreaking calls surely beat out a boring soccer match.

A three hour football game is filled with opportunities to have a game-changing pick six or an 85 yard touchdown. One of the most exciting college games in the history of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football was when the University of Texas (UT) played the University of Southern California (USC) in the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2005 season. Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) rewarded this game the “Best Game in Any Sport of 2006.” This was the last time UT was a dominant team, while they had exciting players like Vince Young and Michael Huff. Also, Mack Brown was still their head coach looking to redeem their title as Rose Bowl champions for the second year in a row. While on the opposing side, USC had 2005 Heisman winning running back, Reggie Bush, and they were on a 34 game winning streak. A match up like this was followed by the whole country, and the results did not disappoint those that were tuning in for a good football game. This 2006 Rose Bowl game was score after score the whole time and the winning touchdown was scored in the last 19 seconds of the fourth quarter by the Longhorns, moving the score to 41 to 38, securing a win for UT.

Football means something more to Americans than just a sports game as demonstrated by Hollywood movies and American television. Shows like “Friday Night Lights” and movies like “Remember the Titans” are perfect examples of the effect this sport has had on Americans. Each football player is invested in a game with so much heart and dedication. The game is something that might have been a part of a person’s life since they were born. It is an opportunity to connect with a community, and a lot of the times there is more than just a football game being played.

The American game of football is one of the most complex sports to exist. There are 11 different positions on the field for both defense and offense, meaning there are a total of 21 different positions total for each team to fill. Each position has a different importance and role than the player next to them. The quarterback has the most important position on the offense. He is in charge of deciding plays and making sure his team is efficiently moving the ball down the field. Similarly as important on the defensive side, is a designated pass rusher because they are the playmakers of the defense. They see what the offense is planning on doing and make sure their team is stopping the ball at all costs. In the National Football League’s (NFL) 2015 season, J.J. Watt was a very prominent position holder of the designated pass rusher, and was notably that NFL season’s most presiding defensive player.

Americans can watch a game of football on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday or even Monday and feel even more patriotic about the country they live in. High schools’ Friday Night Lights, or college game day on Saturdays (which is now extended to Thursdays as well), or NFL Sunday and Monday night football are all options to watch the exciting game that brings Americans together. For a sport that has only been played for about 150 years and is only dominate in one country, the American viewership for the Super Bowl is millions away from the World Cup’s viewership. It is more than just a game for Americans; it is a community-building activity that is enjoyed by every age and gender.