10 things all college football fans should be thankful for

9. President Theodore Roosevelt

Yes, the 26th President of the United States played a very pivotal role in the early history of American football. Roosevelt himself was noted as a sports enthusiast who enjoyed boxing, tennis and wrestling during his time in the White House.

By the time he had took office as President, the game of football had become extremely violent. In 1905, 18 people died and over 150 people were injured playing the game of football. Roosevelt, a fan of football himself, called on the higher-ups in college football to explore safer methods or the game would be outlawed.

Needless to say, the people in power wasted no time in implementing new rules to the game of football, including the introduction of the forward pass into the game following the 1905 season. This was done to spread the field and avoid massive pile ups, where most players suffered their fatal injuries.

After all these years and we can still say this: thanks, Teddy!