Great facts about the NFL

• With almost $1 billion in yearly revenues, the NFL is the world’s richest professional sports league.
• Up until 1912, a touchdown was only worth five points.
• Saints running back Reggie Bush was high school teammates with 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.
• The first night game was played in 1929 in Providence against the Chicago Cardinals.
• The Indianapolis Colts are the first team in NFL history to win 12 or more games in five consecutive years.
• The American Professional Football Association became the NFL on June 24, 1922. The Chicago Staleys became the Chicago Bears that year, and are the only team not to change name or city.
• No network footage exists of Super Bowl I. It was reportedly taped over (for a soap opera, according to some rumors).
  
• CBS was the first network to broadcast games, in 1956. By 1965 they were paying $18.8 million per year for the rights.
• Willie Thrower was the first African-American quarterback in the NFL. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1953.
• The AFL was started in 1940.
• The AFL and NFL would become fully merged by 1970, although the merger was initially announced in 1966.
• The first Pro Bowl was played Jan. 15, 1939 at Wrigley Field. The New York Giants beat the Pro All-Stars, 13-10.
• The American Professional Football Association was founded in 1920 at a car dealership in Canton, Ohio. Jim Thorpe was elected as the first president.
• The Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi trophy in 1970, the year Lombardi died.
• In 1961, Charley Hennigan recorded ten 100-yard receiving games.
• When Art Shell became the coach of the Raiders in 1989 he was the first African-American coach since Fritz Pollard in 1921 in Akron.
• The first NFL game played outside of the United States was August 16th, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers by a score of 20 to 10.
• The 10,000th regular season game was played Oct. 5, 1997. The Seahawks beat the Tennessee Oilers, 16-13, in Seattle.
• Monday Night Football first aired in 1970. The initial hosts were Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Don Meredith.
• The draft class of 1983 produced quarterbacks Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and John Elway. Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak was also taken in the 8th round.
• Under Tom Landry, the Dallas Cowboys posted 20 straight winning seasons. This accomplishment is unmatched by any other professional sports franchise.
• The Colts were the first NFL team to have cheerleaders.
• With an estimated worth of $1.5 billion, the Dallas Cowboys are the most valued sports franchise in the world.
• Emmitt Smith had the same number of rushing yards in his last season as he did in his rookie season (937).
• Dan Reeves, Tony Dungy and Mike Ditka have all appeared in Super Bowls as players, assistant coaches and head coaches.
• Before his 2003 rookie season, tight end Antonio Gates had not played football since his senior year in high school.
• College juniors became eligible for the NFL Draft in 1990 as long as they renounced their college eligibility before the draft.
• Terry Bradshaw is the first and only NFL player to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• On Super Bowl Sunday, it is estimated that 14,500 tons of potato chips are consumed.
• The Seattle Seahawks have the best winning percentage on Monday Night Football (16-8 for a .667 percentage).
• It is estimated that over 8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
• The record for most team fumbles in a season belongs to the 1938 Chicago Bears. They fumbled 56 times.