The history of football

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1920: American Professional Football Association formed and was renamed the National Football League in 1922.

1934: An NFL game was broadcast nationwide for the first time.

1935: The first Heisman Trophy was awarded to Jay Berwanger.

1939: Riddell made the first plastic helmet.

1943: All NFL players are required to wear helmets.

1962: All NFL players wore face masks.

1967: The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the first Super Bowl.

1970: The Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi trophy.

1980: Rules regarding contact with the head, neck and face become stricter.

1994: The Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee was created to study the effects of concussions in NFL players.

2002: Evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy is found in the brain of former NFL player Mike Webster.

2010: The NFL implements harsher penalties for players who target another player’s head when tackling.

2013:The NFL settled a lawsuit with former players for $765 million.

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University of Hawai‘i football players Harold Moleni and Brenden Daley have both had concussions this season.

Daley’s concussion came in UH’s game against Oregon State on Sept. 7.

“I remember running down the field and about ready to have contact with another guy with my shoulder into his shoulder, and then that’s all I remember,” Daley said.

Moleni’s concussion happened against Nevada on Sept. 21.

“I caught a pass, turned up the field, and someone had tackled me already, so I got slowed down,” Moleni said. “The other person came from the side, and their helmet hit mine, kind of in the temple.”

Both players had to sit out for about a week, and they were a little nervous to play again.

“I guess there was a little bit of jitters,” Daley said. “You know, because I just didn’t wanna get another concussion.”

Many football players suffer concussions each year from playing, but Daley and Moleni believe football is safe and will continue to improve.

“If you look at football 15 years ago, obviously it was a lot different than it is now,” Moleni said. “So I think it’ll keep changing to make sure that they’re trying to protect the players.”

If UH football no longer existed

More than 90,000 precollegiate football players sustain concussions each year.  Economists Tyler Cowen and Kevin Grier researched the economic effects that concussions will eventually have on football. They found that football might not exist one day because of liability suits following concussions.

My story will look at UH football players who have had concussions and the effects as well as if it is true that football could one day end.