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NFL Century: The One-Hundred-Year Rise of America's Greatest Sports League
From the former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame comes a sweeping and lively history of the National Football League, timed to coincide with the NFL’s 100th anniversary season.
“I can think of no one better qualified—or more enthusiastic—to chronicle the National Football League’s century-long history than Joe Horrigan.”—Marv Levy, Hall of Fame NFL coach
The NFL has come a long way from its founding in Canton, Ohio, in 1920. In the hundred years since that fateful day, football has become America’s most popular and lucrative professional sport. The former scrappy upstart league that struggled to stay afloat has survived a host of challenges—the Great Depression and World War II, controversies and scandals, battles over labor rights and competition from rival leagues—to produce American icons like Vince Lombardi, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady. It is an extraordinary and entertaining history that could be told only by Joe Horrigan, former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and perhaps the greatest living historian of the NFL, by drawing upon decades of NFL archives. Compelling, eye-opening, and authoritative, NFL Century is a must-read for NFL fans and anyone who loves the game of football.
Advance praise for NFL Century
“Joe Horrigan takes the reader on a delightful tour of the seminal moments of the NFL in the past one hundred years—the players, owners, coaches, executives, and historical events that made the game of football the most popular in America. It’s a wonderful walk down memory lane for any football fan, young or old.” —Michael Lombardi, author of Gridiron Genius
“There is no one—and I mean no one—who knows more about the history of the NFL than Joe Horrigan, the heart and soul of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the gold standard of sports leagues celebrates its one hundredth season, it’s appropriate that the gold standard of sports historians has written NFL Century, an entertaining and educational journey.” —Gary Myers, New York Times bestselling author of Brady vs Manning
“I can think of no one better qualified—or more enthusiastic—to chronicle the National Football League’s century-long history than Joe Horrigan.”—Marv Levy, Hall of Fame NFL coach
The NFL has come a long way from its founding in Canton, Ohio, in 1920. In the hundred years since that fateful day, football has become America’s most popular and lucrative professional sport. The former scrappy upstart league that struggled to stay afloat has survived a host of challenges—the Great Depression and World War II, controversies and scandals, battles over labor rights and competition from rival leagues—to produce American icons like Vince Lombardi, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady. It is an extraordinary and entertaining history that could be told only by Joe Horrigan, former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and perhaps the greatest living historian of the NFL, by drawing upon decades of NFL archives. Compelling, eye-opening, and authoritative, NFL Century is a must-read for NFL fans and anyone who loves the game of football.
Advance praise for NFL Century
“Joe Horrigan takes the reader on a delightful tour of the seminal moments of the NFL in the past one hundred years—the players, owners, coaches, executives, and historical events that made the game of football the most popular in America. It’s a wonderful walk down memory lane for any football fan, young or old.” —Michael Lombardi, author of Gridiron Genius
“There is no one—and I mean no one—who knows more about the history of the NFL than Joe Horrigan, the heart and soul of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the gold standard of sports leagues celebrates its one hundredth season, it’s appropriate that the gold standard of sports historians has written NFL Century, an entertaining and educational journey.” —Gary Myers, New York Times bestselling author of Brady vs Manning
384 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2019
66 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Joe Horrigan
4 books5 followersJoe Horrigan began his long career at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 as the museum's curator-researcher. Now the Hall of Fame's executive director, Horrigan oversees the operations and related programs of the nationally accredited museum. He also administers the Hall of Fame's annual enshrinee selection process. Regarded as the foremost historian on pro football, he has authored, co-authored, or edited several books on the subject, including The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 50th Anniversary Book: Where Greatness Lives. He is the co-host of the popular weekly national radio show Pro Football Hall of Fame Radio, on SiriusXM, and has been featured in numerous NFL Films presentations and sports documentaries.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 56 reviews
February 4, 2021
Overall interesting history of the NFL. I thought there would be more of a balanced overview of the entire 100 years of the NFL, but the amount of time spent on the formation of the league was heavily focused on. I didn't know about the amount of started and failed teams throughout the early years of the league, so that was interesting. It was also interesting to learn about the development of paying players, owners creating live events to engage fans, and then changing their approach to focusing on securing television deals, and other changes throughout the league that have morphed the NFL into what it is today.
January 1, 2026
A quick view of NFL history. Easy to read and aimed at an average fan this isn’t too detailed and has short chapters to keep things moving along. Horrigan picks out key areas over the last 100 years to tell the story.
November 20, 2019
This is an enjoyable read if you come into things with the right expectations. NFL Century is by no means a comprehensive history of the NFL. Think of it more like a compendium of NFL-related highlights and amusing anecdotes about some (but certainly not all) of the star athletes and dynastic teams throughout the NFL's history. Horrigan also writes a lot about the business side of the game and how it evolved from a collection of teams from small Midwestern cities into the economic juggernaut it is today. I felt the sweet spot of the book was covering the 60's through the 90's. I'm personally less interested in the very early days of the NFL compared to when the sport was more similar to the modern game and I'm already well-versed in what has happened in the NFL recently just by virtue of being a big football fan. Horrigan works for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and while this likely provided him tons of access to resources that benefits this book, it also means that he undoubtedly faced some pressure to toe the company line in his writing. He is pretty even-handed throughout the league's history through the 80's (George Preston Marshall was a racist jerk and the labor unrest in the 80's was a bad look for the players and owners, and such mis-steps and colorful characters get their due) but once we get to the Tagliabue era things suddenly get very rosy and I mean that isn't the most nuanced historical assessment in the world. If you're willing to overlook that fact it's still a pretty fun read. Definitely one of those "if you think it looks worthwhile based on its title you'll find it worthwhile" kind of books.
November 19, 2019
Review title: Protecting the Shield
This history of the League on its 100th anniversary is just that: a history of the National Football League from the league's perspective. Perhaps it is only to be expected that a history written by the executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame would major in "protecting the Shield", the phrase author Joe Hirrigan attributes as Roger Goodell's approach to leading the league as its current Commissioner. But that focus leaves this history less than I had expected.
The story of the founding of the league is an interesting story of small business and small-town America early in the 20th century. Horrigan mines the archives of the Hall to document the story and correct some oft-repeated legends that have grown up around that meeting of moderately successful northeast Ohio businessmen in a Canton, Ohio car dealership. The formative years as the league struggled to reach financial viability and stability as it transitioned to larger cities and across a broader scope of the US involved delicate financial, marketing, legal, and management decisions which Horrigan documents.
Along the way, the focus is on this off-field history of the establishment and growth of the league as an organization, with little focus on the on-field product and how it was played and evolved through the years I suppose this focus is appropriate for the title, and a book that attempted to document more playing and team history would become too big to carry, but it becomes a little too "inside football" to be truly engaging.
That original meeting in 1920 addressed three problems that would continue to plague the league throughout the subsequent century: "players' salary demands, keeping players from jumping from team to team, and college eligibility issues." (p. 318) Along the way, the league would need to survive franchise ownership and location issues, national crises (JFK assassination, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina), and personal conduct issues (betting scandals in the 60s, domestic violence in the 21st century), and Horrigan addresses these issues from the league's perspective. You won't find hard-hitting investigative writing here, or writing from the perspectives of the players, the cities that lost franchises, or the victims of Spygate and Deflategate.
Because the NFL is such a part of American culture and most sports fans' interest, this story is readable but lacks the balance and excitement to make it a must.
This history of the League on its 100th anniversary is just that: a history of the National Football League from the league's perspective. Perhaps it is only to be expected that a history written by the executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame would major in "protecting the Shield", the phrase author Joe Hirrigan attributes as Roger Goodell's approach to leading the league as its current Commissioner. But that focus leaves this history less than I had expected.
The story of the founding of the league is an interesting story of small business and small-town America early in the 20th century. Horrigan mines the archives of the Hall to document the story and correct some oft-repeated legends that have grown up around that meeting of moderately successful northeast Ohio businessmen in a Canton, Ohio car dealership. The formative years as the league struggled to reach financial viability and stability as it transitioned to larger cities and across a broader scope of the US involved delicate financial, marketing, legal, and management decisions which Horrigan documents.
Along the way, the focus is on this off-field history of the establishment and growth of the league as an organization, with little focus on the on-field product and how it was played and evolved through the years I suppose this focus is appropriate for the title, and a book that attempted to document more playing and team history would become too big to carry, but it becomes a little too "inside football" to be truly engaging.
That original meeting in 1920 addressed three problems that would continue to plague the league throughout the subsequent century: "players' salary demands, keeping players from jumping from team to team, and college eligibility issues." (p. 318) Along the way, the league would need to survive franchise ownership and location issues, national crises (JFK assassination, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina), and personal conduct issues (betting scandals in the 60s, domestic violence in the 21st century), and Horrigan addresses these issues from the league's perspective. You won't find hard-hitting investigative writing here, or writing from the perspectives of the players, the cities that lost franchises, or the victims of Spygate and Deflategate.
Because the NFL is such a part of American culture and most sports fans' interest, this story is readable but lacks the balance and excitement to make it a must.
September 2, 2019
(Audiobook) (3.5 Stars) Given that the NFL will officially play its 100th season when the Bears and Packers kick-off on Thursday, thought it might interesting to read what this history had to say about the league. It does try to cover the 100 years in a bit of survey fashion, highlighting the key people and moments that saw pro football evolve from the less-than-romantic image of thugs who couldn’t leave college ball behind to becoming the multi-billion dollar industry and the truly “American Sport”. There is certainly no shortage of material.
Yet, when Horrigan starts talking about the league when it was established in 1920, there is almost no mention of actions on the field. It is mostly the legal and financial actions of the various owners and agents trying to capitalize on making money on the game. The only mention of a player is when he talks about the impact of when Red Grange signed with the Chicago Bears. While teams played actual football, there is no mention of any on-field activity until he gets to the 1940s, when he starts to talk about the “T” formation and its impact on the game. From there, Horrigan incorporates more on-field activity, discussing key games (the 1958 NFL Championship, the AFL/NFL SuperBowls, the Immaculate Reception, etc), but still mentions a number of key off-field activities.
Admittedly, as a big football fan, much of the more current information was known to me. I did learn a great deal about the founding of the league and the early days when its was a quest for survival and growth. Yet, with so little mention of on-field activity in the first 20-30 years, it made it feel like nothing really happened on the field until long after the start of the league. That was a weakness.
Overall, not a bad read, but maybe not the end-all/be-all for the history of the game. The audiobook would seem to be as good or bad as the actual hard copy/ebook. A timely read, but don’t know if it will become a cannon text for football history.
Yet, when Horrigan starts talking about the league when it was established in 1920, there is almost no mention of actions on the field. It is mostly the legal and financial actions of the various owners and agents trying to capitalize on making money on the game. The only mention of a player is when he talks about the impact of when Red Grange signed with the Chicago Bears. While teams played actual football, there is no mention of any on-field activity until he gets to the 1940s, when he starts to talk about the “T” formation and its impact on the game. From there, Horrigan incorporates more on-field activity, discussing key games (the 1958 NFL Championship, the AFL/NFL SuperBowls, the Immaculate Reception, etc), but still mentions a number of key off-field activities.
Admittedly, as a big football fan, much of the more current information was known to me. I did learn a great deal about the founding of the league and the early days when its was a quest for survival and growth. Yet, with so little mention of on-field activity in the first 20-30 years, it made it feel like nothing really happened on the field until long after the start of the league. That was a weakness.
Overall, not a bad read, but maybe not the end-all/be-all for the history of the game. The audiobook would seem to be as good or bad as the actual hard copy/ebook. A timely read, but don’t know if it will become a cannon text for football history.
January 25, 2020
While it’s impossible to address every issue or tell every story of the NFL’s 100 year storied history, Horrigan is conspicuously quiet on some major controversies facing the League today. Read this book and learn about mergers, owners, money handling, and more; you can even read two chapters solely devoted to Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft and how amazing they are (nothing is remotely mentioned about Kraft’s sexual misconduct allegations). Two chapters that could’ve been used to, at least briefly, touch on the troubling prevalence of brain damage and the protests spearheaded by Kaepernick. Yet neither of these massive topics that have deeply impacted the way we understand and view the NFL today are even hinted at. You’d think readers would want to know how the League is moving forward and addressing modern day challenges, but instead you get pages on pages about how much the NFL spends on networking deals and how great all the commissioners were and continue to be. Some interesting tidbits and anecdotes can be found, but the heartbeat of what makes the NFL great and not so great is surprisingly hard to find in these pages.
Updated: I’m coming back because I just remembered that the referee lockout of 2012 was a pretty big deal too. However any type of refereeing hardly gets a nod from Horrigan either, let alone the lockout that impacted several games over the 2012 season. But enjoy reading about how Jerry Jones made all his money
Updated: I’m coming back because I just remembered that the referee lockout of 2012 was a pretty big deal too. However any type of refereeing hardly gets a nod from Horrigan either, let alone the lockout that impacted several games over the 2012 season. But enjoy reading about how Jerry Jones made all his money
September 7, 2020
As the NFL enters it second century, this is a look back at its first, from the pros just before 1920, to the organization of the league, and all the stories after.
It's a look at some of the familiar stories (if you're a football fan), told from a new angle, along with some new stories.
It's here from the 1958 Championship Game ("The Greatest Game Every Played"), to the formation of the AFL, to the glory years of the '70s, this is a fun look at the game. Plus, there are chapters about the first black quarterback to start in the NFL (James Harris), to how the Cowboys were built in the '90s, to the expansion of the game, both number of teams and breadth of reach.
One thing that bugged me about this book, though, are a couple of mistakes that I found. For example, the New York Jets signed Joe Namath, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL - but this books says it was the Chicago Cardinals (they had already moved). It also had the wrong score of SBII. Not major things, but it just makes me wonder what other errors are in here that I trust the author - the former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame - to have gotten right.
Not the worst book on the NFL I've read, but maybe not the best.
Read more of my reviews at Ralphsbooks. Also, follow my Instagram, @ralphandmostlybooks.
It's a look at some of the familiar stories (if you're a football fan), told from a new angle, along with some new stories.
It's here from the 1958 Championship Game ("The Greatest Game Every Played"), to the formation of the AFL, to the glory years of the '70s, this is a fun look at the game. Plus, there are chapters about the first black quarterback to start in the NFL (James Harris), to how the Cowboys were built in the '90s, to the expansion of the game, both number of teams and breadth of reach.
One thing that bugged me about this book, though, are a couple of mistakes that I found. For example, the New York Jets signed Joe Namath, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL - but this books says it was the Chicago Cardinals (they had already moved). It also had the wrong score of SBII. Not major things, but it just makes me wonder what other errors are in here that I trust the author - the former executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame - to have gotten right.
Not the worst book on the NFL I've read, but maybe not the best.
Read more of my reviews at Ralphsbooks. Also, follow my Instagram, @ralphandmostlybooks.
August 13, 2019
I received this book as an ARC from Crown in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have been a life long fan of the NFL and the NFL Hall of Fame and have been to the museum in Canton, OH several times. This book broke down and connected many stories of the NFL Hall of Fame and some of the Inductees that have made their mark on the league and some that are considered NFL legends such as Vince Lombardi, Joe Montana, Joe Namath and Brett Farve. I also learned so much of the history from this book and I loved the fact that an actual NFL Hall of Fame Commissioner did write this book and is considered the top historian of the league. I can not wait to not only add this to our library collection but purchase it for my own collection because not only will our community appreciate this book but a lot of my family and friends will appreciate this book as well.
We will consider adding this title to our Sports collection in our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
I have been a life long fan of the NFL and the NFL Hall of Fame and have been to the museum in Canton, OH several times. This book broke down and connected many stories of the NFL Hall of Fame and some of the Inductees that have made their mark on the league and some that are considered NFL legends such as Vince Lombardi, Joe Montana, Joe Namath and Brett Farve. I also learned so much of the history from this book and I loved the fact that an actual NFL Hall of Fame Commissioner did write this book and is considered the top historian of the league. I can not wait to not only add this to our library collection but purchase it for my own collection because not only will our community appreciate this book but a lot of my family and friends will appreciate this book as well.
We will consider adding this title to our Sports collection in our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
September 25, 2019
As the NFL celebrates it’s 100th year, it is appropriate that the man who has been involved with the Pro Football Hall Of Fame for over forty years would write a history of the league. Often sports history books will put the reader to sleep with play-by-play accounts of big games but this book avoids that pitfall by giving succinct game summaries only when necessary. Rather, the reader gets to hear about the significant behind the scenes events that were pivotal to the development of the sport. As a long time football fan, I enjoyed hearing about players that were stars when I was growing up in the fifties. I could remember watching historic games on TV and even seeing a few in person. Most interesting though is the role that the commissioners and owners have played in the history of the league. I would recommend this book to any football fan and as a follow up, I would suggest that you make a visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, to see many of the things that this book talked about.
October 6, 2025
A great history of the NFL and other professional leagues with some great stories from the legends of the game. The book heavily focuses on the first 30 or 40 years of the league in its various forms. What stands out is the leap some of the initial owners were taking to try and bring the world football.
What I didn't realize until recently was how the NFL needed congressional action to keep their league from violating anti-trust laws. There is a whole chapter to that saga and the importance it made to the rise of the current NFL.
He does discuss some of the early scandals in the game including playing high school players in games. There were also early allegations of cheating going on with the league.
What I didn't realize until recently was how the NFL needed congressional action to keep their league from violating anti-trust laws. There is a whole chapter to that saga and the importance it made to the rise of the current NFL.
He does discuss some of the early scandals in the game including playing high school players in games. There were also early allegations of cheating going on with the league.
October 26, 2019
A great book. Really. No, I'm serious. It was like taking a semester-long course on the history of the NFL. After a while all the names start to run together, but it was fascinating to go back to the start and see the beginning of this massive corporation/sports behemoth/new national past-time. I was very surprised to learn that the earliest "football leagues" came out of Ohio and, more specifically, that one of the very first teams was based here in Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton Triangles played in Triangle Park in Dayton and participated in some of the earliest AAFL seasons, the league that grew into the NFL. Who knew!
December 11, 2019
The essence of this book can be summed by the absence of one word, "concussion."
In the litany of "crises" that have beset the NFL, as described by the author, there isn't even a passing reference to the single most existential issue facing the NFL and football in general.
Essentially an extended organizational hagiography. Fixates excessively on owners, administrators and the business of football at expense of games and the players who played them.
Barely eked out a second star based on the description of some of the great contests, team dynasties, and extraordinary players.
In the litany of "crises" that have beset the NFL, as described by the author, there isn't even a passing reference to the single most existential issue facing the NFL and football in general.
Essentially an extended organizational hagiography. Fixates excessively on owners, administrators and the business of football at expense of games and the players who played them.
Barely eked out a second star based on the description of some of the great contests, team dynasties, and extraordinary players.
January 26, 2020
I read it for the NFL 100th season playoffs, and it’s fine, but unless you know the generals of the history, it isn’t going to do much. I have always looked at the NFL as a fascinating mix of the humans who conform it (owners, coaches, players and others), the decisions they make and the on-field product. However, this book decides to emphasize the owner and the business side of it, which isn’t uninteresting, but I was hoping for something more complete.
Read it, because it is a good book, but be warned:
a) It talks too much about the owners and the commissioners.
b) Just brushes over by some plays, and it often emphasizes how did it affect the business and what the owner thought of it.
c) It’s biased towards the NFL and glorified its commissioners. Doesn’t talk about Spygate, Deflategate, CTE, etc.
Read it, because it is a good book, but be warned:
a) It talks too much about the owners and the commissioners.
b) Just brushes over by some plays, and it often emphasizes how did it affect the business and what the owner thought of it.
c) It’s biased towards the NFL and glorified its commissioners. Doesn’t talk about Spygate, Deflategate, CTE, etc.
February 23, 2024
(Audiobook) 3 stars may be a little harsh as it did seem quite details... in places. I guess that's what I thought a little odd though. Some parts seemed very detailed, down to spending time talking through individual plays in games, or discussions that went on in a meeting... while other times these sort of things are skimmed over. It seems more detail was given from the earlier times of the leagues and less so on the modern times, when they probably had more reliable detail.
Anyway, all in all it was an interesting listen.
Anyway, all in all it was an interesting listen.
September 26, 2021
A light 'official' history, concentrating on the owners and NFL commissioner rather than the players or games.
The book is quite good and balanced on the early years (up to 1960s) but skips through the period from the 1990s to 2020 very quickly. No doubt the author assumes anyone who picks up such a book would have lived through and know that history, but it's a shame not to get more on how it evolved.
Engaging, but not very nutritious.
The book is quite good and balanced on the early years (up to 1960s) but skips through the period from the 1990s to 2020 very quickly. No doubt the author assumes anyone who picks up such a book would have lived through and know that history, but it's a shame not to get more on how it evolved.
Engaging, but not very nutritious.
March 19, 2020
A beautiful journey into the first 100 years of the NFL.
From the franchises that started all (and most never got to see their success) to the last Commissioner, NFL Century is the most complete research of the most powerful sports league in the world.
You must read this if you really want to understand why football has become the national pastime.
From the franchises that started all (and most never got to see their success) to the last Commissioner, NFL Century is the most complete research of the most powerful sports league in the world.
You must read this if you really want to understand why football has become the national pastime.
July 3, 2020
7 out of 10
I play Madden, but I don’t watch much American football or know it’s history well. I picked up this book to give me some history on the context of the game. For that purpose I’d say it did it’s job well, but it didn’t seem like a total comprehensive history. I would say if you’re a football nerd there are probably not a ton of new insights here.
I play Madden, but I don’t watch much American football or know it’s history well. I picked up this book to give me some history on the context of the game. For that purpose I’d say it did it’s job well, but it didn’t seem like a total comprehensive history. I would say if you’re a football nerd there are probably not a ton of new insights here.
July 30, 2020
I enjoyed this overview of the league's history, although it turned out to be more about the behind-the-scenes movers and shakers than about actual football games. It was an interesting look at the growth of the NFL over 100 years. The task before Joe Horrigan was nearly impossible, and he made a valiant attempt. It just wasn't what I was expecting.
January 10, 2022
Horrigan makes it a point that a real in depth look into the NFL would take multiple books and now I wish he had done that. This book works well as a great refresher for those who know the history of the NFL intimately and also as a great tool to introduce newcomers into the cornerstone of professional American football.
August 11, 2025
While a lot has happen in the six years since this book was published, if you want to get a good overview of how the NFL had grown and the stories behind the figures who cultivated it, you will be satisfied. Even if the book rarely, if at all confronts the more controversial sides of the NFL. It's a very positive book.
June 21, 2019
I got an advance copy of this book. It was a great read. With the NFL's 100th season approaching, if your looking to learn about the history of the game in one volume this is the book for you. Highly recemmended.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 56 reviews