The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football

by John J. Miller

John J. Miller delivers the intriguing, never-before-told story of how Theodore Roosevelt saved American Football—a game that would become the nation’s most popular sport. Miller’s sweeping, novelistic retelling captures the violent, nearly lawless days of late 19 th century football and the public outcry that would have ended the great game but for a crucial Presidential intervention. Teddy Roosevelt’s championing of football led to the creation of the NCAA, the innovation of the forward pass, a vital collaboration between Walter Camp, Charles W. Eliot, John Heisman and others, and, ultimately, the creation of a new American pastime. Perfect for readers of Douglas Brinkley’s Wilderness Warrior , Michael Lewis’s The Blind Side , and Conn and Hal Iggulden’s The Dangerous Book for Boys , Miller’s The Big Scrum reclaims from the shadows of obscurity a remarkable story of one defining moment in our nation’s history.

Genres: Sports, History, Football, Nonfiction, Presidents, American History, Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2011

About the author

John J. Miller writes for National Review, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of The First Assassin, a historical thriller, plus several works of nonfiction. He is a contributing editor of Philanthropy magazine and a consultant to grantmaking foundations. The Chronicle of Higher Education has called him “one of the best literary journalists in the country.”

Reviews

[Karl Kindt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many paragraphs of this text are spent on TR's hunting and health and other tangential issues. Little is spent on TR and football because there is little to say. TR did some crucial bully pulpit work in 1905 to push reforms. That's about it. 70% background of TR, 30% about football, which never had a big scrum, by the way. The only thing that saved this and made it worth reading is I wanted to know more about how football grew out of rugby (which this book barely touches on), to know about the early changes in football's rules (which this book touches on somewhat), and to know more about TR (which is mostly what this book is about). Unfortunately, I still feel like I need to read a dedicated book about TR and one about football to get the full details.

[The Sunday Book Review]

Fan of football? Know nothing about football? Then this book is for you. How can it be for these two polar opposite types of people?

Here you will read the history of football from the very first day. Nothing is skipped here. In fact did you know that football as we know it is so different from the original direction of the game it would be unrecognizable to the founders? Some of the changes are minute, but others are insane! Can you imagine football without the forward pass? Yeah, I can't either.

It shocked me to read just how close the demise of football was. With so many of its players dying (helmets and padding are a relatively new thing) many called for it to be broken up. And it would have been had President Roosevelt not fallen in love with the game after watching it's first every game played.

This book is great! Any football lover or young boy/girl showing interest in football will eat this book up. As a non huge football watcher, I appreciated that the author told history in a story format. While there were dates, places and people to remember, he didn't make it feel like high school history with a test at the end of the week. He made it fun. He made the story memorable. And what husband doesn't want their wife to have a more positive emotional tie to football? This book will make those Football Sundays a day to look forward to.

Want to call yourself a real football-head? READ THIS BOOK!

[Amy Moritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since my college football reporting duties have increased and I have a love of all things historic, this seemed like a great book to pick up in August. I wasn't disappointed. Football, as we know it in America, almost was banned shortly after its development after a series of deaths, injuries and general violent mayhem was experienced on college campuses. Teddy Roosevelt had a significant hand in guiding the influential men in football toward instituting reforms which made the the game more safe and created the NCAA. (For better or worse!) The most interesting part of the book for me was the history of Roosevelt, how had physical ailments as a boy (most notably asthma) but actively worked to overcome them through exercise, outdoors and boxing. He believed in "the strenuous life" and "Muscular Christianity" and a strong connection between mind and body. He was considered the first "sporting president" in the U.S. and perhaps we could all use a return to embracing the mind-body connection and time spent outdoors. It's interesting to see the concerns about the brutality and danger of football have been part of the game since its inception. Makes one wax philosophical about sport, activity, health and danger. It's an enjoyable and informative book for those who like historical reads.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

High level TR bio plus high level recounting of the early days of American football. The link between TR and football is there but maybe more tenuous than Miller makes it out to be. Early football was unorganized and very dangerous. Many people wanted to outlaw it. Enter our vigorous president who was a football fan, although he never played the game. His behind the scenes influence may have helped the founders of the game to make the game more like what we have today.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super interesting read. I found it fascinating to read about the early days of football; Walter Camp, John Heisman, the glory days of Harvard vs Yale. The title notwithstanding, Teddy Roosevelt saving football was only one chapter, the rest was background.

[Gretchen Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book went in a lot of different directions, not all of them relevant.

[Rob Slaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

For once I actually bothered to acquire this book on purpose rather than receiving it for free. Because of that, I'm doubly motivated to be honest about it.

On the positive side, the book does cover a rather little-known period of history. We don't often give much thought to the early-early history of football and in traditional history classes the wars get all the coverage. The life of collegiate athletes during the early 1900s is vastly under appreciated. Our author also does a great job of pulling forth some interesting tidbits from the period and stitching them together. In a vast deviation from my usual habit, I'm keeping this book on the shelf to read again in a year or so. It's just that informative.

On the negative side, the whole Roosevelt connection is a bit of a sham. Yes, he agreed with the idea of keeping football around but his role was tiny when compared with others of the time. His portrait is on this book just to sell copies of it. Admittedly, that's what got me to buy it but I did feel rather duped at the end. Further, the author does have some wonderfully history encapsulated in this book but it can get rather tedious. Events are not described in chronological order, are often repeated and sometimes just plain muddled. Organizationally this could use some work.

In summary, a lot of really nice factoids here for the patient. A bit of a misrepresentation as titles go, but still well worth the read.

[Chase Fairchild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book that covers history of football and life of Teddy Roosevelt. Favorite part was the information about "Muscular Christianity," a movement originated in England centered around the idea that our bodies are temples. The idea is that it is an act of worship to keep our bodies in good physical shape. This movement swept the United States, which at the time had a large Christian population. This movement inspired the YMCA which was simply a bible study group to add gymnasiums and the rest of history. Light and interesting read.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at early football. Mostly a profile of "Muscular Christianity" and Teddy Roosevelt. I enjoyed the book but it was less of what it claimed to be than I excepted.

[David King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting for its intersection with the 'Muscular Christianity' of the late 1800's and early 1900's.

[Adam Nowicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Big Scum begins with the two central concepts, Teddy Roosevelt and Football. For this book the two themes are inextricably linked and propel the book forward. However, some of the momentum that established by Roosevelt attending his first football game is then lost as we delve into the background of Teddy. I understand that establishing Teddy as an individual who overcame some physical issues is important, and that content is fascinating and necessary to the narrative being drawn. There were some passages, such as the topics of Muscular Christianity or the deep dive into Tom Brown’s Schooldays, then seemed to meander and could have been edited a bit more. This criticism also applies to some of the longer sections about Roosevelt’s love of hunting. It is well established early in the novel that Theodore Roosevelt loves the outdoors, loved sport and exercise, and prided himself on his competitive spirit. Further description after this establishment is ponderous. While that may seem harsh, there is a line between interesting and unnecessary. The content is interesting, but I feel that there was so much that some could have been left on the cutting room floor.

The continuing mentions of Muscular Christianity and Tom Brown’s Schooldays is especially notable. The topics are frequently brought up in regard to several historical figures in a manner that implies that the figure knew or espoused the views of Muscular Christianity. This is fundamentally misleading and confusing. Charles Eliot is the prime example of this issue. Many of his accomplishments and ideas are tied to Muscular Christianity and Tom Brown’s Schooldays by correlation, with no evidence given that he had read Tom Brown’s Schooldays or took stock in Muscular Christianity.

Muscular Christianity is the biggest point of contention I have with this book. It is not adequately described as a movement. People mentioned often practice aspects of Muscular Christianity, but it’s never stated if these individuals actually subscribed to the the ideas of Muscular Christianity. There is a lot of supposition and correlation, which could have been easily corrected by simply saying “while not a follower of Muscular Christianity person X had many attributes that aligned with it.” That is, of course, assuming that Muscular Christianity was the name of an actual movement, as opposed to a set of ideas that was retroactively called Muscular Christianity.

Fundamentally, this book is a dual narrative of the early days of football, and the very general life of Theodore Roosevelt, and how, at one small point in history Theodore Roosevelt helps put the pieces in motion for football to become a safer sport. The title of the book really oversells Roosevelt’s contribution. The most direct action he takes is calling for a short conference with some prominent footballers at the time to open their minds to changes. After that there is some quick correspondence and that’s it.

Personally I was let down. The way the book was sold posited a story of how Roosevelt saved football. It’s in the title. But that’s simply not the case. He nudged some people. I learned a lot about the early days of football. I reread some things I knew about Roosevelt. I was really annoyed by, what I found to be, misleading attribution. There are better books on Roosevelt, and there are certainly better books on the early history of football.

[Paul Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did Teddy Roosevelt save football as the book jacket suggests? Not really, but it hardly matters. This book is two parallel stories from the same era that occasionally intersect: a light bio of Roosevelt (a truly remarkably historical figure) and the early history of football (a truly remarkable game). Both are influenced by “Muscular Christianity” which was a philosophical movement that emphasized patriotism, discipline, self-sacrifice, often expressed through athleticism. Football makes great men! It’s not coincidental that drawings of the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill resemble a football team running a sweep. Teddy does play a role as President by summoning the football powers that be to evolve the rules of the game - despite its wild popularity, some wanted the game banned because it was too dangerous. Football fans will get a kick out of the evolution of the early game (e.g. the offensive tackle has that name because players played both ways and that position on defense was who typically made the most tackles). Net net - if you love history AND football, this is for you.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the commencement of the 20th century, college football was characterized by chaos and inherent danger. Amidst this tumultuous landscape emerged two prominent figures: Charles Elliott, the President of Harvard, and Theodore Roosevelt. Elliott harbored a desire to eliminate football, while Roosevelt advocated for its safety. TR was a fervent proponent of the “vigorous” lifestyle."Christian Masculinity - remember this is the latter part of the 19th and Early 20th century so the term is time bound) Elliott was the preeminent leader in American higher education but on this subject he was immovable from advocating complete abolition. Yet, within the University there were people who disagreed with the President.

TR through energy and persistence ultimately got a group to standardize rules and reduce the violence in the game. John Miller has written of the early days of the game and how the clash of these powerful figures played out.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old prof once told me that it was hard to write a dull book about Theodore Roosevelt, and this one proves the rule. Roosevelt’s actual connection with football was pretty limited; in fact, that whole story could have been told in one of those great American Heritage articles that I enjoyed as a high school student six decades ago. Nevertheless, The Big Scrum (a catchy, but not especially relevant, title) provides a fascinating review of Roosevelt’s own “strenuous life.” It also contains extended biographical sketches of Walter Camp and Charles W. Eliot, traces the origins of football to “muscular Christianity” and Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1857), details the beginnings of the Harvard-Yale football rivalry, and repeatedly reminds a modern reader just how violent the early game could be. This is not a book with a lot of Big Ideas. But it’s fun to read.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a good deal more TR bio than I planned for but it was all well done and interesting. The book is a bio of TR, Walter Camp, and Charles Eliot. And, of course there is the game itself. Football. The book explores the violent game that football was in its formative years just after the Civil War. Colleges had internal struggles about whether to continue and expand their student football programs or shut them down. Out of this, compromises were formed leading to rules changes and the growth of the game. TR’s presidential role emerges on page 190 out of a total of about 223 pages. The whole book is very readable, outstanding and enjoyable. Much good history collected here which may exist uncollected in other places. This is good for the athlete, the fan and the historian. JIM

[NaturesComboMeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical story about the game of football. Is as much about football as it is about Teddy Roosevelt. Paints a wonderful picture of the Walter Camp Era.

Don’t expect a ‘Teddy Roosevelt book with football’ because this is a ‘football book with Teddy.’

Only negatives were that the chapters are a bit long. I like to be able to read a chapter at a time, not stopping in between. Each chapter would take me (not necessarily a fast reader) about 45 minutes. That’s just tough to fit into a busy day. Additionally, it could find itself in information overload a bit - especially with name drops and other information that does flesh out the book but can lead to a lot of rereading certain paragraphs to keep things straight.

Not a perfect book, but a personal favorite indeed.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a nice history of the early development of college football and a brief biography of Roosevelt, the part of the book where Roosevelt "saves" football consists of about four pages. The early game of football was very violent and after the high profile deaths of some players, there were calls from "Progressives" to ban the game. Basically the President "saved" the game by calling a bunch of college football coaches together and told them to make some rule changes to make the game less dangerous. While I enjoyed the book, it didn't live up to the title given to it.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your trying to get a high school boy who's interested in sports to also get interested in history then this is the book. The title is accurate, but it's even better than it sounds. T.R. goes so far to say that the American Soldier is a cut above because of the American's love of games like football. A great conversation piece and another attribute of Teddy Roosevelts leadership that is generally unknown. A great gift for gents that enjoy football and history.

[Marshall Schurtz · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book has interesting facts about the very earliest formation of the sport of American Football, the Teddy Roosevelt bits feel like digressions and his contribution was far less than the author leads us to believe. Overall, it's a pretty easy read and worth reading if you would like to learn about how football evolved in the 19th century, though there are surely better books for that topic.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's all about TR, "the strenuous life", Masculine Christianity and saving the game from all who would see it abolished. TR knew well to allow those, like Walter Camp, to resolve & apply reforms that would see football to its adulthood while he himself stayed in the shadows. But a little push here and there helped. All in all, it was in its beginning a violent game that needed to evolve into what we know it is today. On second thought, isn't still a violent game?

[Ethan Tussey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting historic details. The authors politics frame a lot of the information. In an alternate universe their is a version of this book that points out we never really addressed the problems college football unleashed at its inception. I love the game and the history but the authors take was too simplistic.

[J Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good facts and stories about the very early history of American football. However, too many pages were spent on side stories and deep biographies that pertained little to football. The book could have been trimmed by at least one-third, and it would have been a better read. Still, recommended for serious college football enthusiasts with a one of the game's history.

[Ethan Weingart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing look at the origins of football, the NCAA and about Roosevelt’s upbringing and career. It is wild to see how far the game has come and even more wild to think that the forward pass was seen as devil magic before the mid 1910s.

Would recommend to those interested in history and those who want to learn more about the beginnings of America’s most popular sport.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love football and like Teddy Roosevelt, then this a perfect book for you. It is about evenly split between telling the story of football's origin and early days and TR's early life and health issues. While I'm not a huge TR fan, I did find this book enjoyable and an easy read.

[Robert M Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating tale about the beginning of football, but Teedie starred in it far less than the title suggests. More about the people who saved football. Certainly TR was instrumental I. It’s saving but it’s a stretch to say he saved it. Good read if you like football, though!

[Jeffrey Forst · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really, understand the true correlation between football and Theodore Roosevelt. They were historically adjacent to one another and I feel the author forced the connection. I would have much rather it been a football history book or a Theodore Roosevelt biography, not both.

[Trevor Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Of all games I personally like football the best, and I would rather see my boys play it than see them play any other.” -Teddy Roosevelt

My favorite sport and my favorite historical figure. It’s fascinating how the sport was contested from inception and continues to be today.

[Matthew Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information on the early days of football.

[Marc Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I great gift for any football fanatic.

[Greg P · Rating 3 out of 5]

neat!