Football Linemen

This volume contains the chapters about linemen from the first three major books ever written about modern football, by three Hall of Fame coaches and the man who invented the flying wedge:American Football, by Walter Camp (1891), A Scientific and Practical Treatise on American Football for Schools and Colleges, by Amos Alonzo Stagg and Henry L. Williams (1893), and Football, by Walter Camp and Lorin F. Deland (1896).The original books were written during an era when players played the entire game without substitution. As a result, the descriptions of player positions mingled the responsibilities of what are now three separate and specialized offensive, defensive, and special teams platoons.Offensive backs were also defensive backs, punters, place-kickers, and kick-returners. The fullback was the defensive safety and primary kicker. The quarterback played a linebacker position ("rush line back") on defense. Linemen (also called "forwards" and "rushers") likewise played both offense and defense. The offensive tackle was sometimes used as a ball-carrier. This confusion is clarified in this updated volume which separates and categorizes the responsibilities into offensive and defensive platoons.The images in this volume were originally published in newspapers and magazines from 1857 to 1900.The Lost Century of Sports Collection publishes rare works from America's sporting heritage. Volumes include The Lost Century of American Football, The American Football Trilogy, The First Decade of Women's Basketball, and Daughters of the Lost Century.