The Big Scrum - by John J Miller (Paperback)

About the Book

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 19th 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.

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

Football's first golden age was characterized by incredible violence and life-threatening danger, and the new sport's popularity grew even as the casualties rose. After dozens of players were killed in brutal incidents that rattled the national consciousness, a proto-progressive movement attempted to abolish the game.

At that critical moment, President Roosevelt, an outspoken advocate of "the strenuous life" and a longtime fan of the game, fought to preserve football's rugged essence. In 1905, Roosevelt summoned key football coaches to the White House for a historic meeting. The result was the establishment of the NCAA and a series of rule changes, including the advent of the forward pass, which not only saved the sport but transformed football into what it is today: the quintessential American game.

Review Quotes

"[Miller] is on target with a necessarily selective biography highlighting Roosevelt's lifelong affinity for sports and physical activity, thereby providing context for understanding why a president would devote valuable time to what was then a minor sport. [An] enjoyable history of a seldom-explored turning point in American sports history." - Booklist

"Football enthusiassts and Theodore Roosevelt admirers will both enjoy and learn from these little-known but important historic events that preserved from extinction one of America's favorite sports." - Tweed Roosevelt, president of the Theodore Roosevelt Association

"In Miller's hands, the story of Theodore Roosevelt's love for, and defense of, 'the great game' has as much vigor and passion as Roosevelt himself. It's a fascinating and thoroughly American tale." - Candice Millard, author of The River of Doubt

"The Big Scrum tells the fascinating story of why Teddy Roosevelt thought football was so relevant to American life, and how and why the game he essentially fathers became one of this country's most mportant cultural institutions. . . . You should take the time to read this book." - Sal Paolantonio, national correspondent, ESPN

"A worthy addendum to the story of football's rise . . . [and] a good yarn." - Kirkus Reviews