FOOTBALL AMERICAN THE ULTIMATE BOOK
VON KUCZKOWSKI
ALEX
←← Justin Tucker (9) of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates the winning field goal at the end of the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on September 26, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. Justin Tucker set an NFL record with his 66-yard game-winning field goal.
← Dontayvion Wicks (13) of the Green Bay Packers scores a touchdown during the third quarter in the game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on January 07, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
↑ Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (11) of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a touchdown pass against cornerback Brandon Carr (24) of the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri.
↑ The Green Bay Packers' football equipment from the early years to today can be admired in their Hall of Fame in the atrium of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Super Bowl tickets once cost between six and twelve dollars each. Today, their price has escalated beyond the reach of ordinary people. Average prices in 2024 hit 9,000 dollars a ticket. Even the companies hoping to buy commercial airtime during the Super Bowl are having to pay more for the privilege. TV ad slots that cost around 30,000 dollars in 1967 now go for six figure sums. In 2024, a 30-second commercial cost seven million dollars.
The NFL final is also one of the biggest days in the year for the food and beverage industry. Americans spend »Super Bowl Sunday« eating and drinking virtually nonstop in far greater quantities than usual. Fast food giant »Pizza Hut« takes on 10,000 extra workers just for this one day. Strangely, NFL players earn relatively little for their participation—compared to their regular salaries. For their triumph at the 2023 Super Bowl, the Chiefs »only« earned 157,000 dollars each.
← San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) gets the ball thrown to him in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, NV, 2024.
→↗ Michael Jackson performs during halftime of a 52–17 Dallas Cowboys win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, 1993.
→→ Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg (left to right) perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, 2022.
AARON DONALD
The best defensive player of the modern era
The defensive tackle is the archetype of the modern footballer. With his musclebound physique (Donald stood 6 feet ¾ inch tall and weighed 285 pounds) he was not afraid to take on two opponents simultaneously and would frequently win these seemingly one-sided contests. He was named »Defensive Player of the Year« three times, something that only two other players, Lawrence Taylor and J. J. Watt (from 2011 to 2020 with the Houston Texans), have achieved. Also impressive is the fact that in each of his ten NFL seasons he was selected for the NFL’s »All Star Team«. In the 2021 season he won the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.
In March 2024, Donald announced his retirement. Kyler Murray, quarterback with the Arizona Cardinals, wrote on X: »Thank God. It was an honor to play against the best of all time! Enjoy your retirement and please don’t ever come back …«
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Super Bowl victory
x NFL Defensive Player of the Year
← Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith (11) is sacked by Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald (99) in the second quarter at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, 2020.
DEION SANDERS
(*1967)
The most flamboyant NFL player of all time
PSuper Bowl victories 1 x NFL Defensive Player of the Year »
rime Time« defined the word spectacle. An extroverted multitalented football player, Sanders’ position was cornerback. Although he specialized in interceptions, he had many strings to his bow. As a return specialist and wide receiver, he played up a storm. Between 1989 and 2005 he made 24 touchdowns.
Astonishingly, at the same time that Sanders was playing pro football, he was also signed to a professional baseball contract. He is the only athlete to score a home run in the MLB and a touchdown in the NFL in the same week (1989). And the only one to have played in both the MLB finals (1992 with the Atlanta Braves) and the NFL final. He twice won the Super Bowl (with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994 and with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995).
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← Hallelujah! Deion Sanders (21) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Giants, 1998. The Dallas Cowboys won the game 31-7.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The defining dynasty of the 2000s and 2010s
Between 2001 and 2018, the Patriots reached the Super Bowl nine times and hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy six times (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018). An NFL record that they share with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
These six titles make Bill Belichick (*1952) the NFL’s greatest »champion maker«. The head coach worked in New England from 2000 to 2023 and, together with Tom Brady (*1977), formed the most successful head coach/ quarterback pairing of all time. As defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, Belichick won two more Super Bowls (1986 and 1990). No other head coach in the NFL has won more playoff games than him.
Belichick, a frequently brusque man with an authoritarian management style, had a knack during his time with the Patriots for bringing in players who were not expected to make it big, but then developed into top performers under his guidance. These include tight end Rob Gronkowski (*1989) and wide receiver Julian Edelman (*1986).
→ Running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) scores a touchdown for the New England Patriots against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, NY, 2023.
↑ Head Coach Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XIX against the Miami Dolphins in Stanford, California, 1985. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 38-16.
↗ Head coach Bill Walsh gives a pregame speech in the locker room before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, 1983. The Niners defeated the Saints 27-0.
BILL WALSH
(*1931, †2007)
The man who perfected the »West Coast Offense«
The Genius« was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1988. During this period, the team won the Super Bowl three times (in 1981, 1984 and 1988). Walsh was regarded as a creative »play caller« and, as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals (1968–1975), had already refined the »West Coast offense« developed by Sid Gillman (*1911, †2003). This highly variable offensive strategy incorporates multiple short throws and precisely mapped running routes and is still used in the NFL today.
Following his triumph with the 49ers in the 1988 final, Walsh, who ran a tight ship and did not tolerate backtalk, stepped down and handed the reins to his former assistant George Seifert, who also triumphed with San Francisco in the 1989 NFL final. This makes the 49ers the only team to date to have defended the title with different coaches.
But then, suddenly, out of the blue it all ended. On June 29, 2007, the NFL simply closed its European franchises. One day, everything was fine and the next it was all over. A shock for many. The NFL had changed its strategy behind the scenes because »NFL Europe« had been losing money for years and was a financial drain. Instead, the »NFL International Series« was launched to »make it up« to the football fans outside the USA. This represented an entirely new level, because now European fans were no longer just able to watch test games but actual regular season games that were played overseas.
Since then, at least one regular NFL game has been played in London every year. The New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins kicked things off on October 28, 2007. The Jacksonville Jaguars have been coming every year since 2013. From 2016 to 2019 and in 2022, an additional regular season game was played every year at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Then in 2022, it was finally Germany’s turn. On November 13, 2022, the NFL hosted a regular season game in »Good Old Germany« for the first time. The venue chosen was Munich, but best of all was the chance to see the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, in action. The football legend walked out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a historic confrontation with the Seattle Seahawks and emerged triumphant with the score 21–16 at the end of play. The pre-match scramble for tickets was unprecedented. Three million football fans wanted to get their hands on a ticket. In the end, only 69,811 spectators were able to watch the game live from inside the Allianz Arena. They got more than their money’s worth in the heady atmosphere that accompanied that memorable afternoon. Even Tom Brady professed to having goosebumps after the game, saying it was a day he would never forget.
↑ Tom Brady (12) and Rachaad White (29) in the NFL game Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Seattle Seahawks at Allianz Arena, Munich, 2022
A unique illustrated book about the fascination of American Football! Sports journalist Alex von Kuczkowski presents the history of the sport, the most legendary teams, players and coaches of the NFL as well as famous venues and the stars of the iconic half-time shows of the Super Bowl. With breathtaking pictures and informative texts, you will learn everything about the global triumph of American football.