Big television contracts in the 1960s created the Super Bowl, as well as the 1970 merger of the National Football League with the pass-oriented American Football League. Since then, professional football has been America's most popular televised team sport, developing into a wide-open passing game by the 21st century. Handling the completion side of the aerial game, receivers are not often as celebrated as quarterbacks or coaches, even in the era of San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice's supremacy. This book provides a history of pro pass receiving and its influence on the game prior to the televised era. The author studies pro football's formative and mid-20th century years, highlighting the players who pulled pigskins from flight, like the legendary Don Hutson, Gibby Welch, Johnny Blood, Ray Flaherty, Crazy Legs Hirsch, Mac Speedie, Choo Choo Roberts and many others.

Presents biographical information, career statistics, and special achievements of people who have been inducted into the baseball, basketball, football, or hockey hall of fame.

Surveys the history of the forward pass and the players who have contributed to the strategy of the game.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this book presents the players, coaches, and managers who have received the game's ultimate accolade. Illustrated with b&w and color photos.

The "Pro Football Guide" lets fans relive the 1997 season and offers a glimpse ahead to 1998. Included is everything fans want to know about the season, such as weekly highlights, complete stats, and player-participation lists.

Explains the principles of football, the name and role of each position, and the history of the game. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs.

The editorial team of Pro Football Weekly brings its wealth of knowledge and front-line expertise together in the most complete annual available. This must-have for every football fan contains statistics, facts, behind-the-scenes stories, and expert commentary--all in this one authoritative volume.

Glossary of terms; histories of every team in the NFL; THe great moments in pictures, many in full color; biographies of every member of the pro football hall of fame.