Leatherhead football

American football actually dates back to the 19th century. Back then there was barely any protection for the players, unlike today, so the game was very rough. The best you ever saw was a leather helmet, hence the nickname "leatherhead". Many of today's NFL teams date back to that era including the Cardinals, Rams, and Eagles. There is a film based around that era known as Leatherheads. Rugby is close to what football was back then.