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Understanding Halfbacks in American Football

This quiz tests your knowledge of halfbacks in American football, focusing on their roles, notable players, and the evolution of the position.

#American football #halfback #running back #NFL #football history

1 Examples of "power" running backs are Steven Jackson of the Saint Louis Rams, ________ of the New York Giants, and Marion Barber of the Dallas Cowboys.

2 One example of this type of running back is Kevin Faulk of the ________.

3 The sport's first triple threat, ________ of St. Louis University, ran, passed, received and punted out of the halfback position.

4 A great early example of a system that combined accomplished rushing skills with receiving ability is the offense of the ________ of the 1980s and 1990s under Bill Walsh and George Seifert.

5 Short yardage and goal-line backs are power backs that are not prone to ________.

6 In addition to skill at running the ball, some halfbacks in the ________ are known for their prowess at catching passes.

7 Although this is most often done by wide receivers and defensive backs, such as ________ (because they are generally the fastest players on the team), some halfbacks have enough speed and talent to perform this role.

8 Most teams used four offensive backs on every play: a ________, two halfbacks, and a fullback.

9 Their teams featured two ________ running backs who also had excellent receiving skills in Roger Craig and Ricky Watters.

10 The increase in demand for halfbacks with good receiving abilities can be attributed to the rise in popularity of the ________ and its variants, which often requires its halfbacks to catch passes on a regular basis.

💡 Interesting Facts

  • Frederick Josiah Bradlee was a Boston Brahmin, an All-American halfback and the father of Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee.
  • Virginia Cavaliers halfback Eugene "Buck" Mayer became the first consensus first-team All-American from a Southern school in 1915.
  • University of Pittsburgh halfback Gibby Welch broke the single-season yardage record set by Red Grange, gaining 1,964 yards in just nine games in 1926.
  • Hugh Knox, son of the U.S. Secretary of State and Attorney General, was an All-American halfback at Yale.
  • Joe Shell, the conservative Republican who challenged Richard Nixon for the 1962 California governorship was a champion football halfback in 1939 and 1940.
  • in 1899 Isaac Seneca became the first Native American to be named as an All-American football player while playing halfback for the Carlisle Indian School.
  • future U.S. President Gerald Ford waited tables at the fraternity house of Michigan halfback Herman Everhardus.
  • Ray Courtright, once considered Oklahoma's greatest halfback, pitched a no-hitter for the Sooners and coached the Nevada basketball and Michigan golf and wrestling teams to championships.
  • Michigan halfback Tom Kuzma was described as "a smacker from Smackersville".
  • Michigan halfback Ted Kress set a Big Ten single-game rushing record with 218 yards in his second conference game.
  • Georgia Tech halfback and College Football Hall of Fame inductee "Stroop" Strupper used lip-reading to overcome deafness.
  • Dartmouth football halfback Dave Morey was given the nickname "David the Giant Killer" by American sportswriter Grantland Rice.
  • American football halfback Franklin Morse (pictured) was the model for a drawing, prints of which reportedly "hung in most college rooms throughout the country" during the 1890s.
  • halfback Andy Hastings led the 1916 Pitt football team to a national championship and was also elected president of Pitt's University Glee Club.
  • halfback Chuck Ortmann punted 24 times in the famed 1950 Snow Bowl, having decided the best strategy was to keep the slick ball on the other side of the field in the opponents' hands.
  • Michigan halfback Paul Magoffin later coached the George Washington "Hatchetites" on the White House Ellipse.
  • Indiana halfback Chuck Bennett built his physique working in coal mines and was selected as the MVP of the Big Ten Conference despite playing for the ninth place team.
  • "Canonsburgh Comet" Leo Koceski, halfback for Michigan's 1948 national championship and 1950 Rose Bowl championship teams, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
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