You’ll Never Guess How the Football Huddle Got Its Start—Here’s the Fascinating History Behind This Strategy
I firmly believe that the only good thing about the end of summer is the beginning of football season . Though I’m a die-hard New York Giants fan (it’s been a rough few years, but things are gonna turn around!), I’ll watch any and every game I can. On Sundays—and Monday and Thursday nights—from Week 1 through the postseason, you’ll find me near a TV, very likely yelling at the announcers. But even if the extent of your football knowledge is the name of the team your family roots for, you’ve seen the huddle: The action ends, the players wander back toward one another, and suddenly they’re standing shoulder to shoulder in a little circle. There’s some serious discussion, a few nods, and then they break apart and race to their positions. It happens over and over, in every football game. It’s such a familiar part of the sport that most of us never stop to wonder about it. But why do football players huddle? As it turns out, this f...