Tracing the long and colorful history of a nation's most popular spectator sport, this unique book encapsulates football's hazy beginnings in twelfth century England and traces its history to the most recent NFL events. From the development of college football over a hundred years ago to the birth of professional football and how the teams and leagues are today, this complete volume tells it all. The sport's most compelling moments and most talented players and coaches come to life through exciting text and photographs.

Nestled on a picturesque spot near the banks of the Mississippi River, Louisiana State University is a photographer's dream. From the red pantile roofs and honey-colored stucco of its Italian Renaissance architecture to the "stately oaks and broad magnolias" hailed in the alma mater, the distinct beauty of the campus is unrivaled. Few, however, realize that the history of the state's flagship university is as colorful as the azaleas that adorn its landscape every spring. Through an entertaining marriage of photographs and text, Under Stately Oaks showcases over 140 years of LSU's past and follows the evolution of the tiny Seminary of Learning of the State of Louisiana, founded near Pineville in 1853, into a university of well over thirty thousand students for the twenty-first century. Thomas F. Ruffin sets the images in historical context and offers fascinating information that will enlighten even the most ardent LSU fan. From the first LSU students in 1860 to the 75th anniversary celebrations of the current Baton Rouge campus in 2001, Under Stately Oaks captures the spirit of the university as never before.