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The Way We Played The Game: A True Story of One Team and the Dawning of American Football Paperback – September 1, 2002

by John Armstrong (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
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Football in 1903 was vastly different from the slick spectacle we watch every Sunday afternoon on TV in the fall. It was a brutal, nonstop war fought by young men and boys on muddy high school and college fields across America. Bloody faces, broken bones, concussions and the shockingly high risk of death were the main attraction for hometown fans. The level of violence nearly got the sport banned in 1902, were it not for the intervention of President Teddy Roosevelt.

In a well-researched true story, we learn how Coach Clayton Teetzel introduces the modern concepts of speed, intelligence and strategy to this brawlers' game, and also instills character in his players. Creatively told in the voice of Fletcher Van Horn, the unlikely quarterback of his high-school football team, this inspiring story depicts the down-and-dirty details of how early football was played. At the same time, the culture of small-town life in turn-of-the-century America is displayed with unabashed honesty―the hopes, dreams and harsh realities of a community who pulled together while rooting for their team.

The story of how an undersized high school sophomore leads his team to victory is a classic tale of overcoming adversity and the triumph of the underdog. It is also a unique and masterfully told account of a time and a game few know―with tremendous appeal to both sports fans and history buffs. As Friday Night Lights did for modern high-school football, The Way We Played the Game establishes itself as the classic account of football's crude beginnings.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sourcebooks
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.96 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1570719411
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1570719417
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Armstrong deserves full marks for creative effort in his attempt at telling the story of the Benton Harbor (Mich.) High School football team's 1903 season and at evoking the spirit of American football in its nascent form. In the prologue, he stages the book as an ostensible manuscript by the team's quarterback, Fletcher Van Horn, whose memoir about the team, written in his old age, was discovered after moldering in a church basement for three decades. Unfortunately, this construction, like so much of the story that follows, seems a little too transparent and contrived. The action centers on Benton Harbor's quest to exact revenge on a bunch of fast, physical players from a northern Michigan high school who beat them for the state title perhaps unfairly the year before. Enter disciplined, strategizing Coach Clayton Teetzel, who is hired to help the team on its mission, and the stage is set for a clash between the "thinking man's game" and superior skill. Added to the mix is Van Horne, the scrawny, unlikely hero with a lot of moxie, who takes over as Benton Harbor's quarterback. The problem for Armstrong (an architect and contributor to Michigan History Magazine), in his first book, is that his premise presents many of the issues of a novel, yet the drama is flat and predictable, and several characters, like the hawker Colonel Eastman or the antifootball crusader Miss Fitzgerald, are obvious catchalls for certain period details. The book does, however, give readers a sense of a changing game whose brutality put it in serious danger of being outlawed.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Like the college game, high school football 100 years ago was brutal and undisciplined. Telling the story of the Benton Harbor high school team of 1903, Armstrong uses the voice of one player, Fletcher van Horne, to relate an epic tale of how new coach Clayton Teetzel molded the team into a successful, rule-respecting combine. Overcoming injuries, bitter rivalries, and other problems, the team fought on to the state title game. Armstrong, who frequently writes for Michigan History magazine, weaves jumbled scores, changed names, and a fictitious romance between the coach and an anti-football teacher into the authentic story. The result is a brisk picture of the game in an earlier era that many public libraries can use. Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hosp. Lib., Tuscon, AZ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks (September 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1570719411
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1570719417
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.96 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

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John Armstrong

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Todd Mosier
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for football history buffs!
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
Just started reading “The Way We Played The Game” tonight. I read it several years ago as well. It’s about the early days of the game of football, written in a first person format. It’s a great read, and historically accurate, although it is based on old notes and newspaper articles that the author located, so there is some of the story that has been written without being “100% true”. If you love football, especially the history of the game, I strongly suggest reading this book!
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James Rockhill
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling history of local events with a national impact
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
Armstrong has recaptured an important event in Southwestern Michigan more than a century ago, which had an impact on sports throughout the nation, and has captured the context in which they occurred and the people involved so well that the book should appeal to readers well beyond those interested in sports or local history.
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George K.
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
Nice quality
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Dr. Jon R. Wallace
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
Wonderful writing and a look at the very earliest days of football.
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Joan Chadde
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for all ages, especially if you like football and/or history!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2006
I first heard this book read on National Public Radio's "Radio Reader" program. I was enthralled with the history of high school football. I've since given a copy to my 14 year old son, 45 year old brother in-law, and 80 year old aunt, and ALL have greatly enjoyed the book!! The descriptions of the game as told by the quarterback are vivid...one hangs on every word rooting for the home team. It was great to read of teams in familiar places like Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Ann Arbor, as well as the intimidation felt towards the U.P. powerhouse teams (they were a bunch of miners' sons!) from Ishpeming and Escanaba.
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