John J. Miller’s “The Big Scrum” tells the dramatic story of the moment when college football almost died—and the president who saved it. Miller transports the reader back to 1905, a time when the game’s brutal violence caused numerous deaths and sparked a national movement to abolish the sport entirely.
The book’s central figure is President Theodore Roosevelt. As a fan of the game’s toughness, Roosevelt intervened at a critical moment. He summoned the leaders of college football to the White House and demanded they reform the game to make it safer or risk a potential ban. This book expertly chronicles how that presidential ultimatum directly led to the creation of the forward pass and the birth of the NCAA. It is a gripping account of a pivotal event and essential reading for understanding the forces that shaped modern college football history. 🏈
