When Football Went to War

On December 17, 1944 the Green Bay Packers won the NFL Championship. As America was glued to the radio to escape the news of the war, the game was interrupted by the shocking news the Germans had started a winter offensive we know today as the “Battle of the Bulge.” No professional league in America enlisted more of its players to fight and serve in World War II than the National Football League. The NFL had more officers in leadership than the MLB. Additionally, the MLB and many of its players were protected by the US Government as “Essential” to the war effort, while the NFL struggled to survive. During WWII the NFL was a rather newcomer, compared to the MLB. Many of the NFL stars were in some of the war’s bloodiest campaigns. Additionally, NFL players served and gave their lives not only in WWII, but Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.

Presented by Todd Anton, author of “When Baseball Went to War,” “No Greater Love: Life Stories from the Men Who Saved Baseball,” and “When Football Went to War.” Anton’s accounts have been sought after by the Department of the US Navy, ESPN, and Yahoo! Sports.