“Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame” coming to VHS

The exhibition presents the story of professional football from its beginning in the late nineteenth century to the cultural phenomenon it is today.

March 7, 2016; 11:16 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

From the Virginia Historical Society:

The Virginia Historical Society (VHS) is pleased to announce that TowneBank will sponsor the next VHS special exhibition, Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The nationally touring exhibition kicks off at the VHS on May 28, 2016. The exhibition will be on display through September 4 in the Virginia Sargeant Reynolds Gallery.

Organized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, the exhibition presents the story of professional football from its beginning in the late nineteenth century to the cultural phenomenon it is today. Gridiron Glory consists of more than 200 artifacts and storied objects, hands-on interactive games, photography, unique documents, and film footage, all of which allows visitors to experience football like never before.

Except for hardcore football enthusiasts, most who follow the National Football League don’t necessarily think about the history of their favorite sport.

“Seeing Gridiron Glory will give visitors a chance to experience how the game developed over the decades,” said Paul Levengood, President and CEO of the VHS.

First played in 1869, gridiron football actually began as an intercollegiate sport played among Ivy League universities, quite different from football as we know it today. At its inception, football was played in teams of twenty-five players from universities like Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia, who continuously fought over what the rules of the game should be.

Gridiron Glory will take visitors through the history and development of American football with artifacts such as a Super Bowl trophy, a 1917 game ball used by Jim Thorpe and the Canton Bulldogs, Tom Dempsey’s famous kicking shoe created for his half-foot, and “Mean Joe” Greene’s jersey.

Admission to this special exhibition is free for VHS members. Admission for nonmembers is $20. Tickets [went] on sale Friday, March 4.

Learn more and purchase tickets online here.