Looks like four of the six episodes are about pro football before the NFL. The last two look like they are about the early NFL years.
Episodes:
Origins: Football pioneers such as Walter Camp, Charles Follis and Williams "Pudge" Heffelfinger were instrumental in creating a new sport that included Ivy League teams, Ohio and Pennsylvania athletic clubs and the Shelby (Ohio) Blues.
Ringers: Early football was a "wild west" of players eager to make their mark and fortune, including Case Western Reserve's George "Peggy" Parratt, who played under an assumed name to maintain his college eligibility. Episode includes stories about the Columbus Panhandles, Acme Packers of Green Bay, Akron industrial teams and the Ironton Tanks.
Scandals: Cheating scandals between teams such as the Massillon Tigers and Canton Bulldogs were common, so was brutality on the field that led to the intervention of President Roosevelt.
Legends: Jim Thorpe and Knute Rockne brought money and attention to the game. Rule changes such as the forward pass helped strike a balance between offense and defense. The Ohio League's success sets the stage for expansion of the sport.
Formation: Ohio is pivotal in guiding the future of football with the first owners meeting in Canton to form what would become the NFL. The first NFL game is played in Dayton, Akron wins the first league title, and Columbus becomes the league's headquarters. Star running back Fritz Pollard makes history as the first African-American coach in Akron.
Business: The arrival of Red Grange and other college stars ends the sandlot era. Teams in Portsmouth, Ironton and Dayton can't compete with the success of the Green Bay Packers, which would become the only small-market team to survive.
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