From 1953 to 1959, professional football's offensive and defensive tactics were in a transitional phase. As teams developed innovative strategies to attack the 5-2-4 defense, passing efficiency improved. In an attempt to counter this newfound passing success, the 4-3-4 defense evolved. This crucial shift in strategies is often overlooked in histories of the NFL, yet its impact on the game is still seen today.

The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL chronicles this key development in professional football. In this comprehensive review and analysis, T. J. Troup provides a year-by-year breakdown of these seven seasons. Each team has a separate entry for every season that includes:

The coaching staffPlayer personnelAn analysis of the statsSummation of the team's seasonOutlook for the following season
As Troup compiled this detailed volume, he had unprecedented access to coaches and players from this era, as well as extensive game footage. Drawing upon these resources, Troup scrutinized each team's success or failure and re-created the key game of the season for each team-bringing the action, intensity, and importance of the game to life.

Including an exclusive interview with Joe Schmidt of the Detroit Lions, this book will entertain and inform all fans and historians of professional football, especially those interested in the early development of the modern defense.

By T. J. Troup

Acknowledgements
Foreword, Jennifer Allen
Introduction: Digging up Dead Coaches

1953:
Chicago Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
New York Giants
Baltimore Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers
Chicago Bears
Washington Redskins
Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions

1954:
Baltimore Colts
Chicago Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
Washington Redskins
Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
New York Giants
Chicago Bears
Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions
Cleveland Browns

1955:
Detroit Lions
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Colts
Chicago Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
New York Giants
Chicago Bears
Washington Redskins
Los Angeles Rams
Cleveland Browns

1956:
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Colts
Cleveland Browns
San Francisco 49ers
Washington Redskins
Detroit Lions
Joe
Chicago Cardinals
Chicago Bears
New York Giants

1957:
Chicago Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears
Washington Redskins
Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Colts
New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions

1958:
Chicago Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions
Washington Redskins
San Francisco 49ers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Rams
Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears
New York Giants
Baltimore Colts

1959:
Chicago Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Redskins
Detroit Lions
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Philadelphia Eagles
Green Bay Packers
Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears
New York Giants
Baltimore Colts

Bibliography
Index
About the Author