Karl's Mailbag 8

Q: What is the length and width of a football field? Megan from Missouri
A: Thanks for that question Megan. A football field's length from goal line to goal line is 100 yards. If you include both end zones, the length is 120 yards. The width of a field is 53.3 yards (or 160 feet).

Q: Do the players choose their own number in the NFL? Shelby from Missouri
A: Interesting question Shelby. NFL rules say that a player's number is determined by their position. Each position has a range of numbers. For example, quarterbacks and kickers must be between numbers 1 and 19. Running backs and defensive backs are assigned numbers 20 through 49. Players can request a number, and sometimes are lucky enough to get it!

Q: What position has the most players in the NFL Hall of Fame? Katie from Illinois
A: The answer may surprise you Katie. Offensive linemen are actually the most represented position in the NFL Hall of Fame! Most recently, Randall McDaniel was inducted this summer after 14 seasons as an offensive lineman with the Vikings and Buccaneers.

Q: Has every NFL team played in at least one Super Bowl? Robin from Connecticut
A: Robin most teams have played in the Super Bowl, but not all. Of the teams that are currently in the league, only the Browns, Lions, Saints, Jaguars and Texans have never made it to the Super Bowl. That is a long wait for Browns and Lions fans whose teams have been in the NFL since before the Super Bowl was first played- but both teams are continuing to work hard and achieve their goal.

Q: What's the record for most points by an NFL team in a season? Jessica from Missouri
A: Good question Megan. The New England Patriots hold the record with 589 points during the 2007 season. The team finished 18-1 losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. I'd say that's a pretty good season!

Q: Has a team ever played a Super Bowl in their own stadium? Elizabeth from New York
A: Elizabeth, surprisingly the answer is no. Even though the location is determined at a set location before the season begins, there has never been a team that has played the Super Bowl on their home field. The closest have been the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams who both have gotten to play in their home city, but not in their own stadium.

Q: Who is the Heisman Trophy named after? Jack from Michigan
A: Great question Jack. John Heisman was a college football coach at the turn of the century most famously at Georgia Tech. He was an innovator and helped change the rules to allow the forward pass. He was also the first athletic director of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York that created the award for the top college football player. He died in 1936, the year after the award was first given out, and it was then renamed the Heisman Trophy in his honor.

Q: Do you think the Miami Dolphins have a good chance to win the Super Bowl? Bobby from Connecticut
A: Bobby it is so hard to make predictions in sports, but it is fun! After winning one game in 2007, the Dolphins worked hard and had a huge turnaround last season winning 11 games and making the playoffs! They seem to be headed in the right direction under Bill Parcells with QB Chad Pennington playing well. But this season they face a much tougher non-divisional schedule while also playing in the difficult AFC East with the Patriots and Jets. They may make the playoffs, but I don't think we'll be seeing the Dolphins in the Super Bowl this year.

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