The NFL world predicted in 1979 what the league would look like in the 21st century - some predictions are spot-on and others are hilarious

Sep 8, 2017, 22:41 IST

Now, find out about the competitiveness that drives one of the NFL's best players...

As far as we know, football players haven't been bred yet, particularly in the Nordic countries.

John Ralston of the 49ers suggested football players may be bred in certain areas: "You get to thinking about Swedish mothers, the Danish stock of people, raising bigger, stronger people. I kiddingly once said that football players would be bred in the future, but now I wonder if that's such an impossibility."

John Ralston of the 49ers suggested football players may be bred in certain areas: "You get to thinking about Swedish mothers, the Danish stock of people, raising bigger, stronger people. I kiddingly once said that football players would be bred in the future, but now I wonder if that's such an impossibility."

While models and projections certainly play into drafting now, it seems humans in the front office still make the decisions. And frankly, there is a human element that will always play into the success of any draft pick.

While models and projections certainly play into drafting now, it seems humans in the front office still make the decisions. And frankly, there is a human element that will always play into the success of any draft pick.

Deford wrote that many people in football felt scouting and drafting would improve, perhaps even with computers making the picks.

While some quarterbacks have headsets to hear calls, there aren't any calculators in helmets.

"The quarterback will have a calculator in his helmet. It will be on his Lexan visor, so he'll be able to see readouts based on percentages and statistics to determine the ideal play to run." — Donzis

"The quarterback will have a calculator in his helmet. It will be on his Lexan visor, so he'll be able to see readouts based on percentages and statistics to determine the ideal play to run." — Donzis

An interesting prediction. While NFL players come from all different types of backgrounds, by and large, most players are American-born and are found through the high school and college system.

"Maybe the football players will come from someplace else. The best lineman in the country might be on the streets of L.A., and not at USC — and we'll find a way to find him." — Phillips

While some coaches are robotic, there are not literal robot coaches.

"Maybe there will be a machine out there doing the coach's job. It'll be second and four, the guy will punch a button on his chest and — wonk, wonk, wonk — he'll say, 'O.K., run off tackle'" — John Madden, former coach.

"Maybe there will be a machine out there doing the coach's job. It'll be second and four, the guy will punch a button on his chest and — wonk, wonk, wonk — he'll say, 'O.K., run off tackle'" — John Madden, former coach.

As of 2017, there has not been a female quarterback in the NFL.

"I think you'll have a lot of women playing quarterback by 2000. For one thing, they have a higher threshold of pain" — Byron Donzis, an inventor who designed padding for NFL players.

Footballs don't have metal flecks in them (as far as we know). Usually they just use cameras to review if the ball crossed the goal line.

"There'll be a little metal fleck in the football, so you can tell for sure whether the guy with the ball got over the goal line or was pushed back" — Tex Schramm, former GM of the Dallas Cowboys.

Mostly right! A lot of the equipment is light, more formfitting, and more absorbent.

"Players will look a lot different: lighter equipment, more formfitting shoulder pads, a different type of helmet, soft rib pads" — Dan Rooney, former president of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While Levy was correct that the NFL would try things to open up offense, the end zone remains 10 yards deep.

"The 25-yard end zone is the single greatest thing that could change the game. The whole concept of goal-line defenses would change with that" — Marv Levy, then head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs

Not quite, Bum! The league has gone the other way in an attempt to protect players' heads. However, some receivers still prefer players go high rather than low to protect their legs.

"In the year 2000, there won't be any contact below the waist" — Bum Phillips, head coach of the Houston Oilers in 1979.

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The NFL world predicted in 1979 what the league would look like in the 21st century - some predictions are spot-on and others are hilarious

Now, find out about the competitiveness that drives one of the NFL's best players...

As far as we know, football players haven't been bred yet, particularly in the Nordic countries.

While models and projections certainly play into drafting now, it seems humans in the front office still make the decisions. And frankly, there is a human element that will always play into the success of any draft pick.

Deford wrote that many people in football felt scouting and drafting would improve, perhaps even with computers making the picks.

While some quarterbacks have headsets to hear calls, there aren't any calculators in helmets.

"The quarterback will have a calculator in his helmet. It will be on his Lexan visor, so he'll be able to see readouts based on percentages and statistics to determine the ideal play to run." — Donzis

An interesting prediction. While NFL players come from all different types of backgrounds, by and large, most players are American-born and are found through the high school and college system.

"Maybe the football players will come from someplace else. The best lineman in the country might be on the streets of L.A., and not at USC — and we'll find a way to find him." — Phillips

While some coaches are robotic, there are not literal robot coaches.

"Maybe there will be a machine out there doing the coach's job. It'll be second and four, the guy will punch a button on his chest and — wonk, wonk, wonk — he'll say, 'O.K., run off tackle'" — John Madden, former coach.

As of 2017, there has not been a female quarterback in the NFL.

"I think you'll have a lot of women playing quarterback by 2000. For one thing, they have a higher threshold of pain" — Byron Donzis, an inventor who designed padding for NFL players.

Footballs don't have metal flecks in them (as far as we know). Usually they just use cameras to review if the ball crossed the goal line.

"There'll be a little metal fleck in the football, so you can tell for sure whether the guy with the ball got over the goal line or was pushed back" — Tex Schramm, former GM of the Dallas Cowboys.

Mostly right! A lot of the equipment is light, more formfitting, and more absorbent.

"Players will look a lot different: lighter equipment, more formfitting shoulder pads, a different type of helmet, soft rib pads" — Dan Rooney, former president of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While Levy was correct that the NFL would try things to open up offense, the end zone remains 10 yards deep.

"The 25-yard end zone is the single greatest thing that could change the game. The whole concept of goal-line defenses would change with that" — Marv Levy, then head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs

Not quite, Bum! The league has gone the other way in an attempt to protect players' heads. However, some receivers still prefer players go high rather than low to protect their legs.

"In the year 2000, there won't be any contact below the waist" — Bum Phillips, head coach of the Houston Oilers in 1979.