This book is a bio-cultural examination of John William Heisman, his times, and his many contributions to the development of intercollegiate football in America. In singling out his many contributions to the development of football (in particular, his championing of the forward pass), this book not only tells the story of Heisman's life but also reveals him in relationship to his time. This is the story of how an indigenous American public ritual--the Big Game--came about and how college football developed into the complex, problematic, and highly structured big business that it is today.