100 Years of DSU Football: A Sneak Peek: Chapter 5 – The Evolution of the Game

Chapter 5 of 100 Years of DSU Football dives into the ways the sport has changed since Dickinson State first took the field in 1925. From the national impact of President Theodore Roosevelt’s call for safer play to the latest updates in college football rules, this chapter explores how the game has adapted over time to protect players and improve the experience for players and fans. Dr. William Hansard, Outreach Coordinator and Digital Media Specialist for the Theodore Roosevelt Center, walks readers through key rule changes that have shaped how the game is played today.

But the evolution wasn’t just on the field. Chapter 5 traces the colorful history of the team’s identity from the Slope Rockets and Normalites to the Savages and finally the Blue Hawks. You’ll also discover the story behind the Ben C. Frank Human Performance Center, a facility that revolutionized DSU’s training approach and sparked the launch of an Exercise Science program.

And for a bit of fun, the chapter also takes a lighthearted photographic look at how fan fashion has changed through the years and how uniforms have evolved from leather helmets and wool jerseys to today’s the high-performance gear.