Football Blog

As reported by The New York Times, Junior Seau was found dead at age 43 in his home in Oceanside, CA. The cause is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Seau played 20 seasons on three N.F.L teams, attending two Super Bowls and 12 Pro Bowls. Seau is survived by his mother, a daughter and two sons.

Last week we talked a little about the nickel defense, how it rose to popularity, and its role in today's game. This week, Jonathon Stewart introduces you to a similar formation; the dime defense.

In this video, you'll see how the dime is set up, the situations in which it is used, and how a good offense can counter it. So what exactly is the dime defense?

It's been weeks since Super Bowl XLVI was played and free agency has yet to begin, so now's as good a time as any to do a little updating. Recently we took another look at many of this year's top NFL Draft prospects and did a some reevaluating. With those evaluations in mind, we've adjusted our NFL Draft prospect rankings further, and once again updated our 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

So enjoy, and feel free to comment below.

With all the "Suck for Luck" talk that went on during the 2011 season, you'd think Stanford's Andrew Luck is going to be the only elite prospect available for selection in April. Believe it or not, though, there are plenty of other prospects to keep an eye on and this week we look at one of the top seniors on the defensive side of the ball.

North Carolina's Quinton Coples has seen time at both the end and tackle positions, but it appears he is destined for end in the NFL. Read more...

Designed to stop the pass, the nickel defense gained popularity in the 1970s, and has become a basic defensive package used commonly today in both college and pro football. In this video, About.com's Jonathon Stewart explains the basic set up of the nickel along with the history of the formation and its uses in the game today.

View the video.

Sometimes compared to Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith -- probably because they both went to the same high school -- Trent Richardson is regarded as perhaps the best prospect at running back in the year's NFL Draft. With the upper and lower body strength to run over defenders while still having enough speed to run away from defenders, he reminds me a little of another legendary player; former Houston Oilers tailback Earl Campbell.

At 5-11 and 225 pounds, he has prototypical size for a running back. Check out more on our Trent Richardson profile...

Most Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees were, at one point, nothing more than NFL Draft selections with varying degrees of potential. Some were selected early in the draft, while others fooled the scouts and were not picked until the mid-to-late rounds.

Of course, you have your guys like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and John Elway who were expected to be stars in the NFL and their draft selection reflects such. But you also have guys like Joe Montana and Dan Fouts, neither of whom came off the board until the third round of their respective drafts. And when the Chicago Bears selected Kentucky quarterback George Blanda in the eighth round of the 1949 NFL Draft, who would have dreamed he'd still be an active player in 1975?

NFL Draft history is littered with these types of Cinderella stories, from Steve Largent and Charlie Joiner to Deacon Jones and Elvin Bethea, and we've got the cream of the crop right here. About Football offers this quick run-down of the draft position of every Hall of Fame inductee to have ever been an NFL Draft selection. Check the list...

• Biggest NFL Draft Busts
• NFL Draft Trivia

Four years after pulling off perhaps the biggest upset in Super Bowl history, the New York Giants are at it again. On Sunday night, they again knocked off the New England Patriots -- who they unexpectedly upset in Super Bowl XLII -- to win their fourth Super Bowl championship and eighth NFL championship overall.

As in 2008, Giants quarterback Eli Manning was big down the stretch, and walked away with game MVP honors. But he wasn't the only reason for the victory.

For details, check out our Super Bowl XLVI recap.

So what areas should you keep an eye on once the game starts?

Our Super Bowl XLVI preview outlines the biggest ones!

With Super Bowl XLVI just days away, it's time to start thinking about that Super Bowl party you are hosting or attending, and get all your ducks in order. As any true football fan can tell you, the key to a great Super Bowl party is the food. So, we here at About.com are going to assist you in that department whether you're throwing the party yourself or simply need ideas on what to take along with you to the event you are attending. 

Super Bowl Party Recipes