In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt took an unusual step for a president. He tried to reform the way college football was played, and he succeeded. The game became more civilized, less bone-crushingly violent, and much more open, thanks to new rules that included allowing the forward pass.

The future of the game had been thrown in doubt the previous season when 18 players died from injuries on the field. It was a brutal sport back then: Players showed little concern for their own safety,...