by Tiki Barber
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS:
Originally the Baltimore Colts, their name comes from Charles Evans, who won the name-the-team contest. Since Baltimore was known for horse racing, it fit perfectly to have that name and a horseshoe on the uniforms.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS:
The logo of the Jacksonville Jaguars was met with uncertainty. The owners of the Jaguar car, Ford Motor Company, said the logos looked too similar, and did not want the team using it. After talking, however, they worked together and named the Jaguar the official car of the Jaguars.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS:
After moving to Kansas City, owner Lamar Hunt and coach Hank Stram wanted to keep the name Texans, but after a fan contest decided the name Chiefs, he agreed. The new name would honor Mayor Bartle, whose nickname was Chief while working for the Boy Scouts of America.
MIAMI DOLPHINS:
In 1965 the name Miami Dolphins was chosen to be the new Florida team in a contest, by over 600 people. The owner Joe Robbie was proud of this logo since the dolphin was known to be smart and fast; exactly what a football team needs.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS:
Bert Rose wanted a team that was built to be strong and to win. So, he recommended the name Vikings since it represented aggression and the will to win, along with the Nordic traditions of the Northern Midwest.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS:
Patriots, who were rebels during the American Revolution, were chosen to represent New England. This was a popular pick by the voters when a contest was introduced to choose the name.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS:
With a large population who celebrate All Saints Day, the name Saints was perfect for this New Orleans team. The team also followed the state flag by using the fleur-de-lis, lily in French, on their uniform.
NEW YORK GIANTS:
Like other early NFL teams, the New York Giants took the same name as one of their baseball teams, but, gave themselves an All-American look with red, white, and blue decorating their uniforms.
NEW YORK JETS:
In 1963 the New York Titans were changed to the New York Jets. This was thought to be just right since their new stadium would be between LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, and the United States thought it was entering the “jet” age, when man would live on the moon.
OAKLAND RAIDERS:
In 1960, after a contest by the Oakland Tribune left the city with the name Oakland Señors, so many people made fun of the name that the owners decided to change it. So, nine days later, they agreed on the Oakland Raiders, which came in third place in the contest.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES:
This NFL team got its name and logo from the Blue Eagle, which was used to show progress and better days during The Great Depression.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS:
Pittsburgh’s logo actually came from the “Steelmark” by Pittsburgh U.S. Steel, who asked the team to wear the logo on their helmets for one game. After winning this game, the team wanted to keep it, so they still wear it today.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS:
In a name-the-team contest in 1960, Gerald Courtney submitted the Chargers as the team’s name, and won. The Chargers’ logo then used a bolt of lightning to show the electricity the team will build during games.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS:
Named after the people who rushed to the west in search of gold, the San Francisco 49ers wore red and gold to bring the gold rush to the football field.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS:
In 1975 a contest proved that many people in Seattle wanted their team to be named after the powerful Seahawk.
ST. LOUIS RAMS:
Can you believe that the name Rams actually has nothing to do with St. Louis? General manager Damon Wetzel’s favorite football team was the Fordham Rams, so he took it to St. Louis. As for the horns, a college student drew up the original horns because he thought it would look good on the helmet.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS:
What’s better than a logo made from a legend? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who got their name through a name-the-team contest, was chosen because of the Southwest Florida legend of Pirates. They have named their own pirate Captain Fear, and he is there to take down the competition.
TENNESSEE TITANS:
While they used to be the Tennessee Oilers, this team changed their name in 1999 to represent their strength and skills. They also put a flame on their uniform to show off their power in the game of football.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS:
The team originated in Boston and was named the Boston Braves baseball team. It was renamed the Redskins in 1932 and the name was retained when the team moved to Washington in 1937.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
TIKI BARBER grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, where he wore number 2 for the Cave Spring Eagles during junior high school. From 1997 through 2006 he wore number 21 as running back for the New York Giants, where he holds every rushing record in team history. He lives in New York.
RONDE BARBER wore number 5 for the Cave Spring Eagles. Today he is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and wears number 20 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ronde is a Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and the first cornerback in the history of the league to have at least twenty-five sacks and forty interceptions in a career. He lives in Florida with his wife, Claudia, and their daughters.
TIKI AND RONDE BARBER have collaborated on eight other children’s books, By My Brother’s Side, the Christopher Award–winning Game Day, Teammates, Kickoff!, Go Long!, Wild Card, Red Zone, and most recently Goal Line.
PAUL MANTELL is the author of many books for young readers, including books in the Hardy Boys and Matt Christopher series.
Jacket design by Krista Vossen
Jacket illustrations copyright © 2012 by Frank Morrison
A Paula Wiseman Book
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Simon & Schuster • New York
Meet the author,
watch videos, and get extras at
KIDS.SimonandSchuster.com
ALSO BY TIKI BARBER AND RONDE BARBER
Kickoff!
Go Long!
Wild Card
Red Zone
Goal Line
SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
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www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the authors’ imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Book design by Krista Vossen
The text for this book is set in Melior.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barber, Tiki, 1975–
End zone / Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber; with Paul Mantell.
p. cm.
“A Paula Wiseman book.”
Summary: Co-captains Tiki and Ronde Barber lead their junior high teammates to the Virginia state football championship.
ISBN 978-1-4169-9097-0 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4424-5240-4 (eBook)
1. Barber, Tiki, 1975—Childhood and youth—Juvenile fiction. 2. Barber, Ronde, 1975—Childhood and youth—Juvenile fiction. [1. Barber, Tiki, 1975—Childhood and youth—Fiction. 2. Barber, Ronde, 1975—Childhood and youth—Fiction. 3. Football—Fiction. 4. Twins—Fiction.
5. Brothers—Fiction. 6. African Americans—Fiction. 7. Conduct of life—Fiction.] I. Barber, Ronde, 1975– II. Mantell, Paul.
III. Title.
PZ7.B23328En 2012
[Fic]—dc23
2012006268