This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Gene Lipscomb, an American gridiron football player and larger-than-life "character" whose exploits helped make professional football the most popular sport in the United States during the late 1950s. A 6-foot 6-inch (2-metre), 284-pound (129-kg) defensive tackle, Lipscomb joked that he gathered up all the opponent's players and "peeled them off" until he found the ball carrier. His quickness in pursuing ball carriers across the field and rushing quarterbacks proved that a big defensive lineman could do more than defend a small area. His habit of calling teammates "little daddy" when he could not remember their names earned him the nickname "Big Daddy.".