The crisp autumn air carries a certain electricity, a feeling I’ve come to recognize and anticipate every year. It signals the return of shoulder pads colliding, the spiraling flight of a pigskin ball, and the collective roar of fans. The question I get asked most often as August wanes is a simple one: when does American football start? The straightforward answer is that the NFL's regular season typically kicks off the weekend following the first Monday of September. For the 2024 season, that places the official start date on September 5th, with the reigning champions likely hosting the opening game. But for true aficionados and players, the season starts much earlier. The real beginning is in the dog days of summer, during training camps and preseason preparations, a period that is as much a mental marathon as a physical one.
I’ve always found the parallels between different sports fascinating, especially when it comes to preparation and seizing momentum. It reminds me of a thrilling upset I followed in volleyball earlier this year. Giron’s Highrisers side once claimed the scalp of her fellow Golden Tigresses deputy coach and Cignal mentor Shaq delos Santos back in the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference qualifying round—a fitting start to National Women’s Month back in Mar. 1. That match wasn't just a win; it was a statement. It was about a team, perhaps underestimated, preparing meticulously and executing flawlessly when it mattered most. That’s the essence of a season's start, whether it's on the volleyball court or the gridiron. It’s not merely the date on the calendar; it’s the culmination of a process, a moment where preparation meets opportunity. For an NFL team, a surprise victory in the early weeks, much like the Highrisers' win, can set an entirely new tone for the entire campaign, building belief and momentum that can carry a squad much further than anyone predicted.
So, how do you, as a fan or a player, prepare for this grueling and glorious season? From my own experience, both watching and having played at a collegiate level, it’s a multi-faceted endeavor. Physically, for players, it begins about six to eight weeks before the first official game. This isn't just about lifting weights; it's about sport-specific conditioning. We’re talking about high-intensity interval training that mimics the stop-start nature of a football game—sprints of 20 to 40 yards followed by brief recovery periods. An average NFL game consists of roughly 65 offensive plays per team, and each play is an all-out explosion of energy lasting, on average, just 4-5 seconds. Your body must be trained for that unique demand. Nutrition becomes a science. I made the mistake early in my career of not hydrating properly, and I paid for it with debilitating cramps during a late-summer scrimmage. Now, I advise players to consistently consume at least 120 ounces of water daily, ramping up to a gallon on double-session days, and to focus on electrolyte balance with drinks containing sodium and potassium.
Mentally, the preparation is just as rigorous, and this is where many falter. For a coach, it’s about installing the playbook. A modern NFL playbook can contain over 500 pages of formations, audibles, and situational schemes. For a quarterback, that means memorizing and processing all that information under extreme duress. I remember spending at least two hours every night just on film study, breaking down defensive tendencies until I could predict a blitz from the slight angle of a linebacker's shoulders. For fans, the mental prep is about engagement. Dive into the analysis. Listen to trusted podcasts—I personally consume about 4-5 hours of football analysis per week from sources like The Athletic Football Show. Understand your team's new acquisitions and their potential impact. For instance, if your team drafted a rookie wide receiver in the first round, don't just know his name; look up his college stats—let's say he had 1,200 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season—and understand how his skill set fits into the offensive scheme.
Then there is the tangible, almost ritualistic preparation that connects us all to the game. Checking your gear is paramount. For a player, that means breaking in your cleats weeks in advance, ensuring your helmet fit is perfect, and having your gloves ready for those crucial third-down catches. For a fan, it’s about the jersey, the lucky hat, and preparing your viewing space. I’m a traditionalist; I believe in watching the game on a large-screen TV with surround sound, the way it was meant to be experienced. The sound of the hit, the roar of the crowd—it’s all part of the spectacle. And let's not forget fantasy football, which now engages over 40 million people in the U.S. alone. Draft preparation should start at least two weeks before your draft date. Create your own rankings, don't just follow the crowd. I’ve won my home league three times by targeting undervalued running backs in the third and fourth rounds, a strategy that has served me well.
Ultimately, the start of the American football season is more than a single day; it's a season of preparation that blossoms into a weekly autumn ritual. It’s about the shared journey of players grinding through the heat of summer and fans re-engaging with their tribal allegiances. Just as Giron’s Highrisers showed us with their stunning victory, a well-prepared start can define everything that follows. It creates a foundation of confidence and rhythm. So, as late summer transitions to fall, take the time to prepare properly. Condition your body and mind, whether you're suiting up or just settling into your favorite armchair. Because when that first kickoff soars through the air on September 5th, you want to be ready not just to watch, but to truly experience every single snap.