T formation

The T formation experienced a revival in the late 1930s and early 1940s when a man-in-motion began to be utilized, increasing the complexity of the offensive attack.

The formation was aided by a rule change before the 1945 season, when the quarterback was no longer required to stand at least 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Halas recruited Solly Sherman, the quarterback for the University of Chicago because of his experience with the T-Formation under Clark Shaughnessy.

Sherman, a former halfback, had torn his meniscus in college, and converted to quarterback his senior year when Shaughnessy installed the T-formation at the University of Chicago.

The Wow Boys by James W. Johnson written in 2006 tells the story of the Stanford University football season of 1940.

The arrival of Shaughnessy and his T offense led to a 10–0 season and a victory in the Rose Bowl over heavily favored University of Nebraska.

The brain trust that created the T was always anchored by Coach Halas, who had the savvy for what worked and an eye for the players that fit.

In 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars used the T formation during a playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers, successfully converting a fourth-and-one for 25 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.

[9] The Chicago Bears T made great use of "man-in-motion" effectively making one of the three running backs into a receiver as he left the backfield.

Teams initially used a flanker primarily in the "slot" (on the strong side) because the hashmarks were still quite wide, as in college ball.

A notable exception is the Shotgun formation, first used by the San Francisco 49ers in 1959/1960, popularized by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1960s and the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s, and now widely used in pro and college football.

The I formation, first popularized in the AFL by the Kansas City Chiefs, circa 1968, is another variation of the T used extensively by high school and, until recently, many college teams.

The I is a strong running formation, with the fullback positioned forward with a tailback behind, providing mass at the point of attack.

The wishbone formation, once dominant in college football but now virtually extinct, was another T variation, with the fullback positioned very close behind the quarterback, flanked by two halfbacks.