Three Medals of Honor recipients, multiple Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, and nearly 1,000 Purple Hearts are among the riveting stories told in this tribute to athlete war heroes. As thousands of players enlisted to fight for America after the attack on Pearl Harbor, owners and players struggled to keep the NFL going. From 1941 through the "Ice Bowl" of the 1945 championship game, hundreds of professional football players gave their lives for their nation and "When Football Went to War" takes a unique look at World War IIs profound impact on both college and professional football. Names that echo across the plains of West Point--Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton, and MacArthur--all played football, but before achieving victory on the fields of battle, these men learned victory on a different and more peaceful field surrounded by fans and fame. In no professional American sport did more players sacrifice more blood than the NFL. This book fully examines the experiences of football figures in various wars over the past century with detailed biographies of nearly every football player who has given his life serving his country.