“He was a steward and a guardian for the growth and popularity of the NFL, because he loved the game so much. he most in the NFL since 2011 despite playing just seven games in 2015 and being retired all last season. ”Perhaps Rooney’s most lasting contribution to the NFL and to sports in general came with the Rooney rule. As with much of Howard’s work since rejoining MLS, he was serving as a suboptimal frontman for a compromised campaign.