Players did not exactly get rich for winning the title, each receiving $1,500 bonuses. Balancing intensity with proper recovery is also important. “He was a steward and a guardian for the growth and popularity of the NFL, because he loved the game so much. t will be fascinating to see how long he can ‘maintain the rage’,” says Penfold, “what you also find is that players develop a fitness capacity over each season, so that the effort required to get through a season becomes less and less as they become accustomed to the physical demands needed and their body develops both an adaptation and resilience to these stresses.