A rudimentary fact --- It was typical for defenses to body-slam the runner in the 1880s. Football tackling prior to the rule change in 1888 was only legal when above the waist. After that year tackling below the waist was allowed. Prior to that there were also a lot more long-field runs. Consequently, the game slowed down and became --relatively speaking-- boring after 1888, well .... until the introduction of the forward pass almost 20 years later anyway.
Today, we protect the quarterback, and penalize defensive players for late hits and head-targeting missile tackles. Yet in days gone by, it was a "Anything goes" proposition. With that said, players average weight was 150-180lbs and as aggressive as the sport was, there was still a sort of blue collar gentleman's code that was followed.
