"Science of NFL Football" is a 10-part video series funded by the National Science Foundation and produced in partnership with the National Football League. In this segment, NBC's Lester Holt looks at the science of projectile motion and parabolas with the help of former NFL punter Craig Hentrich. NSF-funded scientists Professor Jim Gates from the University of Maryland, Professor John Ziegert of Clemson University, and Professor Rhonda Hughes from Bryn Mawr College, explain the significance of vertical and horizontal velocity on the trajectory every time an NFL punter kicks a football into the sky.

Provided by National Science Foundation