Football or Handball?

This thought just struck me. Why the hell is American football called so? The only player who even touches the ball with his foot is the kicker. All other players either throw or catch the ball (well, most of the players are just pushing each other around!). So, why the heck is this sport called "football"? Going by how the game is played, it should be called either "American handball" or "American Wrestle-ball".

In the last couple of years, I have been conspicuously using the term "soccer" to refer to the real football. It's time I reverted back to calling it just football, and referring to American football as American rugby or some such.