Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Beaten Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Sifted Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (Optional)
1/2 cup Bran Cereal

In Bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the beaten egg yolks and vanilla.  Mix well with Wooden Spoon.  Add the sifted Flour and Baking Powder and then add the nuts and bran. Mix with Spoon.  Wrap Cookie Dough with Plastic Wrap and Put the cookie dough in the refrigerater until chilled well. (at least 2 hours)
Grease a cookie Sheet.  Shape the cookies into oval shaped footballs and place on cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Cool Cookies.  When cookies are cooled, you can decorate the little footballs with icing.  Use a small pastry tube, and put the icing where the football laces usually are.
This makes 2 Dozen Football Cookies.

Recipe is from "The Successful Hostess" 1953, a book that I own.