The title (and plot) refers to the 1933 song "You Gotta Be a Football Hero" written by Al Sherman, Buddy Fields and Al Lewis. It is one of the most widely recorded and performed American football anthems of all time.
This was William Costello's last short with Fleischer Studios. Costello had appeared in 24 Popeye shorts, but was fired by the Fleischers for "bad behavior." Although he never had received onscreen credit, Costello knew of Popeye's international popularity and reputedly became difficult to work with, demanding more money and days off in the middle of a recording session. He was replaced by Jack Mercer, who was working for the studio as an animator at the time.
Football as we know it today (2021) was still in its childhood phase here. College football rivalries were hugely popular, as they still remain, but professional leagues were just getting started. The uniform and the game (and the salaries) would continue to evolve over the decades. But, like film stars and other celebrities, top players were a hit with the ladies, as referenced in the song here.
Rival studio Disney's Micky, der Footballchampion (1932), which featured a similar plot, had been released just three years prior. It proved hugely popular, so this might be the Fleischer Studios' answer to that offering.
One of a number of Popeye shorts which were sent off to Asia in the 80's to undergo the infamous redraw and colorization process.