In California back in the ‘80s, my high school had a certain Phys Ed credit requirement that every student had to complete. We also had a swimming competency demonstration that we had to pass before we could graduate. They finally ended that program, but that went back to the 1950s at least.
In Ohio, the kids still have to take one semester of phys ed to graduate and it is counted as a half-credit. But I’ve never heard of football or any other sports counting for it.