In American football, if a team in possession of the football gain only one yard on first down, they face having to gain nine more yards in the next three plays to receive another first down, which enables them to keep possession of the ball in their drive toward a goal. So, when only a paltry one yard is gained on first down, the team's fans would love to see the team, on second down, get "the whole nine yards", hence the expression used more broadly in American culture, "He got the whole nine yards!"

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