After Yale, Heffelfinger played in the Chicago Athletic Association. Players there would get expenses covered (double expenses, specifically), and in a game in the Allegheny Athletic Association between Pittsburgh and the 3As, he was offered a significant amount of cash to play for Pittsburgh. He did, making him the first “professional” football player ever.
Obviously, he was a really good player, but with what limited information we know about his post-Yale career, we wonder if the Hall will just consider him a footnote.
Regardless, he is a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and if professionally, he is just a footnote, it is one hell of a great one!
Comments powered by CComment