Ray Nesser

Last updated
Ray Nesser
Born:March 22, 1898
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Died:September 2, 1969(1969-09-02) (aged 71)
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Career information
Position(s) Guard, Tackle, Wingback
Height6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight220 lb (100 kg)
College None
Career history
As player
c.1915 Columbus Panhandles

Raymond Nesser (March 22, 1898 - September 2, 1969) was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" prior to the formation of the National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He was also a member of the Nesser Brothers, a group consisting of seven brothers who made-up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s.

It is unknown of the extent of which Ray played with the Panhandles. While he did appear in photos advertising the Panhandles, he did not play in many games with the club. However why he played in so few games remains a mystery. According to family accounts, Ray sprained his ankle in a game one day, and they put liniment on it and put his sock and shoe back on. He went out and played with it, and when they took the sock and shoe off, the skin just came right off of his foot.

While the rest of the Nessers became boilermakers for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Ray decided not to follow his brothers footsteps. Instead he became a policeman for the city of Columbus, Ohio. According to The Columbus Citizen-Journal newspaper on June 6, 1927, Ray, a corporal with the Columbus Police Department, chased and shot an Angelo Furne who fled from the scene of an accident. During the chase, Furne held a hand out in front of body. Nesser fearing that he may have had gun, fired along with his partner an "Officer Knight" and shot Furne killing him. Both officers' actions were cleared by a review panel.

Raymond died on September 2, 1969, at the age of 71.

Related Research Articles

The Akron Pros were a professional football team that played in Akron, Ohio from 1908 to 1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, but later became Akron Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional Football Association. Fritz Pollard, the first black head coach in the NFL, co-coached the Akron Pros in 1921. Paul Robeson played for the team in 1921 as well. He was among the earliest stars of professional football before football became segregated from 1934 to 1946. In 1926, the name was changed back to the Akron Indians, after the earlier semi-pro team. Due to financial problems, the team suspended operations in 1927 and surrendered its franchise the following year.

The Columbus Panhandles were a professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. The club was founded in 1901 by workers at the Panhandle shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were a part of the Ohio League from 1904 before folding after one season. Three years later, the team tried again and playing the Ohio League from 1907 to 1919, not winning a championship, before becoming charter members of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) which became the National Football League (NFL).

Joseph Carr American football executive, owner

Joseph Francis Carr was an American sports executive in American football, baseball, and basketball. He is best known as the president of the National Football League from 1921 until 1939. He was also one of the founders and president of the American Basketball League (ABL) from 1925 to 1927. He was also the promotional director for Minor League Baseball's governing body from 1933 to 1939, leading an expansion of the minor leagues from 12 to 40 leagues operating in 279 cities with 4,200 players and attendance totaling 15,500,000.

Al Nesser American football player (1893–1967)

Alfred Louis Nesser was a professional American football guard and end. He played for seven teams: Akron Pros, Cleveland Bulldogs, Columbus Panhandles, Akron Indians, New York Giants, and Cleveland Indians in the National Football League (NFL) and the Cleveland Panthers in the first American Football League. He won NFL Championship titles with the Akron Pros in 1920 and the New York Giants in 1927. During his career, Nesser played against Charlie Copley, Fritz Pollard and Jim Thorpe.

The 1920 Columbus Panhandles season was the franchise's inaugural season in the American Professional Football Association (APFA)—later named the National Football League. The season concluded with the team going 2–6–2 and finishing 13th place in the APFA standings. The Panhandles entered the season after a 3–6–1 record in 1919. The team opened the 1920 season with a loss to the Dayton Triangles, and the Panhandles lost five straight until a victory over the Zanesville Mark Grays. Not a single player was on the All-Pro list.

Frank Nesser was a professional football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League. During his career he played mainly for the Columbus Panhandles, however he did also play for a little for the Akron Indians, whenever he was recruited by Indians manager, Peggy Parratt.

Theodore Nesser Jr. was a professional football player-coach in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League. During his career he played mainly for the Columbus Panhandles, however he did also play for a little for the Massillon Tigers, Akron Indians, Canton Bulldogs and the Shelby Blues.

Charles T. Nesser was a professional football player in the National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. Charlie played only season, 1921, in the NFL. He was son of Ted Nesser, a member of the infamous Nesser Brothers. During the 1921 season, six of the Nessers played for the Panhandles, with Charlie being the seventh family member on the team. The 1921 team was coached by his father, Ted, who served as a player-coach. This is marked as the only father-son combination to play together in NFL history.

Phillip Gregory Nesser was a German-American professional American football player in the Ohio League and the early National Football League (NFL) for the Columbus Panhandles. He was also a member of the Nesser Brothers, a group consisting of seven brothers who made up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s. He is distinguished as being the first German to play in the NFL.

John Nesser was a German-American professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He was also the oldest member of the Nesser Brothers, a group consisting of seven brothers who made up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s.

Frederick W. Nesser was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He was also a member of the Nesser Brothers, a group consisting of seven brothers who made-up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s. He was the tallest and biggest of the football-playing brothers at six feet five inches and 250 pounds. He played mostly tackle or end, but sometimes he lined up in the backfield, to provide blocking.

Nesser brothers

The Nesser brothers were a group of American football-playing brothers who helped make up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s. The group consisted of seven brothers who worked for Panhandle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Columbus, Ohio, and who were later used as the foundation for the Columbus Panhandles of the Ohio League, and later the National Football League, when the club was founded by future NFL president Joe Carr in 1907.

John George Schneider was a professional American football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He played from around 1909 until 1921 with the Panhandles. In 1920 he played in one of the first NFL games during a Panhandles 14-0 loss to the Dayton Triangles.

George T. (Ted) Hopkins was a professional American football player in the early National Football League for the Columbus Panhandles. He was a teammate, of the Panhandles' infamous Nesser Brothers. However, he was also a nephew to the brothers, since his mother Anna was their sister. His cousin, Charlie Nesser, and uncle, John Schneider played on the team as well.

Homer Lewis "Tiny" Ruh was an American football player who played at the end and halfback positions.

Thomas Noble Long Jr. was an American football player.

Chalmer Edward "Red" Joseph was an American football player.

The 1912 Columbus Panhandles season was an American football team played professional football in the Ohio League. The team featured the Nesser brothers.

The 1911 Columbus Panhandles season was an American football team played professional football in the Ohio League. The team compiled a 7–2–1 record and played its home games at Indianola Park in Columbus, Ohio.

Hi Brigham American football player (1892–1987)

Haven Alva "Hi" Brigham was an American football lineman who played eight seasons with the Columbus Panhandles, including one while they were in the National Football League (NFL).

References