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The 1898 Western Pennsylvania All-Star football team was a collection of early football players, from several teams in the area, to form an all-star team. The team was formed by Dave Berry, the manager of the Latrobe Athletic Association, for the purpose of playing the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, which fielded a team composed of many of the game's stars from the era. The game between the two clubs ended in a 16-0 Duquesne victory and is considered to be the first all-star game for professional football. Contrary to popular belief, while the game was held at Exposition Park, which would be currently located inside of the city limits of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 1898 location of the game was Allegheny, Pennsylvania which was not incorporated into the city of Pittsburgh until 1907.
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The 1898 Duquesne Country and Athletic Club football season was their fourth season in existence. The team finished with a record of 11–0–1. The team was named the top team in western Pennsylvania. Roy Jackson was the team's captain and coach.
American football in Western Pennsylvania, featuring the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, has had a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the sport. All levels of football, including high school football and college football, are followed passionately, and the area's National Football League (NFL) team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, is consistently one of the sport's most popular teams. Many of the NFL's top stars have come from the region as well, especially those that play quarterback, earning Western Pennsylvania the nickname "Cradle of Quarterbacks".
The Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit was a loose association of American football clubs that operated from 1890 to approximately 1940. Originally amateur, professionalism was introduced to the circuit in 1892; cost pressures pushed the circuit to semi-professional status from about 1920 through the rest of its existence. Existing in some form for 48 years, it was one of the longest-lived paying football loops to operate outside the auspices of the National Football League.
References
- ↑ "Experts Will Handle Game". The Pittsburgh Press. November 15, 1902.
- ↑ "Pennsylvania's Crew". Cornell Daily Sun. Vol. 15, no. 172. June 20, 1895.
- ↑ "The Pennsylvania Team. - News - The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com.
- ↑ PFRA Research. "Stars Over All-Stars: An All-Star Team: 1898" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. p. 3. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
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