J.P. Rooneys facts for kids
| Founded | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Folded | c.1932 |
| Based in | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| League | Independent (W.Pa. Senior Independent Football Conference) |
| Team history | Hope-Harvey (1921–c.1923) Majestic Radios (c.1923–1930) J.P. Rooneys (1931–1932) |
| Team colors | Green, White, Red (Hope-Harvey) |
| Nickname(s) | Irish |
| Head coaches | Art Rooney |
| General managers | Art Rooney |
| Owner(s) | Art Rooney |
| Other League Championship wins | 1930, 1931 |
| Home field(s) | Exposition Park |
The J.P. Rooneys was an early American football team from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was started by Art Rooney, who later founded the famous Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Many people see the J.P. Rooneys as the very beginning of the Steelers' history.
The team played its games at Exposition Park. Reports say that sometimes as many as 12,000 fans would come to watch them play!
Contents
How the Team Started
The team began in 1921 with a different name: Hope-Harvey. This name came from two things. First, there was a fire station in the city's Hope area. The team would get ready and shower there before their home games.
The second part of the name came from Dr. Walter Harvey. He was a doctor who helped injured players. Art Rooney said that Dr. Harvey never charged the team or the players for his medical help. The team's uniforms were special too. Players or their families made them by hand, so each one looked a little different.
Art Rooney's Role
Art Rooney was more than just the team's founder. He was also a player-coach, meaning he played on the team and coached it at the same time. He found players from local neighborhoods and colleges.
His brothers, Dan Rooney Jr. and James P. Rooney, also played on the team when it first started. This was the only time all three Rooney brothers played football together on the same team.
Becoming the Majestic Radios
After a few years, a store called "Loeffler's Electronic Store" became the team's sponsor. They decided to rename the team after one of their most popular products, the Majestic Radio. So, the team became known as the Majestic Radios.
The J.P. Rooneys Name
The team's partnership with Loeffler's ended before the 1931 season. Around that time, Art's brother James decided to run for a position in the state government, called the Pennsylvania General Assembly. To help promote his brother's campaign, Art renamed the team the "J.P. Rooneys." James Rooney easily won his election.
Art Rooney's teams were quite successful. They won at least two championships in the Western Pennsylvania Senior Independent Football Conference in the early 1930s.
From Rooneys to Steelers
In 1933, a law in Pennsylvania that stopped sports on Sundays was about to change. Art Rooney then applied for and received a team in the National Football League. The J.P. Rooneys team then changed into the Pittsburgh Pirates. Later, in 1940, they were renamed the Steelers, which is the team we know today!
Team's Lasting Impact
The J.P. Rooneys team was the very first step in Art J. Rooney's long and successful career in professional football. Art Rooney himself became a big star in Pittsburgh's local football scene as the team's quarterback. This time was also unique because it was the only period when Art Rooney managed, coached, and played on the same team.
Some players from the Rooneys team later went on to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NFL in 1933. These players included Mose Kelsch and Ray Kemp.
In 2003, a special sculpture was made to honor the original Hope-Harvey team. It had 23 figures, each signed and numbered. Kathy Rooney, whose father Vince Rooney was the team's ball boy, and her husband Ray Sokolowski created the sculpture. They made one original and 30 copies, which were sold to collectors.
