Jeannette Athletic Club facts for kids

The Jeannette Athletic Club was an early football team. They were also known as the Jeannette Indians. The team was based in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. They played from 1894 until about 1906.

The First Professional Football Player

The Jeannette Athletic Club is famous for its part in a big moment in football history. This happened in 1895. The Latrobe Athletic Association hired John Brallier. He became the first player to be openly paid to play football. This means he was the first professional player!

This event happened just before a game between Latrobe and Jeannette. Latrobe's starting quarterback, Eddie Blair, could not play. He had another commitment. So, Latrobe's manager, Dave Berry, needed a new player. He hired Brallier to play against Jeannette. Brallier was paid $10, plus his travel costs. Latrobe won that game 12-0.

A Fierce Rivalry

Jeannette also had a strong rivalry with the nearby Greensburg Athletic Association. In 1894, a game between them became very heated. A Greensburg player, Lawson Fiscus, was involved in a controversial play. He was accused of rough play against a Jeannette player.

Jeannette's team loudly asked the umpire to remove Fiscus from the game. Greensburg's team shouted just as loudly that Fiscus had done nothing wrong. The official was thought to favor Greensburg. The arguments continued through halftime. Halftime was even made longer to allow more shouting. Finally, one of the teams left the field in protest. The game ended in a 0-0 tie.

Memorable Victories

The Jeannette Athletic Club had some great wins. In 1900, they won a big game against the Johnstown Athletic Club. They also had another important victory in 1903. That year, they beat the Steelton Athletic Club.