| Sport | American Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1902 |
| Founder | John Rogers, Ben Shibe, Dave Berry |
| Ceased | 1902 |
| President | Dave Berry |
| No. of teams | 3 |
| Country | United States |
| Last champion(s) | Pittsburgh Stars |
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The first National Football League (NFL) was the first attempt at forming a national professional American football league in 1902. This league has no ties with the modern National Football League. In fact the league was only composed of teams from Pennsylvania, which meant it was actually regional, despite having locations in the two largest cities in Pennsylvania. Two of the teams were based in Philadelphia, while the third was based in Pittsburgh. This NFL was a curious mixture of football players and baseball players who adapted to playing football. Future Baseball Hall of Famer Rube Waddell was with the Philadelphia Athletics, and pitcher Christy Mathewson a fullback for Pittsburgh. Two of the three teams were owned by the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Athletics, with the third team suspected of being owned by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The league folded after the 1902 season.[1]
- ^ "NFL History by Decade". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2008-12-11.