Hi,
Some background starting with the NFL History page :
"Early-day pro football historians agreed that a 16-year-old
quarterback from Indiana College in Pennsylvania, John Brallier, had
become the first pro football player when he accepted $10 and "cakes"
(expenses) to play for the Latrobe, PA, town team against neighboring
Jeannette on September 3, 1895.
After the Pro Football Hall of Fame was opened in 1963 in Canton,
further research uncovered the Pudge Heffelfinger payment by the
Allegheny Athletic Association in 1892 and thus negated the Latrobe
claim as the birthplace of pro football.
Today, Brallier is ranked no higher than seventh in line among the
early-day players accepting pay to play.
Listed below are the first seven players known to have been openly
paid to play football:
William "Pudge" Heffelfinger – Allegheny Athletic Association,
Pittsburgh, – $500 for one game on November 12, 1892.
Ben "Sport" Donnelly – Allegheny Athletic Assocation, Pittsburgh –
$250 for one game on November 19, 1892.
Peter Wright – Allegheny Athletic Association, Pittsburgh – $50 per
game (under contract) for the entire 1893 season.
James Van Cleve – Allegheny Athletic Association, Pittsburgh – $50 per
game (under contract) for the entire 1893 season.
Oliver W. Rafferty – Allegheny Athletic Association, Pittsburgh – $50
per game (under contract) for the entire 1893 season.
Lawson Fiscus – Greenburg, PA – $20 per game (under contract) for the
entire 1894 season.
John Brallier – Latrobe, PA, – $10 and expenses for one game on
September 3, 1895.
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/mainpage.cfm?cont_id=32719
These of course are the first players, but they help define what it is
that separates an Athletic club or a AAA amateur club from a
Professional Football Team in the NFL, namely, that the players get
paid money to play the game. Professional football began on November
12, 1892.
Under the definition of Professional football teams, 98
teams/franchise have operated since that time with the title
"Professional Football Team"
Those teams are :
Akron Pros/Indians 8/20/20 1920-22/1923-26
Arizona Cardinals (see Chicago Cardinals)
Atlanta Falcons 6/30/65 1966-present
Baltimore Colts 12/28/46 (AAFC) 1947-49 (AAFC), 1950 (NFL)
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts 1/23/53 (moved to Indianapolis, 3/28/84)
1953-83/1984-present
Baltimore Ravens 2/9/96 1996-present
Boston Braves/Redskins/Washington Redskins 7/9/32
1932/1933-36/1937-present
Boston Bulldogs (see Pottsville Maroons)
Boston/New England Patriots 11/22/59 (AFL) 1960-69 (AFL), 1970
(NFL)/1971-present (NFL)
Boston Yanks 6/19/43 1944-48
Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers 7/12/30, purchased Dayton
Triangles franchise 1930-43/1944; merged with Boston Yanks, 1945
Brooklyn Lions 7/10/26 1926
Buffalo All-Americans/Bisons/Rangers/Bisons 8/20/20
1920-23/1924-25/1926/1927, 1929
Buffalo Bills 10/28/59 (AFL) 1960-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL)
Canton Bulldogs 8/20/20 1920-23, 1925-26
Carolina Panthers 10/26/93 1995-present
Chicago Bears (see Decatur Staleys)
Chicago Cardinals/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona 9/17/20
1920-59/1960-87/1988-93/1994-present
Chicago Tigers 1920 1920
Cincinnati Bengals 5/24/67 (AFL) 1968-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL)
Cincinnati Celts 1921 1921
Cincinnati Reds 7/8/33 1933-34 (merged with St. Louis Gunners for last
half of 1934)
Cleveland Browns 6/4/44 (AAFC) 1946-49 (AAFC), 1950-present (NFL),
Inactive, 1996-98
Cleveland Tigers/Indians 8/20/20 1920/1921
Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs 7/8/23 1923/1924-25, 1927
Cleveland Indians 7/12/31 1931
Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams 2/12/37 1937-42,
1944-45/1946-94/1995-present
Columbus Panhandles/Tigers 1920 1920-22/1923-26
Dallas Cowboys 1/28/60 1960-present
Dallas Texans 1/24/52 (franchise was awarded after Dallas purchased
assets of N.Y. Yanks from the NFL) 1952
Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs 8/14/59 (AFL) 1960-62/1963-69 (AFL),
1970-present (NFL)
Dayton Triangles 8/20/20 1920-29 (1930 Brooklyn purchased Dayton
franchise)
Denver Broncos 8/14/59 (AFL) 1960-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL)
Decatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bears 9/17/20
1920/1921/1922-present
Detroit Heralds 1920 1920
Detroit Lions (see Portsmouth Spartans)
Detroit Panthers 8/1/25 1925-26
Detroit Tigers 6/18/21 1921
Detroit Wolverines 8/17/28 1928
Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos 7/28/23 1923-25/1926-27 (7/27/29 Duluth
franchise was transferred to Orange)
Evansville Crimson-Giants 8/27/21 1921-22
Frankford Yellowjackets 7/25/24 1924-31
Green Bay Packers 8/27/21 1921-present
Hammond Pros 8/20/20 1920-26
Hartford Blues 7/10/26 1926
Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans 8/14/59 (AFL) 1960-69 (AFL),
1970-96 (NFL)/1997-98/1999-present
Houston Texans 10/6/99 2002-present
Indianapolis Colts (see Baltimore Colts)
Jacksonville Jaguars 11/30/93 1995-present
Kansas City Blues/Cowboys 1/26/24 1924/1925-26
Kansas City Chiefs (see Dallas Texans)
Kenosha Maroons 1924 1924
Los Angeles Buccaneers 7/11/26 1926
Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers 8/14/59 (AFL) 1960/1961-69 (AFL),
1970-present (NFL)
Los Angeles Raiders (see Oakland Raiders)
Los Angeles Rams (see Cleveland Rams)
Louisville Brecks/Colonels 1921 1921-23/1926
Miami Dolphins 8/16/65 (AFL) 1966-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL)
Milwaukee Badgers 6/24/22 1922-26
Minneapolis Marines/Redjackets 8/27/21 1921-24/1929-30
Minnesota Vikings 1/27/60 1961-present
Muncie Flyers 9/17/20 1920-21
New England Patriots (see Boston Patriots)
Newark Tornadoes (see Orange Tornadoes)
New Orleans Saints 11/1/66 1967-present
New York Bulldogs/Yanks 1/21/49 1949/1950-51
New York Giants 1921 1921
New York Giants 8/1/25 1925-present
New York Jets (see New York Titans)
New York Yankees 9/4/27 1927-28
New York Titans/Jets 8/14/59 (AFL) 1960-62/1963-69 (AFL), 1970-present
Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 1/30/60 (AFL) 1960-69 (AFL),
1970-81/1982-94/1995-present (NFL)
Oorang Indians 6/24/22 1922-23
Orange/Newark Tornadoes 7/27/29 (the Duluth franchise sold and
transferred to Orange and one year later to Newark) 1929/1930
Philadelphia Eagles 7/8/33 1933-present
Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers 7/8/33 1933-39/1940-present
Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions 7/12/30 (6/30/34 the Portsmouth
franchise was sold and moved to Detroit) 1930-33/1934-present
Pottsville Maroons/Boston Bulldogs 8/1/25 (7/28/29 the Pottsville team
relocated to Boston) 1925-28/1929
Providence Steam Roller 8/1/25 1925-31
Racine Legion/Tornadoes 6/24/22 1922-24/1926
Rochester Jeffersons 8/20/20 1920-25
Rock Island Independents 9/17/20 1920-25
St. Louis All-Stars 7/28/23 1923
St. Louis Cardinals (see Chicago Cardinals)
St. Louis Gunners 11/6/34 purchased Cincinnati franchise 1934 (partial
season)
St. Louis Rams (see Cleveland Rams)
San Diego Chargers (see Los Angeles Chargers)
San Francisco 49ers 6/4/44 (AAFC) 1946-49 (AAFC), 1950-present (NFL)
Seattle Seahawks 6/4/74 1976-present
Staten Island Stapletons/Stapes 7/27/29 the Brooklyn franchise was
transferred to Staten Island 1929-30/1931-32
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4/24/74 1976-present
Tennessee Oilers (see Houston Oilers)
Tennessee Titans (see Houston Oilers)
Toledo Maroons 8/20/22 1922-23
Tonawanda Kardex 8/27/21 1921
Washington Senators 1921 1921
Washington Redskins (see Boston Braves)
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/mainpage.cfm?cont_id=91962
So, to finally answer your question, a team in the NFL that is a
Professional Football team, I would have to say The San Diego
Chargers. :-)
Search
NFL Professional Football Team
Thanks,
webadept-ga |
