🏈 November 12: Western Pennsylvania’s Pro Football Holiday

It’s no secret that pro football is a monumental deal in Western Pennsylvania. For fans of the gridiron, especially those connected to Pittsburgh, November 12 is a surprisingly significant date, marking several pivotal moments in the sport’s history. It’s a day that spans from the very birth of professionalism to key milestones for the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise and its stars.

Here’s a detailed look at the major Western Pennsylvania pro football events that all happened on November 12th.

💰 The Birth of Pro Football (1892)

November 12, 1892, marks what many consider the definitive birth of professional football. On this date, an organization in Pittsburgh paid a player to compete, setting the precedent for the modern game.

Pudge Heffelfinger’s $500 Payday

The star at the center of this historical transaction was William “Pudge” Heffelfinger, a legendary college tackle from Yale and a face of late 19th-century college football. Heffelfinger was paid $500 by the Allegheny Athletic Association (AAA) to play in a game against their rival, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC).

This payment made Heffelfinger the first known paid professional football player.

For many years, John Brailler of Latrobe was often credited as the first pro player for his much smaller payment a few years later. However, the discovery of a ledger from the AAA in the 1960s confirmed Heffelfinger’s payment, rewriting the historical record. The discovery of this crucial document, ironically, tied back to the Rooney family, further solidifying their deep connection to Pittsburgh football history.

This event is also humorously considered the first instance of pro football free agency, as Heffelfinger chose the Allegheny Athletic Association after being courted by the PAC.

🌟 The Birthday of a Hall of Famer (1927)

November 12, 1927, marks the birth of one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ all-time great defenders, Hall of Fame defensive back Jack Butler.

Jack Butler: The Underrated Interceptor

Butler played for the Steelers throughout the 1950s (1951-1959). Despite the Steelers not being a dominant team during that era, their defense was routinely excellent, thanks in large part to players like Butler.

• Career Accolades: At the time of his retirement in 1959, Butler was tied for the second-most interceptions in NFL history, trailing only Dick “Night Train” Lane.
• The Context of History: Butler’s high interception total is especially remarkable given that the 1950s was an era where the passing game was not nearly as prevalent as it is today. Teams ran the ball far more often, meaning there were fewer opportunities for defensive backs to record picks.
• Versatility: Butler wasn’t just a defensive star; he also occasionally played offense, recording several receiving touchdowns during his career, demonstrating the need for multi-duty players on the smaller NFL rosters of the time.
• A Hometown Hero: Born in the city of Pittsburgh, Butler was a homegrown talent.
• Hall of Fame Wait: Despite being a consensus member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1950s, Butler was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame until 2012—a widely considered travesty given his dominance during his career.

🏡 The Franchise’s First Sunday Home Game (1933)

November 12, 1933, marked an important step toward the Pittsburgh franchise establishing a normal NFL schedule with the first Sunday home game for the newly formed Pittsburgh Pirates (the original name of the Steelers).

Repealing the Blue Laws

The NFL’s roots in Western Pennsylvania were shaky at first. The franchise, founded by Art Rooney, was contingent on the repeal of local “Blue Laws” that prohibited commercial activities, like professional football games, from taking place on Sundays.

• The repeal of these laws was decided by a general election that took place on November 7, 1933.
• The repeal allowed the Pirates to move away from their initial, poorly attended, mid-week home games (often played on Wednesdays), which were a scheduling nightmare.

The first Sunday home game, held on November 12, 1933, was played against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Unfortunately for the Pirates, the game was a bust, resulting in a 32-0 shutout loss to the visiting team.

📜 Bonus History: The Original Colts (1950)

November 12, 1950, features a unique and forgotten Steelers game: it was the only time the Pittsburgh Steelers played the original Baltimore Colts franchise.

• The Baltimore Colts were a franchise that originated in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in the 1940s and were one of three AAFC teams absorbed into the NFL in 1950 (along with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers).
• This particular iteration of the Colts team was defunct after the 1950 season, meaning the November 12th contest was the only time the Steelers faced them.
• In this game, Steelers quarterback, running back, and kicker Joe Geri set what was then a single-season franchise record for field goals.