Present at the Creation of the National Football League — The Dayton Triangles
On September 17, 1920, in Canton, Ohio the National Football League (originally known as the American Professional Football Association) was born.
Individuals representing ten professional football teams attended the meeting. One such team represented was from Dayton, Ohio — The Dayton Triangles.
The Triangles would go on to play in the first game and score the first touchdowns in this new football league.
This is the story of the growth and development of this professional football team — The Dayton Triangles.
The Dayton Triangles Story
by Steven Presar
In the era immediately before the founding of the National Football League (NFL) 1913-1920, semi-pro football teams were organized around neighborhoods or athletic clubs.
At that time a semi-pro football player worked a regular job throughout the week, practiced with his team one or two evenings, and picked up a little extra income by playing football on weekends. It was not unusual for a team to pay one or two outstanding football players for their help in just one game against a rival team.
The Ohio and western Pennsylvania region led the nation in the move to having all salaried players on semi-pro teams.
Sports historians have written previously about the Ohio professional teams that dominated in this era; Canton, Massillon, and Akron. However, there was also a team in southwestern Ohio that was equally as successful on the football field and played just as important a role in the development of professional football in America.
NFL Today: