William Heffelfinger

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William "Pudge" Walter Heffelfinger (December 20, 1867, Minneapolis, Minnesota - April 2, 1954, Blessing, Texas) was an American football player.

Heffelfinger was a three-time All-American playing for Yale in 1889, 1890 and 1891, before playing amateur football for the Chicago Athletic Association (for which he was compensated with "double expenses," as was a common practice at the time).

On November 12, 1892, Heffelfinger was paid $500 (far above and beyond even double his expenses) by the Allegheny Athletic Association to play in a game against the rival Pittsburgh Athletic Club, during which he scored the game's only touchdown on a recovered fumble. Though the payment was not verified until the acquisition of an Allegheny Athletic Association expense ledger from the day by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this fee has established Heffelfinger as being the first professional football player on record. The Pittsburgh Athletic Club had previously offered him $250 to play for them in the game, but he felt it wasn't enough to jeopardize his amateur status.[1]

Heffelfinger also coached the University of Minnesota football team in 1895. He led the team to a 7-3 record in his only season there.

[edit] External links

• http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-9326037
• http://www.allbiographies.com/biography-HeffelfingerPudge-53035.html
• http://library.thinkquest.org/12590/heffelfi.htm
• http://www.nationalchamps.net/NCAA/database/minnesota_database.htm