Old School Heroes of the NFL: John Kinport "Sal" Brallier

John Brallier is one of those players. Born in 1876, just outside of Indiana ,Pennsylvania, Sal (as many would call him) started playing football for his public school at 12 years of age as a quarterback and halfback. By the time he had started playing for a college team (Indiana Normal) he was still in public school and was considered a star athlete. Which continued until 1895 when Brallier graduated and began searching for colleges.

While awaiting college Brallier was approached by the Latrobe Football Club and asked to quarterback their team the Latrobe YMCA against their next opponent the Jeanette Athletic Club. At first John refused because he was supposed to play a baseball game the same day, but was later enticed by an offer of $10 plus expenses to quarterback the team. He accepted and led the Latrobe YMCA to a 12-0 victory and so began the official hiring of professional players.

While Brallier was considered the first professional football player and deemed a national icon for many years, it wasn't until after his death (1960) and before the Pro Football Hall of Fame was introduced that evidenced proved John Kinport "Sal" Brallier was not in fact the first professional football player, but merely the first one to openly admit he was paid. In the waking moment of the news Latrobe, Pennsylvania was no longer the birthplace of pro football in which that right was moved to Allegheny, Pennsylvania and the William "Pudge" Heffelfinger became considered the first professional player.

Interestingly enough, the Allegheny Athletic Club was investigated before the 1895 season due to allegations that players were accepting money to play. Ben "Sport" Donnelly, Peter Wright, James Van Cleve, and Oliver W. Rafferty were all found in the research to have been paid dating back to 1892 with Heffelfinger. Which now leaves Brallier as only the seventh player to be paid (Lawson Fiscus in 1894 was the other).