Syracuse Pros The Syracuse Pros , also sometimes referred to as the Syracuse Eleven , were a professional American football team from Syracuse , New York . It is suspected , though not known for sure , that the team joined the American Professional Football Association ( now the National Football League ) in 1921 and left the same year . The team was coached by Mike Purdy and managed by Andy Friedman . NFL debate . Though most of today ' s records state that the Pros did indeed exist and were a member of the APFA , this is not entirely certain . For instance , research centered around the Tonawanda Kardex suggests that the team was still known as All - Syracuse , an independent team , and it is sometimes said that the Rochester Jeffersons only won two games against NFL opponents in their existence , against Tonawanda and the Columbus Panhandles - - even though Rochester beat Syracuse in 1921 . The game is counted in Syracuse ' s records but not Rochester ' s . A third game , against the Washington Senators , was also played against a league opponent . No record of the league admitting " The Pros " to the league or removing them from the league exists ; only a statement from the team itself says it was ( and even that uses the erroneous name " National Professional Football Association " ) . Only the Chicago Tigers , who played seven games against NFL teams during the 1920 NFL season , have been generally recognized as league members without having formally been admitted to or removed from the league . ( A few teams , such as the New York Brickley Giants , have either admission or removal records missing , but not both . ) At least one team , that year ' s runner - up Buffalo All - Americans , refused to recognize their membership and canceled two games against them , and possibly pressured the Akron Pros into canceling a game against Syracuse as well . The Professional Football Researchers Association at one time considered the fact that Syracuse said they were in the league as sufficient evidence to say they were , claiming that since professional football was not that popular at the time , the team had nothing to gain from lying about their status ( even though the team ' s announcement trumpeted the ability to play " the top teams in the country ; " this hypothesis also does not take into account the possibility of the team being turned down for league membership ) ; the PFRA has since backed off from that stance . Also according to PFRA , in 1921 all teams that played fewer than six games against APFA members were dropped from the official standings . If Syracuse had played all of those cancelled games , it would have played seven league games , enough to qualify for the final standings if they were APFA members . Then we ’ d know for certain whether the Pros were in the league or not . 1921 Syracuse Pros season . The Pros opened their 1921 campaign with a scoreless tie against Tonawanda at Star Park . A touchdown pass from player - coach Mike Purdy to Lew Andreas in the last minute of play was called back on a holding penalty , costing Syracuse a win . Only 800 spectators showed up to the game because of inclement weather . The next two games were to be on the road against the AFPA ' s Buffalo All - Americans and New York Brickley Giants . However both were later canceled for reason that are unknown . To fill the first open date , manager Andy Friedman lined up a game with the Oakdales , a local semi - pro team . Syracuse then coasted to an easy 19 - 0 victory before a slightly improved crowd of 1 , 000 . For the next home game , Syracuse was to play the defending AFPA champions , the Akron Pros . However a few days later , Akron canceled the game in order to play the Rochester Jeffersons . In return , Syracuse played the an incarnation of the Akron Indians , this one an all - Native American football team , led by Suey Welch . The Pros defeated the Indians 47 - 0 in front of only 1 , 500 people . The Pros then prepared for a series of tough games against Rochester and Buffalo . However both teams canceled their games against Syracuse . A week later the Pros finally played their second game against an APFA team . However this game against the Washington Senators resulted in a 20 - 7 Syracuse loss . The Pros ended their only possible AFPA - NFL season with 12 - 0 loss to Rochester , them with an APFA record of 0 - 2 - 1 . Ties to other Syracuse teams . What " is " known for certain is that professional football in Syracuse had been around since at least 1890 , with the formation of the Syracuse Athletic Club . Syracuse A . C . existed from 1890 to 1900 , and according to PFRA contributor Kenneth Crippen had a tumultuous but prolific existence . A new Syracuse A . C . reformed in 1902 , under Frank " Buck " O ' Neill , and is notable for being the first ever national pro football champion ; using ringer s such as Pop Warner and members of the Watertown Red & Black , the Syracuse A . C . upset the favorite " New York " team in round 1 of the 1902 World Series of Pro Football and went on to win the tournament . Since the tournament was held in New York City ' s Madison Square Garden , the Syracuse A . C . played in the first indoor football game . An independent team known as " All - Syracuse " also existed both before and after 1921 . Another Syracuse - based team , the " Syracuse Stars , " is listed in the Rochester Jeffersons ' 1920 season records , and is more likely than not the same team as the Syracuse Pros .