John Brallier John Kinport " Sal " Brallier ( December 12 , 1876 – September 17 , 1960 ) was one of the first professional American football players . He was nationally acknowledged as the first openly paid professional football player when he was given $ 10 to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association for a game against the Jeanette Athletic Association in 1895 . Early life . Brallier was born in Cherry Tree , Pennsylvania , near Indiana . He was the son of Dr . Emanuel Brallier , a physician , and his wife , Lucy M . Kinport Brallier . His grandparents were from Alsace - Lorraine , accounting for the French - sounding name . As a boy , Brallier remembered having worked in a glass factory . His first recollection of football was in 1890 , at the age of 13 , playing in high school for the West Indiana Public School team . By his sophomore year in 1892 , he was the captain and right halfback . In 1893 , while still attending high school , also played quarterback for the Indiana Normal football club in 1893 and 1894 . The team won three of four games played that year . Among Brallier ’ s teammates was left guard Alex Stewart , future father of movie star James Stewart . During the fourth game of the 1894 season , Normal lost 28 – 0 to Washington & Jefferson College . However , Brallier ’ s outstanding play led the Presidents coach E . Gard Edwards to write from Pittsburgh asking Brallier to play football for his team . Further correspondence followed through the winter between Brallier and Washington & Jefferson Presidents manager H . Wilson Boyd . The result was that Brallier agreed to go to Washington & Jefferson “ if all expenses are paid for the entire year . ” The young football star graduated from Indiana Public School that spring and was awaiting the start of college when something happened 30 miles away in Latrobe , Pennsylvania that was to affect his career and the rest of his life . Pro football pioneer . In 1895 the town of Latrobe established a formal football team . However , just before the start of the season , Latrobe quarterback Eddie Blair found himself in a scheduling conflict . Blair , who also played baseball in nearby Greensburg discovered that the team ' s first football game against the Jeannette Athletic Club conflicted with a prior baseball commitment . Manager David Berry , who was now seeking a replacement for Blair , had heard of Brallier ' s performance as Indiana Normal ' s quarterback . He contacted the 17 - year - old at his home in Indiana and offered him expenses to play for Latrobe . However , Brallier was not particularly anxious to play , anticipating his entrance into Washington & Jefferson College in a few weeks . The young quarterback was afraid that an injury would jeopardize his scholarship , so the Latrobe offered to pay him to " make it worthwhile " . Finally , Berry offered $ 10 a game plus expenses , while promising several other games and he threw in " some cakes " . This offer made Brallier the first openly paid football player . The quarterback arrived in Latrobe the night before the game and practiced with the team under a street light . Latrobe would go on to win the game . Brallier kicked two field goals for a final score of 12 – 0 . While Brallier was considered the first professional football player and deemed a national icon for many years , it wasn ' t until after his death in 1960 that evidence proved John Brallier was not in fact the first professional football player , but merely the first one to openly admit he was paid . William " Pudge " Heffelfinger of the Allegheny Athletic Association is now considered the first professional player . Washington & Jefferson . Brallier remained with Latrobe for a second game against an Altoona squad before leaving for college . Brallier promptly won the varsity quarterback position at Washington & Jefferson , and made his first start for the Presidents on September 28 , 1895 against Denison University . Washington & Jefferson won the game 32 – 0 . The 1895 Washington & Jefferson team won six games , tied Penn State University , and lost only to the Pittsburgh Athletic Club , which was composed of former college stars . After the Washington & Jefferson season , Brallier returned to Latrobe to play another game , against Greensburg Athletic Association on November 30 , 1895 , which ended in a 4 – 0 loss . Brallier suffered an injury late in the game . West Virginia University . Going into the 1896 season , Brallier had nine different offers from schools , colleges , and athletic clubs to play football for them . Both Washington & Jefferson and Latrobe wanted him to return , and his services also were sought by West Virginia University , Grove City College , Kiski Prep , Indiana Normal , Johnstown Athletic Club , Allegheny Athletic Association , and Pittsburgh Athletic Club . He accepted the West Virginia University offer , since he wanted to continue his education and the Mountaineers ' offer was better than other schools could offer . However , he later stated that " unfortunately , the football management got into financial difficulties and could not take care of their men as promised . " Brallier and two other players left after four games , one with Geneva College and three with Lafayette College , had been played . Brallier had captained the team and " Doggie " Trenchard , a former All - American from Princeton was the Mountaineer ' s coach . After the Lafayette game , Brallier accepted a Latrobe Athletic Association ' s offer to serve as its quarterback and coach . Punxsutawney . After Latrobe ' s season , Brallier received an offer from a hotel proprietor who managed Punxsutawney ’ s team to assemble some football talent to play for Punxsutawney in a deciding third game with rival DuBois . After a fun - filled week of practice and occupancy of the hotel ’ s third floor , the game at DuBois lasted only 12 minutes before a riot ended play with Punxsutawney leading , 12 – 0 . Both teams had outsiders with Latrobe ' s Harry Ryan and Ed Abbaticchio joining Brallier . The problem arose when the officials disallowed a DuBois score , although Punxsutawney ' s captain , Lawson Fiscus , offered to start the game anew with no score . Speculation was that the riot gave DuBois a chance to escape what may have been a rather sound drubbing in a game on which great amounts of money had been wagered . Brallier returned to Latrobe for the 1897 season . Pittsburgh - Latrobe . On May 11 , 1898 , during the Spanish – American War , Brallier entered the U . S . Army . Although he was not mustered out until November , he was stationed near Latrobe for football season . He signed a contract to play for Latrobe for $ 150 and expenses for the season . He played three games , then left in mid - October to join the Pittsburgh Athletic Club at an increase in salary . After the Pittsburgh team ’ s season was over he rejoined Latrobe for a final game against the Greensburg Athletic Association . Medico - Chi . In the fall of 1899 , Brallier received an offer from the University of Pennsylvania to play quarterback . However , Penn had worried that Brallier had played so much professional ball that the school ' s amateur standing would be at stake . Pennsylvania was trying quite hard to get Harvard on their schedule . However , Harvard had refused to play Penn on the grounds that some of Quakers ' players were not amateurs . After the Penn incident Brallier toured the city ’ s dental schools and decided to attend Medico - Chirurgical College , from where his older brother had graduated the year before . Ironically Medico - Chi , as it was called , later became part of the University of Pennsylvania . Before leaving for school that fall , Brallier helped coach the Indiana Normal team and turned down a Latrobe offer . Brallier had planned to give up football for his studies . However , pressure from the football coach and squad members changed his mind . Brallier was elected captain and quarterbacked the school ’ s undefeated team which wound up gloriously with a win over rival Jefferson Medical College . During the summers of 1899 and 1900 , John Brallier worked with the surveying corps of Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company . In 1900 , he helped lay out the town of Wehrum south of Vintondale , Pennsylvania in Cambria County . Before the 1900 season , Brallier had an offer from the University of Maryland to take up the coaching position . ” He refused it , stating that he wanted to dedicate more time to his studies . He returned to Medico - Chi and captained another undefeated team in its regular schedule . He graduated in 1902 with a degree in Orthodontia . Return to Latrobe . Brallier rejoined the Latrobe football team as player - coach for 1902 . He had turned down pro football offers from the Franklin Athletic Club and Oil City Athletic Club , located in northwestern Pennsylvania . From 1903 to 1905 Brallier led Latrobe to three straight undefeated seasons . Including wins against the Canton Bulldogs , who later became a founding member of the National Football League . Brallier wrote in retrospect in 1934 that the 1903 Latrobe backfield “ was the best I had ever played with and the best I have ever seen . ” In 1906 the team began to experience financial problems . Brallier finished his career in 1907 and was considered as one of the best players of his era , right alongside Pudge Heffelfinger . In 1907 , the decrease in community interest and the team ' s change a to amateur club status coincided with his last year as a player , although he continued to help coach local town teams . Family . In February , 1904 , the engagement of Bess Garnette Moorhead of Indiana to now Dr . John K . Brallier of Latrobe was announced , and a wedding followed in April . After football . Brallier went on to practice dentistry , and served the community during a 20 - year tenure as a school director , from which he retired at the end of 1931 . In March 1941 , tragedy struck when his wife was killed in an automobile accident . In the early 1950s , Latrobe was recognized by the National Football League as the birthplace of professional football , and Dr . Brallier was given lifetime passes for all National Football League games . Latrobe became a candidate for the proposed Pro Football Hall of Fame but the Hall went to Canton , Ohio . Brallier spent his time , after retirement , in parts of Canada and Florida . He enjoyed his recognition as one of the first professional football players . When he died on September 17 , 1960 , at age 83 , he was the last surviving member of the Latrobe football team . In 1979 , John Brallier was voted one of the " Best Pros Not in the Hall of Fame " by the Pro Football Researchers Association .