1901 Homestead Library & Athletic Club football team The 1901 Homestead Library & Athletic Club football team won the professional football championship of 1901 . The team was affiliated with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club in Homestead , Pennsylvania , near Pittsburgh . The team featured a lineup of former college All - Americans paid by Pittsburgh Pirates owner William Chase Temple . Organization . In 1898 , William Chase Temple took over the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club , becoming the first individual team owner in professional football . In 1900 , most of the Duqesne players were hired by the Homestead Library & Athletic Club , by offering them higher salaries . Over the next two season ( 1900 and 1901 ) , Homestead fielded the best professional football team in the country and did not lose a game . In August 1901 , former Brown University player Dave Fultz ( 1875 – 1959 ) was hired as the captain of the Homestead team . Fultz played right halfback for Homestead and also played professional baseball from 1898 - 1905 . Playing for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1902 , Fultz led the American League in runs scored ( 109 ) and was third in stolen bases ( 44 ) . In late September 1901 , Fultz announced the makeup of the 1901 team . The payroll for the 1901 Homestead team was $ 25 , 000 a year , which was paid by William Chase Temple ( owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates ) and officers of the Carnegie Steel Company . When Fultz first announced the lineup in late September , it included Pete Overfield ( center from Penn ) , Bemus Pierce ( left guard from the Carlisle Indian School ) , Art Poe ( right end from Princeton ) , " Hoppy " Hunt ( left end from Brown University ) , Daff Gammons ( left halfback from Brown who also played baseball for the Boston Beaneater in 1901 ) , Fred Crolius ( fullback from Dartmouth who played professional baseball and ranked fifth in the National League after being hit by a pitch 10 times in 1901 ) , Maxson from Maryland , Frank Woodley ( quarterback from Penn ) , Arthur Mosse from the University of Kansas ( later a coach at Pittsburgh ) , Bob Shiring from Pittsburgh , McNulty ( right guard from Notre Dame ) , Weinstein ( right tackle from Pittsburgh ) , Nieman from the University of Cincinnati , Shields from Pittsburgh , and Perry Hale ( fullback from Yale who also coached the Exeter football team and joined Homestead in mid - November after Exeter ’ s last game ) . Others who played for the 1901 Homestead team include Hawley Pierce ( left tackle and brother of Bemus Pierce ) and Willis “ Little ” Richardson ( quarterback from Brown ) . Season summary . There was no organized professional football league in 1901 , and most of Homestead ’ s games were played against college football teams . Early in the season , Homestead played games against teams from Lalus , Ohio Medical College and Baltimore Medical College . Homestead won each of those games by wide margins , including a 42 to 0 margin over Baltimore Medical College on October 26 , 1901 . On November 2 , 1901 , Homestead played its first game against a significant opponent , defeating the college team from Penn State by a score of 39 to 0 . On November 6 , 1901 , Homestead defeated the Brown University football team by a score of 34 to 0 . The teams met at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh . Homestead ’ s success in securing a match against one of the major college teams , from one of the Ivy League schools , was considered “ the big card of the season ” by Homestead management . The Brown faculty consented to allow the game in October . Homestead was a heavy favorite in the game , with one newspaper noting , “ While a victory for Brown is too much to expect , the players certainly ought to have a very pleasant trip . ” The game ’ s biggest play was a run of 110 yards by Homestead ’ s left halfback , Gammons , who picked up the ball at the back of the goalposts after a blocked kick and “ ran the entire length of the field . ” Brown was “ outweighed and outclassed in all departments . ” On November 16 , 1901 , Homestead played its second game against a major college team , defeating Lafayette 48 to 0 at Pittsburgh . By late October 1901 , Homestead and Philadelphia team was recognized as the strongest professional football teams in the United States , and a Philadelphia admirer of football offered up a cup to be awarded to the winner in a match between the two teams . The championship game between Homestead and Philadelphia was the subject of " lively " betting , as reported in the following newspaper story : " At least $ 10 , 000 has already been bet in Pittsburg on the Philadelphia - Homestead football game … Some days ago a sport in Pittsburg from Philadelphia with $ 3 , 000 to bet even that Philadelphia team would beat Homestead . He was prepared to bet even , and his money was taken so promptly that he wired Philadelphia for another trunkful of coin . About $ 2 , 500 arrived Monday and friends of the Homestead team were ready at the station to meet it . There is yet a lot of loose money to bet that Homestead beats the Quakers and there is a good amount to bet at decent odds that Philadelphia does not score . " On November 23 , 1901 , Homestead defeated the Blondy Wallace ’ s Philadelphia professionals for “ the athletic championship of the United States . ” The game was played at the Philadelphia park , and Homestead won by a score of 18 to 0 . Newspaper accounts indicate that Philadelphia “ was completely outplayed and never menaced the Homestead goal . ” Another account reported that the Philadelphia team appeared to be in poor physical condition and was unable to gain ground consistently . ” Homestead gained most of its yardage through the Philadelphia line , directing most of its plays at tackle and center . The New York Times reported on the game as follows : ” Against the well - trained , concerted team work of Homestead they were like so many pigmies . Their line could not hold the fast onslaught of the Western contingent , and after the first ten minutes of play a lack of good physical condition began to assert itself . … The 5 , 000 spectators present shivered through thirty minute halves and at no time during the game was a real opportunity offered to get enthusiastic over the work of Wallace ’ s [ Philadelphia ’ s captain ] team . It was an eleven made up of stars against well - trained team work , and the latter triumphed . ” While the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that at least one of Homestead ’ s scores was the result of an error by the umpire , they agreed Homestead was the better team : “ The Homestead line was like a stone wall , and only occasionally was Philadelphia able to gain around the ends . Homestead played a team of giants , all in perfect condition , and with a system of team play developed to the highest possible perfection . ” On November 28 , 1901 , Homestead played a Thanksgiving Day game against the college team from Washington & Jefferson . Homestead won the game 42 to 0 at Pittsburgh . On November 30 , 1901 , Homestead finished the season with a rematch against Philadelphia , in a game played two days after the Washington & Jefferson game . Two of Homestead ’ s starters , Hawley Pierce and Pete Overfield , were unable to play due to injuries , and captain Dave Fultz was knocked unconscious in the first half . Homestead gave up a touchdown in the first half , the first points scored against them in 1901 . But they came back in the second half and won by a score of 6 to 5 . Public and press response . After Homestead won the professional football championship , the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote the following editorial expressing pride in the accomplishments of Pennsylvania ’ s professional football teams : " It is a curious fact , apropos of the constant charge that Pennsylvania is now a slow state , that the two greatest professional football teams in the country , Philadelphia and Homestead , should have found a spontaneous sort of existence within the Keystone limits , and without fuss or flurry of any kind , be ready to meet all comers . " Despite their success on the field , the 1901 Homestead team was not a financial success , as “ the winningest team in pro football was a financial loser again , dropping $ 8 , 000 . ” Birthplace of the NFL . The success of the 1901 Homestead team also spurred interest in the formation of a nationwide professional football league . One writer opined that Homestead , though an " exceptionally strong organization , " were actually too strong a team for the best box office results , as “ its games were won too easily . ” Pittsburgh baseball officials Harry Pulliam and Barney Dreyfuss proposed a league with teams in Chicago , Pittsburgh , Philadelphia , Boston and New York . In December 1901 , Pulliam told a reporter : " There were 7 , 000 persons out to see the Homestead and Philadelphia teams play … and I believe that strong teams evenly matched in the cities named will appeal to the average football crank . Enough graduates and men who are taking post graduate courses at colleges can be found to make strong teams . They would be men who have learned the game at the colleges , but older and stronger , and would have the advantage of playing together year after year more than college players . " In 1902 , Dreyfuss formed the first National Football League , consisting of three teams made up in large part of former Homestead players .