NFL Today

The Dayton Triangles:
Present at the Creation of the
National Football League
by Steven Presar

Summary: On September 17, 1920, in Canton, Ohio the National Football League (originally known as the American Professional Football Association) was born. 

Individuals representing ten professional football teams attended the meeting. One such team represented was the Dayton (Ohio) Triangles.  

The Triangles would go on to play in the first game and score the first touchdowns in this new football league. 

This is the story of the growth and development of this professional football team --
The Dayton Triangles.

The Dayton Triangles Story:

In the era immediately prior to the founding of the National Football League (NFL) 1913-1920, semi-pro football teams were organized around neighborhoods or athletic clubs.

At that time a semi-pro football player worked a regular job through the week, practiced with his team one or two evenings, and picked up a little extra income by playing football on weekends. It was not unusual for a team to pay one or two outstanding football players for their help in just one game against a rival team.

The Ohio and western Pennsylvania region led the nation in the move to having all salaried players on semi-pro teams.

Sports historians have written previously about the Ohio professional teams that dominated in this era; Canton, Massillon and Akron.   However, there was also a team in southwestern Ohio that was equally as successful on the football field and played just as important a role in the development of professional football in America.

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