Providence Steam Roller
Encyclopedia
The Providence Steam Roller (also referred to as the Providence Steam Rollers, the Providence Steamroller and the Providence Steamrollers) was a professional American football
team based in Providence, Rhode Island
in the National Football League
from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England
team to win an NFL championship. The Steam Roller won the league's championship in 1928. They are the last team to win a championship and no longer be in the league. Most of their home games were played in a 10,000-seat stadium that was built for bicycle races called the Cyclodome
.
and part-time sports-writer Pearce Johnson
. Three men shared in the ownership and management of the team: Coppen, James Dooley
, and Peter Laudati
. Meanwhile Johnson stayed on as the team's manager for each year of its existence.
The team soon became a regional power and by the mid-1920s was known as the best independent team in the country. By 1919 the team was drawing in more spectators than Brown University
by a margin of 2-1, due to newspaper reports at the time. However it seemed unlikely since the Steam Roller crowd was on average 3,000 spectators a game. The players' wages were lower than those of Indiana
and Ohio
, so it was harder for the Steam Roller to bring in " ringers". Several college football
players did play for the Steam Roller, but under aliases, so as to not jeapardize their amateur status.
In 1924, Providence's schedule featured several NFL teams. The Steam Roller posted a 3-2-1 record against those teams, defeating the Rochester Jeffersons
(3-0), Minneapolis Marines (49-0) and Dayton Triangles
(10-7). Both of their two losses came against the Frankford Yellow Jackets
(21-10) and (16-3). The team also posted a scoreless tie against the Columbus Tigers. The 1924 Steam Roller then went on to win the mythical "undisputed championship of the Northeast". The team's success that season was enough to make Steam Roller management and fans start thinking about playing in the NFL.
in the single-wing formation. The star player for Providence was halfback
George "Wildcat" Wilson
, a 1925 All-American from the University of Washington
who had spent the 1926 season as the head of the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats
of the AFL
.
against Red Grange
and the New York Yankees
, Wilson's rival from the AFL. The Steam Roller led the Yankees 20-7 at halftime and held that score throughout the second half. However the team's next game resulted in a 10-6 loss to the Frankford Yellow Jackets. However the team soon rebounded with a four game winning streak over the Dayton Triangles (28-0), Yankees (12-6), Pottsville Maroons
(13-6) and Detroit Wolverines
(7-0). The Steam Roller faced the Yellow Jackets again at Frankford Stadium
on November 17, which resulted in a scoreless tie. However a week later, at the Cyclodome, Providence finally avenged its only loss of the season with a 6-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The team would then post wins over the New York Giants
(16-0) and Pottsville (7-0), before ending its season with a 7-7 tie, against the Green Bay Packers
. Providence was named the 1928 NFL Champions. Prior to the 1932 season, the NFL team with the best winning percentage was named the NFL Champions. Despite the Yellow Jackets winning 3 more games than the Steam Roller and posting an 11-3-2 record, Providence was awarded the title due to having a better winning percentage.
A "victory banquet" at the Biltmore Hotel
took place a week later. At the banquet, each player was rewarded with a gold watch. It was also at this event that Conzelman was given a trophy and named the team's "Most Valuable Player". Five of the Steam Roller players gained All-NFL honors when the league issued its official honor roll on December 23. Wildcat Wilson and Clyde Smith
were named to the first team, while Curly Oden
, Milt Rehnquist
, and Gus Sonnenberg
were placed on the second team.
, the Chicago Cardinals and concluded with a two-game series against the Frankford Yellow Jackets. Although the Steam Roller made history, their 0-3-1 record during that six-day stretch proved to be a scheduling disaster. During the second game of that four game series, Providence hosted the Cardinals on November 6. The game was played at night at nearby Kinsley Park
, where floodlights recently had been installed. The teams had originally been scheduled to play on Sunday, November 3, but heavy rains made the Cyclodome field unplayable. Since neither team wanted to lose a payday, the historic night game was hastily scheduled. Because of this, Providence made history again by being the first team to host an NFL game at night under floodlights. Although the Steam Roller lost 16-0, the game was declared a success because 6,000 fans attended.
and coach football. Conzelman also didn't fully recover from a knee injury sustained in 1928. Rehnquist missed the first half of the season due of illness, and Wildcat Wilson became complacent and turned into an ordinary back. The 1929 Steam Roller struggled to a 4-6-2 record, resulting in a 7th place league finish. This caused the fans, who attended each game during the championship season, to stay home. The team posted a 6-4-1 record in 1930 and a 4-4-3 record in 1931.
The lack of interest, coupled with the Great Depression
in 1930, caused Dooley, Coppen and Laudati to suspend operations after the 1931 season. The three owners then gave up and turned the franchise back over to the NFL in 1933.
; in 1962, the Steamroller team was the league's runner-up, losing in the championship to the Paterson Miners in a double-overtime decision. The assets of the ACFL Steam Roller were bought and taken to the Continental Football League
as the Rhode Island Indians, where the team played one last season in 1965. After the 1965 season, the team's franchise rights were turned over to famed baseball player Jackie Robinson
and became the "Brooklyn Dodgers," which lasted one season.
The name was revived again in 1988 for an Arena Football League team, the New England Steamrollers
.
A rare home movie showing the Providence Steam Rollers playing the Framingham Lion Tamers was recently discovered and preserved by Northeast Historic Film
, a regional moving image archive in New England.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
team to win an NFL championship. The Steam Roller won the league's championship in 1928. They are the last team to win a championship and no longer be in the league. Most of their home games were played in a 10,000-seat stadium that was built for bicycle races called the Cyclodome
Cyclodome
Cyclodome is a former American football stadium located in Providence, Rhode Island.1 It derives its name from its intended use as a bicycle racing stadium when it was built in 1925 by sports promoter Pete Laudati.2 The stadium was home to the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football...
.
Pre-NFL
The Steam Roller was established in 1916 by members of the Providence Journal; sports-editor Charles CoppenCharles Coppen
Charles B. Coppen was a sports editor for the Providence Journal. However he is best remember for being a part owner of the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League. He not only shared ownership of the team with Peter Laudati and James Dooley, but was also a co-founder of the team...
and part-time sports-writer Pearce Johnson
Pearce Johnson
Pearce B. Johnson was a part-time sports editor for the Providence Journal and the general manager of the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League. He was also one of the original founders of the team and served as the team's manager throughout its entire history . He is best known...
. Three men shared in the ownership and management of the team: Coppen, James Dooley
James Dooley (judge)
Judge James E. Dooley was a leading sports figure in Rhode Island. He was a graduate of Georgetown Law School and became part owner of the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League from 1916 until 1933 when the team folded. He was also a founder of the Providence Reds of the...
, and Peter Laudati
Peter Laudati
Peter A. Laudati was a sports promoter and a part-owner of the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League. He was also responsible for the construction of the team's stadium, the Cyclodome...
. Meanwhile Johnson stayed on as the team's manager for each year of its existence.
The team soon became a regional power and by the mid-1920s was known as the best independent team in the country. By 1919 the team was drawing in more spectators than Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
by a margin of 2-1, due to newspaper reports at the time. However it seemed unlikely since the Steam Roller crowd was on average 3,000 spectators a game. The players' wages were lower than those of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, so it was harder for the Steam Roller to bring in " ringers". Several college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
players did play for the Steam Roller, but under aliases, so as to not jeapardize their amateur status.
In 1924, Providence's schedule featured several NFL teams. The Steam Roller posted a 3-2-1 record against those teams, defeating the Rochester Jeffersons
Rochester Jeffersons
The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing...
(3-0), Minneapolis Marines (49-0) and Dayton Triangles
Dayton Triangles
The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangle Park, which was located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers in north...
(10-7). Both of their two losses came against the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
(21-10) and (16-3). The team also posted a scoreless tie against the Columbus Tigers. The 1924 Steam Roller then went on to win the mythical "undisputed championship of the Northeast". The team's success that season was enough to make Steam Roller management and fans start thinking about playing in the NFL.
NFL years
Providence joined the NFL in time for the 1925 season. By that time only three players from the 1924 team were still in the line-up when the team's first practice of 1925 was held on September 17. In fact, only about a dozen of them wore Steam Roller colors for the team's debut in the NFL. The Steam Roller had played mediocre football in their first two NFL seasons, but posted a strong 8-5-1 record in 1927 with Jim Conzelman as the team's head coach. For his per game salary of $292, Conzelman not only coached the team but also played quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the single-wing formation. The star player for Providence was halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
George "Wildcat" Wilson
Wildcat Wilson
George "Wildcat" Wilson was an American football player, earning All-American honors as a halfback for the University of Washington Huskies.-Collegiate career:...
, a 1925 All-American from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
who had spent the 1926 season as the head of the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats
Los Angeles Wildcats
The Los Angeles Wildcats was a traveling team of the first American Football League that was not based in its nominal home city but in Chicago, Illinois...
of the AFL
American Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
.
1928 championship season
Providence opened its 1928 season1928 Providence Steam Roller season
The 1928 Providence Steam Roller season was their fourth in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 8-5-1, losing only one game. As the team with the best win percentage, they were the 1928 NFL Champions.-Schedule:-Standings:...
against Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees (NFL)
The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium...
, Wilson's rival from the AFL. The Steam Roller led the Yankees 20-7 at halftime and held that score throughout the second half. However the team's next game resulted in a 10-6 loss to the Frankford Yellow Jackets. However the team soon rebounded with a four game winning streak over the Dayton Triangles (28-0), Yankees (12-6), Pottsville Maroons
Pottsville Maroons
The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...
(13-6) and Detroit Wolverines
1928 Detroit Wolverines (NFL) season
For the 1880s baseball team, see Detroit Wolverines.The 1928 Detroit Wolverines season was their sixth season in the league, and their lone season in Detroit after relocating from Cleveland in the offseason. The team improved on their previous output of 4-6-2, winning seven games. They finished...
(7-0). The Steam Roller faced the Yellow Jackets again at Frankford Stadium
Frankford Stadium
Frankford Stadium was a football field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets football team of the National Football League, which predated the Philadelphia Eagles. The stadium was also known as Yellow Jacket Field.The stadium, located at Frankford Avenue...
on November 17, which resulted in a scoreless tie. However a week later, at the Cyclodome, Providence finally avenged its only loss of the season with a 6-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The team would then post wins over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(16-0) and Pottsville (7-0), before ending its season with a 7-7 tie, against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Providence was named the 1928 NFL Champions. Prior to the 1932 season, the NFL team with the best winning percentage was named the NFL Champions. Despite the Yellow Jackets winning 3 more games than the Steam Roller and posting an 11-3-2 record, Providence was awarded the title due to having a better winning percentage.
A "victory banquet" at the Biltmore Hotel
Providence Biltmore
The Providence Biltmore Hotel is an upscale hotel that opened in 1922 as part of the Biltmore Hotel chain. It was founded by John McEntee Bowman and Louis Wallick, and is currently owned by Grand Heritage Hotels International...
took place a week later. At the banquet, each player was rewarded with a gold watch. It was also at this event that Conzelman was given a trophy and named the team's "Most Valuable Player". Five of the Steam Roller players gained All-NFL honors when the league issued its official honor roll on December 23. Wildcat Wilson and Clyde Smith
Clyde Smith (American football)
Clyde Wise Smith was a professional American football center in the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Kansas City Cowboys , the Columbus Tigers , and the Providence Steam Roller ....
were named to the first team, while Curly Oden
Curly Oden
Olaf Gustave Hazard Oden was an American football running back and punt returner in the National Football League for the Providence Steam Roller and the Boston Braves. He attended Brown University....
, Milt Rehnquist
Milt Rehnquist
Milton Rehnquist was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Kansas City Blues, Cleveland Bulldogs, Kansas City Cowboys, Providence Steam Roller, New York Giants, and the Boston Braves. He attended Bethany College....
, and Gus Sonnenberg
Gus Sonnenberg
Gustave Adolph Sonnenberg was an American football player and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he was National Wrestling Association world heavyweight champion...
were placed on the second team.
NFL firsts
Over the course of the next seven years, the team not only won an NFL championship but also established three league "firsts." In 1925, Providence was the first NFL team to play its home games in a bicycle racing stadium. In 1929, the Steam Roller established two NFL "firsts." In the six-day period between November 5 and November 10, 1929, Providence played four games. The marathon string began against the Staten Island StapletonsStaten Island Stapletons
The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. Under the shortened nickname the "Stapes"...
, the Chicago Cardinals and concluded with a two-game series against the Frankford Yellow Jackets. Although the Steam Roller made history, their 0-3-1 record during that six-day stretch proved to be a scheduling disaster. During the second game of that four game series, Providence hosted the Cardinals on November 6. The game was played at night at nearby Kinsley Park
Kinsley Park
Kinsley Park was an athletic field, used for professional football, minor league baseball and pro soccer, located in Providence, Rhode Island at the corner of Kinsley and Acorn streets. The field was used primarily by Providence Steam Roller, Providence Grays and the Providence Gold Bugs...
, where floodlights recently had been installed. The teams had originally been scheduled to play on Sunday, November 3, but heavy rains made the Cyclodome field unplayable. Since neither team wanted to lose a payday, the historic night game was hastily scheduled. Because of this, Providence made history again by being the first team to host an NFL game at night under floodlights. Although the Steam Roller lost 16-0, the game was declared a success because 6,000 fans attended.
Decline
Despite their 1928 championship, the team experienced troubles in 1929. On January 4, 1929, Sonnenberg defeated Strangler Lewis in two straight falls to capture the world heavyweight championship in professional wrestling. This caused Sonnenberg to stay out of football, as he could make better money defending his title. Meanwhile Oden quit pro football to take a job with an insurance company in Boston, and Smith decided to return to his native MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and coach football. Conzelman also didn't fully recover from a knee injury sustained in 1928. Rehnquist missed the first half of the season due of illness, and Wildcat Wilson became complacent and turned into an ordinary back. The 1929 Steam Roller struggled to a 4-6-2 record, resulting in a 7th place league finish. This caused the fans, who attended each game during the championship season, to stay home. The team posted a 6-4-1 record in 1930 and a 4-4-3 record in 1931.
The lack of interest, coupled with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in 1930, caused Dooley, Coppen and Laudati to suspend operations after the 1931 season. The three owners then gave up and turned the franchise back over to the NFL in 1933.
Name origin
During halftime against a game between the Steam Roller and the Providence Pros, Charles Coppen who was getting a hot dog, heard a remark that the opposing team was "getting steam-rolled". Coppen loved the remark so much named his team the Steam Roller.Other Steam Roller teams
The Steam Roller name was revived by Pearce Johnson, one of the original team's founders. The subsequent Steamrollers played on a near-continuous basis since that point as a semi-pro, minor league, and independent team until 1942, when it moved to Springfield and became the Springfield Steamroller for 1943, and suspended operations shortly thereafter. The last three seasons of a "Providence Steam Roller" team were as a member of the Atlantic Coast Football LeagueAtlantic Coast Football League
The Atlantic Coast Football League was a minor football league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.For the...
; in 1962, the Steamroller team was the league's runner-up, losing in the championship to the Paterson Miners in a double-overtime decision. The assets of the ACFL Steam Roller were bought and taken to the Continental Football League
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
as the Rhode Island Indians, where the team played one last season in 1965. After the 1965 season, the team's franchise rights were turned over to famed baseball player Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
and became the "Brooklyn Dodgers," which lasted one season.
The name was revived again in 1988 for an Arena Football League team, the New England Steamrollers
New England Steamrollers
The New England Steamrollers were a former Arena Football League team that played in the AFL's 1988 season. The Steamrollers were one of four teams to enter the AFL in 1988, and along with the New York Knights and Los Angeles Cobras were folded following the season.The Steamrollers were based out...
.
A rare home movie showing the Providence Steam Rollers playing the Framingham Lion Tamers was recently discovered and preserved by Northeast Historic Film
Northeast Historic Film
Northeast Historic Film is a regional moving image archive located at 85 Main Street in Bucksport, Maine. NHF is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing film and video related to the people of Northern New England.NHF safeguards film and videotape...
, a regional moving image archive in New England.
Season-by-season
| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | 12 | 3 | 1 | - | Joe Braney Joe Braney Joseph Peter "Speed" Breheney was a professional football player and coach with the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League. Born in Ireland, he later changed the spelling of his name to Joe Braney. In 1924 Braney was the coach of the Steam Roller as they were still an independent... |
| 1925 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 10th | Archie Golembeski Archie Golembeski Anthony Edward Golembeski was a professional football player and coach in the National Football League for the Providence Steam Roller. He also played at the college level and became an All-East football star while attending Holy Cross... |
| 1926 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 11th | Jim Laird Jim Laird Jim Tyler Laird was a professional American football player who played running back for the Rochester Jeffersons, the Buffalo All-Americans, the Canton Bulldogs, the Providence Steam Rollers, and the Staten Island Stapletons. In 1926, he was a player-coach for the Providence Steam Rollers... |
| 1927 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 5th | Jimmy Conzelman |
| 1928 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1st | Jimmy Conzelman |
| 1929 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8th | Jimmy Conzelman |
| 1930 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5th | Jimmy Conzelman |
| 1931 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6th | Ed Robinson |
