Rochester Jeffersons
Encyclopedia
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 (a 1925 report has the team being founded in 1898), the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing field on Jefferson Avenue. Around 1908 a teenager by the name of Leo Lyons
joined with the club as a player, and within two years began to manage, finance, and promote the team on a full-time basis.
For their first decade of their existence the "Jeffs" played other amateur and semi-pro teams from the upstate New York area such as the Rochester Scalpers and the Oxfords. By the fall of 1917, the Jeffs had started to look past state borders not only for big-name opponents, but for big-name talent as well.
At the end of October 1917, Lyons managed to secure a match against the country's greatest team, the Canton Bulldogs
, who had the legendary Jim Thorpe
as their star attraction. Thorpe's squad crushed the Jeffs 41-0, but the audacity of challenging such a superior team to a match won Lyons and his club a bit of notoriety, and three years later they were fortunate to be included as an inaugural member of the newly formed American Professional Football Association, which would be known in two years as the National Football League
.
As it turned out, Rochester was more interested in its thriving sandlot football
circuit of "local boys" than in professional football. The team was caught in the middle: it had recruited players that had made it too good to play in the sandlot circuit, but not good enough to compete with NFL teams. As a result, its attendance suffered badly, with the local semi-pro teams drawing as many as ten times the number of fans as Jeffersons games. The team only won two games against NFL opponents during its entire history, both in the 1921 season, and both were relatively weak opponents: the Tonawanda Kardex
, whose match against Rochester was their only game in the league, and the Columbus Panhandles, who would go 0-8 that year and end up at the bottom of the league standings. The Jeffersons never won a league game for the rest of their existence, incurring four straight winless seasons
from 1922 to 1925.
After an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to lure Red Grange
to Rochester (he instead signed with the Chicago Bears
), the team suspended operations after the 1925 NFL season
; by this point, the team had been losing money (to the point where Lyons' house had been foreclosed
upon because of his dumping of virtually all his assets into the team) and had been a traveling team
for two seasons (1920 and 1925). The team remained technically suspended for 1926 and 1927, but allowed its franchise to expire in 1928. Lyons stayed on with the league as an unofficial historian after the Jeffersons' folding.
The intellectual property rights to the Jeffersons are currently held by John Steffenhagen, the great-grandson of former Jeffersons owner Leo Lyons.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
played 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 1920 to 1925.
Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century (a 1925 report has the team being founded in 1898), the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing field on Jefferson Avenue. Around 1908 a teenager by the name of Leo Lyons
Leo Lyons (American football)
Leo V. Lyons was a co-founder of the National Football League. He was a player, manager,coach and owner of the Rochester Jeffersons from 1908 to 1925.-Early career:...
joined with the club as a player, and within two years began to manage, finance, and promote the team on a full-time basis.
For their first decade of their existence the "Jeffs" played other amateur and semi-pro teams from the upstate New York area such as the Rochester Scalpers and the Oxfords. By the fall of 1917, the Jeffs had started to look past state borders not only for big-name opponents, but for big-name talent as well.
At the end of October 1917, Lyons managed to secure a match against the country's greatest team, the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
, who had the legendary Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
as their star attraction. Thorpe's squad crushed the Jeffs 41-0, but the audacity of challenging such a superior team to a match won Lyons and his club a bit of notoriety, and three years later they were fortunate to be included as an inaugural member of the newly formed American Professional Football Association, which would be known in two years as 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...
.
As it turned out, Rochester was more interested in its thriving sandlot football
Street football (American)
Street football, also known as backyard football or sandlot football, is a simplified variant of American football primarily played informally by youth...
circuit of "local boys" than in professional football. The team was caught in the middle: it had recruited players that had made it too good to play in the sandlot circuit, but not good enough to compete with NFL teams. As a result, its attendance suffered badly, with the local semi-pro teams drawing as many as ten times the number of fans as Jeffersons games. The team only won two games against NFL opponents during its entire history, both in the 1921 season, and both were relatively weak opponents: the Tonawanda Kardex
Tonawanda Kardex
The Tonawanda Kardex was an American football team active between 1916 and 1921. It played its games in City of Tonawanda, New York, a suburb of Buffalo with close ties to North Tonawanda, New York where American Kardex was founded...
, whose match against Rochester was their only game in the league, and the Columbus Panhandles, who would go 0-8 that year and end up at the bottom of the league standings. The Jeffersons never won a league game for the rest of their existence, incurring four straight winless seasons
Imperfect season
An imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
from 1922 to 1925.
After an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to lure 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...
to Rochester (he instead signed with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
), the team suspended operations after the 1925 NFL season
1925 NFL season
The 1925 NFL season was the 6th regular season of the National Football League. Five new teams entered the league: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Pottsville Maroons, Providence Steam Roller, and a new Canton Bulldogs team...
; by this point, the team had been losing money (to the point where Lyons' house had been foreclosed
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
upon because of his dumping of virtually all his assets into the team) and had been a traveling team
Traveling team
In professional team sports, a traveling team is a member of a professional league that never or rarely competes in its home arena or stadium. This differs from a barnstorming team in that the latter does not compete within a league or association framework...
for two seasons (1920 and 1925). The team remained technically suspended for 1926 and 1927, but allowed its franchise to expire in 1928. Lyons stayed on with the league as an unofficial historian after the Jeffersons' folding.
The intellectual property rights to the Jeffersons are currently held by John Steffenhagen, the great-grandson of former Jeffersons owner Leo Lyons.
Season-by-season
| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2nd, NYPFL | Jack Forsyth Jack Forsyth Walter Scott Forsyth was a professional football coach for the Rochester Jeffersons of the American Professional Football Association . He coached the team from 1919 until 1921. He was the Jeffs first head coach in the NFL.-Head coaching record:-References:... |
| 1920 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7th | Jack Forsyth |
| 1921 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10th | Jack Forsyth |
| 1922 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 15th | Doc Alexander |
| 1923 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19th | Leo Lyons Leo Lyons (American football) Leo V. Lyons was a co-founder of the National Football League. He was a player, manager,coach and owner of the Rochester Jeffersons from 1908 to 1925.-Early career:... |
| 1924 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 16th | Jerry Noonan Jerry Noonan Gerald Michael Noonan was a Fordham All-American who played professional football. "Jerry's" football career included playing at Santa Clara College, Oakland and playing on the Olympic Club Football Team in San Francisco... |
| 1925 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 16th | Tex Grigg |
| Totals | 8 | 27 | 4 | ||
External links
- Rochester Jeffersons Official Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000733201022
- Carroll, Bob. THE TOWN THAT HATED PRO FOOTBALL. Pro Football Researchers Association Coffin Corner: Vol. III, 1981.
- PFRA http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Rochester_Jeffersons.htm