WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
FIRST FOOTBALL PROFESSIONAL
Profile America — Saturday, September 3rd. Football season is soon to be in full swing again. Some colleges began playing their schedules on Thursday, and the National Football League season starts this coming Thursday. For many years, it was believed the first professional game took place on this date in 1895 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It was considered professional because one player was paid the sum of $10. However, recent research found that the first professional game took place in 1892 in Pittsburgh between two athletic clubs. There, a Yale All-American named "Pudge" Heffelfinger scored the game's only points, and received $500 for his gridiron exploits. That is almost $13,300 today, or close to half of America's current annual per capita income of $28,500. Profile America is in its 20th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 7322
College schedules/accessed 7/5/2016: http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/schedule?seasonType=1&week=1&group=-3
1895 game/accessed 7/5/2016: http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Football.html
"Pudge" Heffelfinger/accessed 7/5/2016: http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/birth.aspx
1892-2014 value: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
Per capita income: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotion of the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics and accounts drawn from cited non-Census sources are employed for illustrative or narrative purposes, and are not attested to by the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Audio" in the "Library" pull-down menu).
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO
SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
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