POPCULTURE · HISTORICAL MARKER
The National Football League Was Born Here on September 17, 1920
Canton, Ohio
· "I was at the Birthplace of the NFL"
Pop Culture
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On September 17, 1920, representatives of the league's ten charter members crowded into the tiny Hupmobile showroom of Canton Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay to create the American Professional Football Association, later renamed the National Football League. Those present included Jim Thorpe, called "The Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century," and George Halas, founder of the Chicago Bears and one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. The first ten teams were the Dayton Triangles, Hammond Pros, Muncie Flyers, Rock Island Independents, Rochester Jeffersons, Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Decatur Staleys, Chicago Cardinals, and Cleveland Indians.
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