Ben "Sport" Donnelly
| Date of death | August 3, 1922 (aged 51) |
|---|---|
| Place of death | New York, New York |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | End |
| College | Princeton |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1891–1892 | Purdue (assistant) |
| 1893 | Iowa |
| 1893 | Allegheny Athletic Association |
| 1895 | Chicago Athletic Association |
| 1897 | Washington & Jefferson (assistant) |
| As player | |
| 1891 | Manhattan Athletic Club |
| 1892 | Chicago Athletic Association |
| 1892–1894 | Allegheny Athletic Association |
| 1895 | Chicago Athletic Association |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Benjamin S. "Sport" Donnelly (? – August 3, 1922) was an American football player and coach. He was the second-ever known professional football player, behind William Heffelfinger. He was paid $250 for one game on November 19, 1892 by the Allegheny Athletic Association, for a game against the Washington & Jefferson Presidents football team. The November 19 date was exactly seven days after the team paid Heffelfinger $500 for a game. In 1893, Donnelly was hired by the Allegheny Athletic Association as player-coach, making him the first man to ever coach a known pro team. Heffelfinger once said that Donnelly was the only man that he had played against who "could slug you and at the same time keep his eyes on the ball". Donnelly also served as the second head football coach at the University of Iowa for a single season in 1893, compiling a record of 3–4.
Donnelly began his college football career at Princeton University. While at Princeton, Donnelly was a star end on the Princeton Tigers football team.
Aside from playing with Allegheny in 1892, Donnelly also played with the Chicago Athletic Association that same year. He also played for the Manhattan Athletic Club in 1891. There were allegations that he was guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct on a field. One of his stunts was to purposely punch an opponent, then go to the referee and say, "Watch this guy. He's been slugging me all day." Once that player retaliated on the next play, under the watchful eye of the ref, he would then be thrown out of the game. In a Chicago game against the New York Cresants, the Cresants refused to take field unless Donnelly was barred from the Chicago lineup because of some alleged rough tactics he used while playing for Manhattan, the year before. Chicago benched Donnelly, and his absence resulted in a tie. Donnelly then became enraged and refused to rejoin the team in Chicago. Pudge Heffelfinger, who was also playing for Chicago, joined Donnelly in the walk-out. After this game he was once again recruited by Allegheny, to play for them. A few weeks later, Donnelly and Heffelfinger were professional players with the team. Donnelly played with Allegheny in 1892, 1893 and 1894.
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