Dave Berry (American football)
Dave Berry in 1895
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| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s) | Manager/Coach/Promotor/1902 NFL President/Owner |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1898 | Western Pennsylvania All-Stars |
| As manager | |
| 1895–00 | Latrobe Athletic Association |
| 1898 | Western Pennsylvania All-Stars |
| 1902 | Pittsburgh Stars |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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David J. Berry was a major football manager during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was the top promoter for the sport during that time period. He is credited with inventing the "all-star game concept" in 1898, and also helped to form one of the first organized football leagues in 1902.
He was the manager of the Latrobe Athletic Association the first ever fully professional football team to play an entire season. He was also signed John Brallier to the Latrobe football team in 1895, for $10 a game plus expenses, making him the first-ever openly professional football player. Outside of pro football, Berry was the editor of the Latrobe Clipper newspaper.
Berry was also the inventor of the all-star game. In 1898, Berry organized a team of local stars to play the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, the Pennsylvania "football champions" that season. He came up with the idea of opposing them with an all-star team culled from Latrobe, Greensburg Athletic Association, Washington & Jefferson College, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, and Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost. Berry was able to form the 1898 Western Pennsylvania All-Star football team, however Greensburg and Washington & Jefferson refused to commit players, or allow them to play. Many of his players came directly from Latrobe. Still Berry's All-Star Game ended in a 16-0 Duquesne win. The game also resulted in a poor showing of attendance, with only 1,500 fans in attendance at Pittsburgh's Exposition Park. Part of the blame was due to many Pittsburghers considering the football season over with the Thanksgiving games. Uncertain weather was also blamed for the poor attendance. However most of the fans blame went to the leaders of the Greensburg Athletic Association, who were accused of spreading rumors that the various star players would not appear in the game.
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