William Kirschner
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s) | Center |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1891–1892, 1894 | Pittsburgh Athletic Club |
| As player | |
| 1890 | "All-Pittsburghs" |
| 1890 | Allegheny Athletic Association |
| 1891–1892 | Pittsburgh Athletic Club |
Professor William Kirschner was an early football player for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He may, or may not, have been one of the earliest professional football players. Even though he had never played football before 1890, he had the ability to learn and adapt to the game quickly. During the 1890s he was viewed as one of the best offensive linemen in Pennsylvania.
When the Pittsburgh A. C. (then called the East End Gymnasium Club) formed its team in 1891, Kirschner, who was a standout lineman, became the team’s bulwark. Prior to the formation of the football program, the club excelled at track and field and gymnastics. A year before the team began, Kirschner and Grant Dibert (who were both East End members) played on a pick-up team called the "All-Pittsburghs". Kirschner played center for the "All-Pittsburghs" so that he could square off against the Allegheny Athletic Association's John Moorehead. While Allegheny proved too much for the "All-Pittsburghs", Kirschner and several other East End players left the game with the experience needed to form a team in 1891.
However rivialry aside, Kirschner did play one game for Allegheny in 1890 during a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Athletic Club. Allegheny manager, O. D. Thompson was able to persuade Kirschner to play a guard position.
Prior to being involved in the club's football program, Kirschner served as the club's physical director. In 1891 the East Enders, behind Kirschner, rolled to a 7-0 record. However, the club was referred to as a semi-pro team.
Up until the 1892 season, hints professionalism in Pittsburgh football were centered around Kirschner. The Pittsburgh media had noted that the professor's salary went up in the autumn while the number of classes he taught went down. Some rival clubs, such as the Allegheny Athletic Association, felt that the professor's ability, his reduced class load, and his salary were connected. It was not uncommon to think that the increased salary and reduced workload were payment for coaching and playing on the team. Despite these concerns, the Amateur Athletic Union, the organization that policed amateur athletics, never investigated these claims. If they had, Kirschner may have had the honor of being the first professional football player, instead of Pudge Heffelfinger.
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