WILLIAM “PUDGE” HEFFELFINGER | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

This week in Pittsburgh history, former Yale All-American guard William “Pudge” Heffelfinger was paid $500 to play a football game for The Allegheny Athletic Association.

According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Heffelfinger helped Allegheny defeat its archrival, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, on Nov. 12, 1892, becoming the first known pro football player, earning $500 for his efforts.

THE LEDGER THAT SHOWED HEFFELFINGER WAS PAID FOR HIS SERVICES, ALSO KNOWN AS THE “BIRTH CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL.” | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

Heffelfinger was born on Dec. 20, 1867 in Minneapolis. He played baseball and football at Central High School in Minneapolis. He attended Yale and was named All-American three times.

Heffelfinger helped lead Yale to undefeated seasons in 1888 and 1891. According to Britannica, he introduced the concept of the running, or pulling, guard to the game, the forerunner to modern blocking as a coach.

Heffelfinger played baseball, boxing and weight-throwing during college. During his postgrad years, he played on a few semiprofessional teams, and football historians credit him for giving birth to pro football after his game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.

BIRTHPLACE OF FOOTBALL HISTORICAL MARKER | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER

In 1893, Heffelfinger found a job with the Great Northern Railroad, but he quickly gave that up when he was hired as head coach by the University of California. There, he introduced a style of football more similar to what we know today; previously the game more resembled rugby. He had head coaching gigs at two other universities and coached the University of Minnesota football team as well.

He returned to his hometown in 1894 and entered his father’s shoe business, and in 1904, he became the company’s vice president and general manager. He married Grace Harriet Pierce in 1901, and they had one son and two daughters.

When the shoe company went out of business in 1907, Heffelfinger found success as a building contractor.

In 1916, he helped Coach Tad Jones work with the Yale team, and in 1933, he founded Heffelfinger Publications, which put out guides and promotional booklets on football and baseball.

Heffelfinger was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in the inaugural class. In 2015, he was inducted into the Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He died in Texas at age 86.