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All-Massillons
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the " Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre- National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become "All-Massillons" to win another title in 1907. The team returned as the Tigers in 1915 but, with the reemergence of the Bulldogs, only won one more Ohio League title. Pro football was popularized in Ohio when the amateur Massillon Tigers hired four Pittsburgh pros to play in the season-ending game against Akron. At the same time, pro football declined in the Pittsburgh area, and the emphasis on the pro game moved west from Pennsylvania to Ohio. The team opted not to join the APFA (later renamed the NFL) in 1920; it remained an independent club through 1923, when the Tigers folded. During their time as an independent, the Tigers never played against any team in the NFL, even though sev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sherburn Wightman
Sherburne Henry Wightman (September 5, 1882 – October 2, 1930) was a professional American football player-coach in the " Ohio League", which was the direct predecessor to the modern National Football League (NFL). He is best remembered for coaching the Massillon Tigers to an Ohio League title in 1906, over the Canton Bulldogs, which led to accusations of a betting scandal. In 1907, he coached a version of the Massillon Tigers called the "All-Massillons" to another Ohio League title. Prior to his professional career, Wightman played at the college level for the Chicago Maroons, under Amos Alonzo Stagg, and Swarthmore College. Massillon Tigers Wightman was named the coach of the Massillon Tigers in 1906 after E. J. Stewart was promoted to the title of team manager. Wightman's first order of business was to replace four of the Tigers players who were a part of the club's 1905 Ohio League championship. Quarterback Jack Hayden, tackle Jack Lang, guard Herman Kerchoff, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
