Abram Sharpless Valentine (July 11, 1871 – July 29, 1921) was an early professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player for the Allegheny Athletic Association. He served as the team's

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

in 1890 and 1891. However, he jumped to the rival

Pittsburgh Athletic Club The Pittsburgh Athletic Club (PAC) was one of the earliest professional ice hockey teams. It was based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from around 1895 until 1904 and again from 1907 to 1909. The team was a member of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey Le ...

in 1892. Valentine played for Pittsburgh in their first two games. Then, without warning, he suddenly jumped back to the Allegheny team. Some Pittsburgh A.C. members accused Allegheny of enticing him back, while others charged he had all along been a spy for them. During Allegheny's two games against the Pittsburgh A.C. that year, Valentine played as a left halfback. In 1891, he played in a game for Shadyside Academy as that team was defeated by the Pittsburgh A.C., 26–0. That same year, he scored a touchdown against the

Greensburg Athletic Association The Greensburg Athletic Association was an early organized football team, based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, that played in the unofficial Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit from 1890 until 1900. At times referred to as the Greensbu ...

, during a 10–0 Allegheny win. During a game against the

Detroit Athletic Club The Detroit Athletic Club (often referred to as the DAC) is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. It is located across the street from Detroit's historic Music Hall ...

on November 11, 1893, Valentine reportedly openly punched Detroit's quarterback openly. The officials ignored the incident, and the Detroiter used the next play to retaliate against Valentine. Shortly after, a brawl between the two clubs erupted. Allegheny would go on to win the game 18–0. In 1894, during a game against the Pittsburgh A.C., Valentine was thrown out of the game after coming to the aid of

John Van Cleve John Moore Van Cleve (September 26, 1871 – January 9, 1914) was an American football player and coach. He became one of the earliest known people paid to play the sport when he, Ollie Rafferty, and Peter Wright signed contracts with the Allegh ...

during a fight against Pittsburgh's

Joe Trees Joseph Clifton Trees was a college football player at the University of Pittsburgh, the first athlete to receive an athletic subsidization at the school, and, possibly, an early professional football player. He later made millions of dollars in ...

. After several appeals, Valentine left the field reportedly "crying like a boy" according to the Pittsburgh ''Post''. In 1895, Allegheny declined to field a team after learning of an investigation into the club by the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

, over reports that the team had been secretly paying players. As a result, Valentine became a referee. He officiated a game that year between the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club and Greensburg. The game was filled with fights and arguments. Valentine refused to return to the game for the second half.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, A. S. Players of American football from Pennsylvania Allegheny Athletic Association players Penn Quakers football players Pittsburgh Athletic Club (football) players American football officials Year of birth missing Year of death missing 19th-century players of American football