New York Times=Sept. 11, 1938
IN THIS CORNER with ~ JACK CUDDY
United Press Staff Correspondent Copyright, 1938, by the United Prdss
PAY COLLEGE PLAYERS

Dr. John K. Bralliecr of Latrobe, Pa., is the guy who started peel-
ing frogskins off the pigskin=- who started demanding bucks for bucking.
He was our first professional football pleyer.

And now at 61, Dentist Brallier is still yelling for football
dough; not for himself but for the lads who play it. He is cam=
paigning for pay checks every month for college performers, as well
as the proSe

"7 was the first man ever paid outright for playing football" the
robust old molar mauler said. “But 1 certainly wasn't the first to be
subsidized for joining a college team. Colleges were taking care of
the football boys long before my time. They're still doing it under
covere That sub-rosa business is wronge They should pay the boys
openly." ?

Brallier, father of three childrenend a grandfather through one
of his offspring, says he became America's first pro gridster back
in 1895. He was attending Washington and Jefferson at the time and
just beginning his gallop to glory as a quarterback.

The nearby steel town of Latrobe had its own football team.
This outfit was slated for an important game when its quarterback,
Deacon Blair suffered an attack of colic, spavin the heaves or some-
thing. So the Latrobe manager, in desperation, got in touch with
Brallier at We and Je and asked if he could fill in for Blair. Brallier
replied, "I don't see how I could do it."

"But we've just got to have a good quarterback for this game,"
insisted the frantic manager. "“Woubd $10 and expenses interest you?"
"T!11 say it will!" exclaimed Bralliere I'll be your quarterback."

IN BIG DOUGH

In those days 10 bucks and expenses was big dough for the sturdy
but struggling son of Widow Brallier of Indiana, Pa. Accordingly
Brallier participated in several Latrobe games while still playing with
We and J. And he was paid for every Latrobe game.

Latrobe's team was composed of young steel workers, miners and one
of two former college players. They were competing for fun and fame
alone«-as were the lads on all other town and city teams--until Brallier
came alonge When the word got out that our dentist friend was getting
paid, other stellar performers started demanding cash for their efforts.
Such was the birth of the commercial gridstare