The Providence Steam Roller: New England's First NFL Team

by Greg D. Tranter

Overview

An early NFL franchise, the Providence Steam Roller brought major league sports to Rhode Island for the first time. Playing at a bicycle arena known as the Cycledrome, the team thrilled thousands of fans in its brief history. Only a short time after sitting atop the pro football world for one glorious season, it ceased to exist.

This book brings the Providence Steam Roller back to life in the first thorough examination of one of the most unusual franchises in NFL history. The team toiled in the NFL from 1925 to 1931 after nine years as an independent professional squad. The Steam Roller achieved many firsts in NFL history: it was the first NFL team in New England, hosted the first night game in NFL history, and is the last now-defunct team to win an NFL championship. Many who wore the black and orange uniform played professional football not for the money but for the love of the game and to represent the city of Providence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476694948
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	09/27/2024
Pages:	293
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.59(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Greg D. Tranter is a prominent sports historian, curator and author with a specialized expertise in Buffalo Bills history. He has authored five books on Buffalo sports history and writes for three magazines. He is the assistant executive director of the Pro Football Researchers Association and the managing editor of The Coffin Corner magazine.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: The 1920s and the Early NFL
One. Before the NFL Came to Providence
The Early Years of the Independent Steam Roller
The Cycledrome
Two. The Early Years (1925–1927)
1925—The Inaugural Season
1926—Excitement Turns to Disappointment
1927—Conzelman Arrives and Fortunes Change
Three. The NFL Champions (1928)
1928—The Top of the Mountain
Four. Aftermath and Demise (1929–1931)
1929—The Championship Hangover
1930—The Steam Roller Contends but Attendance Falls Off Sharply
1931—More Games, Fewer Fans, the End Is Near
Epilogue: The End and the Steam Roller Legacy
A Steam Roller Who’s Who
Appendix: ­Year-by-Year Results, Team Rosters and Statistics
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Tranter describes the rigor of this fledgling era of professional football and entertainingly recounts the action of every Steam Roller game. There is a who’s who listing of every player describing their achievements and an appendix that provides in-depth team and player statistics. ... Football devotees and New England history buffs should enjoy this book. ... recommended”—Choice

From the Publisher