| Wingback, Tailback, Halfback | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: November 7, 1895 | |
| Place of birth: Watertown, New York | |
| Date of death: May 25, 1928 (aged 32) | |
| Career information | |
| College: Lafayette College | |
| No regular season or postseason appearances | |
| Career history | |
*Phoenix Athletic Club (1919)
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
John Ambrose Weldon (November 7, 1895 – May 25, 1928) was a professional football player during the 1920s. He played in the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922) for the Buffalo All-Americans. Weldon was instrumental in the first NFL game to take place in New York City, as Buffalo defeated the Canton Bulldogs 7-3 at the Polo Grounds. During the game Weldon punted against the legendary Jim Thorpe and kicked a point after touchdown.
However Weldon also played independent football for the Phoenix Athletic Club in 1919 and Union Club of Phoenixville in 1921. He would play a non-league game with Phoenixville on Saturdays, then took a train to Buffalo and the next day’s game. This arrangement helped Weldon, and several other Buffalo All-Americans players, earn extra money in between league games.
Prior to playing pro football, Weldon played at the college level for Lafayette College. He received a college letter in 1916 and was named the team's captain in 1917. While at Lafayette, he also played on the school's basketball team, as a guard, and on the baseball team as an outfielder.
References[]
- "Lafayette Names Weldon., Eighteen Football Men Receive "L" and Elect Captain.". The New York Times (December 14): pp. 12. December 14, 1916. https://www.nytimes.com/1916/12/14/archives/lafayette-names-weldon-eighteen-football-men-receive-l-and-elect.html. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- Miller, Jeffery (2006). "The New Pro League is a Big Hit in the Big Apple: Buffalo Faces Canton in the Polo Grounds". Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 24 (6): 1–2. Archived from the original on 2010-10-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20101009141558/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/24-06-961.pdf.
- Ghosts of the Gridiron, which tracks the Football history of the Union Club of Phoenixville