Ralph Waldsmith

Ralph George "Fat" Waldsmith (August 7, 1892 – June 7, 1925) was a professional football player during the early years of the National Football League (NFL). Waldsmith won an NFL championship with the Canton Bulldogs in 1922. before that season, he played for the Cleveland Indians in the American Professional Football Association, which was the run-up to the NFL.

Ralph Waldsmith

No. 10 (1922)[1]
Born:	(1892-08-07)August 7, 1892 Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Died:	June 7, 1925(1925-06-07) (aged 32)
Career information
Position(s)	Guard, Center
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg)
College	Akron
Career history
As coach
1916, 1919	Akron Indians
As player
1914	Akron Indians
1916–1917	Canton Bulldogs
1919	Akron Indians
1921	Cleveland Indians
1922	Canton Bulldogs
As owner
1919	Akron Indians
Career highlights and awards
NFL champion (1922) 3× Ohio League champion (1914, 1916, 1917) Signed Fritz Pollard to the Akron Indians (1919) Varsity “A” Sports Hall of Fame (1978)

Pre-NFL era

Prior to playing the NFL, Waldsmith played in the Ohio League with the Akron Indians in 1914, alongside Knute Rockne. He played in every game that season.^[2] In 1916 and 1917, Ralph won the Ohio League championship with the Canton Bulldogs.^[3][4] In 1919 Waldsmith was the coach and co-owner of the Akron Indians. That year, he signed Fritz Pollard to play for Akron ao that the team could compete against the Massillon Tigers and Canton.^[5]

Akron Zips Hall of Fame

In 1978, Waldsmith was inducted into the University of Akron's Varsity “A” Sports Hall of Fame.^[6]

References

• "Parratt Stays On Top" (PDF). PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2012.
• "The Super Bulldogs" (PDF). PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2015.
• "Canton Wins Again" (PDF). PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2013.
• McClellan, Keith (1998). The Sunday Game: At the Dawn of Professional Football. Akron, OH: Akron University Press. ISBN 1-884836-35-6.
• Carroll, John M. (1999). Fritz Pollard: Pioneer in Racial Advancement. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06799-1.