Willis Richardson (American football)

Willis Richardson was an early professional football player-coach for the Homestead Library & Athletic Club and the Pittsburgh Stars of the first National Football League. He won the Western Pennsylvania State Championship with Homestead in 1900 and 1901. Then in 1902, he brought along many former Homestead players to the Stars team, which was formed by the former Latrobe Athletic Association manager, Dave Berry, and probably funded by the Barney Dreyfuss and William Chase Temple of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. During the Stars "championship game" against the Philadelphia Athletics, Willis scored an extra point to help led the Stars to an 11-0 victory and the 1902 championship.

Prior to playing professionally, Richardson played at the college level for Brown University. While at Brown he was a 2 time All-American on Walter Camps second team. He is best known as the player who kicked Brown’s first ever field goal in 1899. In 1898 he earned his first All-American status by running 103 yards for a touchdown against Princeton.

In 1971 Willis was inducted into the Brown University Football Hall of Fame.

References

• Carroll, Bob (1980). "Dave Berry and the Philadelphia Story" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 2 (Annual): 1–9. 
• Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511913-4. 
• "Baseballists in Football". New Haven Evening Register. 1900-10-20. 
• "No More Wednesday Games: Mid-West Football Given up by Practically All the Colleges". New Haven Evening Register. 1900-10-30. 
• "And Yet Again" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1.  |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)