Ross Fiscus

American football player and coach (1870–1950)

Ross Fiscus

Fiscus with the 1900 DC&AC football team

Biographical details
Born| (1870-04-02)April 2, 1870
Armstrong Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died| November 6, 1950(1950-11-06) (aged 80)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1891–1892| Indiana Normal
1891–1894| Allegheny A. A.
1893| Western U. of Pa.
1894| Washington & Jefferson
1896| Greensburg A. A.
1897| Geneva
1898| New Castle Terrors
1898| Grove City
1899| Youngstown Giants
1900| Duquesne C. & A. C.
Position(s)| Guard, tackle, halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1897| Geneva
1898| New Castle Terrors
1899| Youngstown Giants

William Ross Fiscus (April 2, 1870 – November 6, 1950) was an early professional American football player and coach. He was one of the first pro players on record.

## Football career

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Fiscus played for the Allegheny Athletic Association professional football team as a lineman in 1891 and 1892, but by 1893 he had successfully earned the role as halfback.[1] He split his playing time in 1893 between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Western University of Pennsylvania, later known as the University of Pittsburgh.

Fiscus began the 1894 season with Washington & Jefferson but soon dropped out to rejoin the Allegheny Athletic Association. On November 24, Fiscus scored three touchdowns as the Three A's beat the Pittsburgh Athletic Club to win the local championship.[2]

After suffering from typhoid fever during the 1895 football season,[3][4] Fiscus returned to the field in 1896, playing alongside his brothers Lawson and Newell for the Greensburg Athletic Association.[5]

In 1897, Fiscus became the second head football coach at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which finished the season with a 3–4–1 record. Geneva College credits Fiscus as holding that position for three seasons, from 1897 until 1899.[6] However, newspapers reported that former Duquesne Country and Athletic Club quarterback Floyd Rose was coaching Geneva as of September 1898.[7][8]

In September 1898, Fiscus became captain and coach of the New Castle Terrors,[9] and by October joined the Grove City College team.[10] He was injured after a Grove City game at Westminster when a hooligan batted him over the head with a loaded cane.[11]

He was player-coach for the Youngstown Giants in 1899; the Youngstown Vindicator dubbed him "King" Fiscus.[12][13] He closed out his career in 1900 with the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club.

## Later life

[edit]

Fiscus lost his right eye in a construction blasting accident in 1903.[14] He died November 6, 1950, at his home in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[15]

## College head coaching record

[edit]

Year  | Team  | Overall  | Conference | Standing  | Bowl/playoffs

|
|
|
|
|

Geneva Covenanters (Independent) (1897–1899)
1897 | Geneva | 3–4–1 |  |  |
Total: | 3–4–1 |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Pro Football Researchers Archived November 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine "The Weekly Wage Professionalism Expands in Pittsburgh: 1893"
2. ^ Pro Football Researchers Archived November 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine "The A's Have It: The 3A's Triumph: 1894"
3. ^ "Personal Brevities". The Indiana Progress. Indiana, PA. November 20, 1895. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Personal Mention". The Indiana Times. Indiana, PA. August 7, 1895. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ PFRA Research. "Last Hurrah in Allegheny: The 3A's Exit in a Blaze of Glory: 1896" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
6. ^ Geneva College coaching records
7. ^ "Football Notes". Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette. September 22, 1898. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Late Sporting News". The Pittsburg Press. September 28, 1898. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Amateur Sports". The Pittsburg Press. September 10, 1898. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Amateur Sports". The Pittsburg Press. October 1, 1898. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Football a la Pennsylvania". The Buffalo Enquirer. Buffalo, NY. November 3, 1898. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Practice — Local Giants with King Ross Fiscus Work Hard with Ball". Youngstown Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. October 19, 1899. p. 5.
13. ^ "King Fiscus — Breaks Through the Heavy Akron Line and Lands Winning Touchdown". The Sunday Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. October 15, 1899. p. 2.
14. ^ "Ross Fiscus Loses an Eye". The Indiana Democrat. Indiana, Pennsylvania. July 8, 1903. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "William Ross Fiscus". Indiana Gazette. Indiana, Pennsylvania. November 7, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved September 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .

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Geneva Golden Tornadoes head football coaches

* William McCracken (1890–1896)
* Ross Fiscus (1897–1899)
* Samuel G. Craig (1900–1903)
* Smith Alford (1904)
* Archibald Leech (1905)
* No team (1906)
* Arthur McKean (1907–1911)
* Graydon Long (1912)
* C. Brainerd Metheny (1913–1916)
* Philip Henry Bridenbaugh (1917–1921)
* Robert Park (1922)
* Tom Davies (1923)
* Jack Sack (1924)
* Bo McMillin (1925–1927)
* Mack Flenniken (1928–1929)
* Howard Harpster (1930–1932)
* Jimmy Robertson (1933)
* Dike Beede (1934–1936)
* Edgar P. Weltner (1937–1940)
* Alured Ransom (1941)
* Cal Hubbard (1942)
* No team (1943–1945)
* Alured Ransom (1946–1948)
* Walter J. West (1949–1952)
* Byron E. Morgan (1953–1962)
* Donald Lederick (1963–1966)
* Joe Banks (1967–1968)
* Dan Frasier (1969–1971)
* Max Holm (1972–1973)
* Dick Lasse (1974–1975)
* Gene Sullivan (1976–1992)
* Geno DeMarco (1993– )

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