Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Site

Location

Edgerton Park, 400-420 Dewey Ave, Rochester, NY 14608, USA

Lat/Long

43.171735209568, -77.634850856399

Grant Recipient

Rochester Public Library

The Rochester Jeffersons were founded in 1898 as an amateur football team and were named after Jefferson Avenue in Rochester, New York. Leo V. Lyons joined the team in 1908 and became its manager, financier, and promoter. Competing against amateur and semi‑professional teams throughout upstate New York, the “Jeffs” achieved notable success and were crowned state champions in 1916.

In September 1920, Lyons attended the founding meeting of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in Canton, Ohio. Rochester was one of eleven original member cities, and Jim Thorpe was named the organization’s first president. The Jeffersons became a charter member of what was renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. The team played its home games at Exposition Park on Dewey Avenue, later renamed Edgerton Park, from 1920 to 1925.

Despite early promise and notable players such as John Barusha and Joseph “Doc” Alexander, the Jeffersons struggled to compete as the league expanded. Fan preference for local players limited recruitment, attendance declined, and finances suffered. The team finished its final four seasons near the bottom of the standings, suspended operations after the 1925 season, and allowed its franchise to expire in 1928.

Links

• Rochester Jeffersons
• Rochester's NFL Football Team and a Hometown Sports Hero