Ben "Sport" Donnelly
Donnelly at Princeton | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Positions | End, tackle, guard, halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 18, 1869 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 3, 1922 (aged 52) New York City, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Princeton |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1890–1891 | Chicago All-University |
| 1891 | Manhattan Athletic Club |
| 1892–1893 | Chicago Athletic Association |
| 1892–1894 | Allegheny Athletic Association |
| 1893 | Cleveland Athletic Club |
| 1895 | Seattle Athletic Club |
| 1896 | Chicago Athletic Association |
| 1896 | Allegheny Athletic Association |
Coaching | |
| 1891–1892 | Purdue (assistant) |
| 1893 | Iowa |
| 1893 | Allegheny Athletic Association |
| 1893 | Cleveland Athletic Club |
| 1895 | Illinois (assistant) |
| 1895 | Seattle Athletic Club |
| 1896 | Racine Athletic Association |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Benjamin Shenstone "Sport" Donnelley (commonly spelled Donnelly; October 18, 1869 – August 3, 1922) was an American football player and coach. He was the second-known professional player in the sport's history, having been paid to play a game in 1892 for the Allegheny Athletic Association—just one week after the same team hired Pudge Heffelfinger for a game. In the next year Donnelly was hired by the Allegheny Athletic Association as player-coach, making him the first man to ever coach a known professional football team. A star end in his college days at Princeton, he went on to play for several athletic clubs during the 1890s and was reputed for his rough style of play and for antagonizing opposing players.
Donnelly served as the second head football coach at the University of Iowa, holding the post for two weeks to open the 1893 season; the team finished with a record of 3–4.