Rochester  Jeffersons

On September 17, 1920, a group of men gathered in Canton, Ohio at the Hupmobile showroom of Ralph Hay, owner of the hometown Canton Bulldogs. The result that night was the founding of the National Football League. First known as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) and later renamed the NFL two years later, in 1922. Eleven franchises were represented at the meeting: The Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Decatur Staleys, Chicago (Racine) Cardinals, Cleveland Tigers, Dayton Triangles, Hammond Pros, Massillon Tigers (did not join), Muncie Flyers, Rock Island Independents and the Rochester Jeffersons. These ten teams are recognized today as charter members of the National Football League. Four more teams joined the league soon after: the Buffalo All-Americans, the Chicago Tigers, Columbus Panhandles, and Detroit Heralds.
Leo's dream came to fruition! However, trying to survive during the first decade of the NFL would lead to all kinds of problems. His conundrum: to compete at the pro level meant replacing the popular local boys. The more All American college stars Leo brought in, the less Rochester fans came out to watch. That lost money would lead to constant college stars leaving the team for better money. The Jeffersons would play the Chicago Bears and George Halas at Cub's Park (Wrigley Field), Curly Lambeau and the Green Bay Packers and the first year N.Y. football Giants at the Polo Grounds. The Jeffersons had few successes and a long list of failures during the first six seasons of the NFL, and he had plenty of company, with many teams folding every year. From bootlegging during the start of Prohibition, working three jobs while fielding an NFL team by himself, recruiting many college stars along the way, would earn Leo the respect of the NFL owners. It was one reason Leo had close friends throughout his lifetime after Leo's team folded, men like George Halas, Art Rooney Sr. and the Mara family.

The "Jeffs" played in the NFL in 1920,'21,'22,'23,'24 and '25.