The Providence Steam Roller

Book excerpt: An early NFL franchise, the Providence Steam Roller brought major league sports to Rhode Island for the first time. Playing at a bicycle arena known as the Cycledrome, the team thrilled thousands of fans in its brief history. Only a short time after sitting atop the pro football world for one glorious season, it ceased to exist. This book brings the Providence Steam Roller back to life in the first thorough examination of one of the most unusual franchises in NFL history. The team toiled in the NFL from 1925 to 1931 after nine years as an independent professional squad. The Steam Roller achieved many firsts in NFL history: it was the first NFL team in New England, hosted the first night game in NFL history, and is the last now-defunct team to win an NFL championship. Many who wore the black and orange uniform played professional football not for the money but for the love of the game and to represent the city of Providence.