The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club (DC&AC) 1896 Season
The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club (DC&AC) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania played its second season of American football in 1896. The team finished with a record of 6–3–1.
Season Summary
The team suffered a heavy turnover in personnel from its previous season, with only five players returning. It spent much of its early season trying to settle on a stable lineup.
On November 10, the DC&AC became the first team ever to face a fully professional football team. The opponent was the Allegheny Athletic Association, whose players were each to be paid $100 per game. The Duquesnes lost the game 12–0 at Exposition Park. The “Three A’s” would cease to exist after shutting out the Pittsburgh Athletic Club a day later.
Victories against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club and Greensburg gave the DC&AC a claim as the best of the “big four” Western Pennsylvania athletic clubs (which also included Latrobe). The DC&AC, however, could not match the success of the region’s top collegiate team—the undefeated, unscored-upon Washington & Jefferson—to whom they lost 4–0 on Thanksgiving Day.
Schedule
- DC&AC vs. Allegheny Athletic Association – Lost 0-12
- DC&AC vs. Pittsburgh Athletic Club – Win
- DC&AC vs. Greensburg – Win
- DC&AC vs. Washington & Jefferson – Lost 0-4
References
For more detailed information on the 1896 season, visit credible historical sports archives and databases.