- Source: Bodie Weldon
John Ambrose "Bodie" Weldon (November 7, 1895 – May 25, 1928) was a professional football player during the 1920s. He played in the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922) for the Buffalo All-Americans. Weldon was instrumental in the first NFL game to take place in New York City, as Buffalo defeated the Canton Bulldogs 7-3 at the Polo Grounds. During the game Weldon punted against the legendary Jim Thorpe and kicked a point after touchdown.
However Weldon also played independent football for the Phoenix Athletic Club in 1919 and Union Club of Phoenixville in 1921. He would play a non-league game with Phoenixville on Saturdays, then take a train to Buffalo forthe next day's game. This arrangement helped Weldon, and several other Buffalo All-Americans players, earn extra money in between league games.
Prior to playing pro football, Weldon played at the college level for Lafayette College. He received a college letter in 1916. He was chosen to be the team captain before the 1918 season, but he left school to serve in World War I. After returning from the war, he was the captain of the 1919 team, and graduated in 1920. While at Lafayette, he also played on the school's basketball team, as a guard, and on the baseball team as an outfielder.
On May 25, 1928, Weldon was found dead in Columbus, Ohio, with a bullet hole in his head. He was believed to have committed suicide by shooting himself.
References
"Lafayette Names Weldon., Eighteen Football Men Receive "L" and Elect Captain". The New York Times. No. December 14. December 14, 1916. p. 12. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
Miller, Jeffery (2006). "The New Pro League is a Big Hit in the Big Apple: Buffalo Faces Canton in the Polo Grounds" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Vol. 24, no. 6. Professional Football Researchers Association. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2010.
Ghosts of the Gridiron, which tracks the Football history of the Union Club of Phoenixville