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​High School to the Pros

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​Seldom do you see an athlete make a professional sports team out of high school.  After all most players continue through prep and college programs and even spend time in the minor leagues.  Ken Steinmetz was a whale of a fullback on his high school team at Aldrich High School.  He also earned 8 letters in athletics.  He was recruited by ranked college programs in the South but declined.  After graduating for two years not once did he don cleats.  Instead he was working a radial drill in a Rhode Island machine shop along with some basketball each winter.  He wanted to catch on with some semi-pro teams but couldn't find one he could play with.  Then Steinmetz, barely past his 20th birthday, reported to the NFL's Boston Yanks training camp at Dean Academy in 1944. He impressed the staff so much that he made the squad occasionally playing both defense and offense. He became one of the youngest to play in the NFL at the time but also may have been the first ever to jump from high school to the pros.  He played a total of 18 games over 2 seasons for the Yanks.  He finished playing for the Long Island Indians (1946-47) of the AFL, a minor league football league playing 10 games at full back and the Providence Steam Roller during the team's run to the New England Professional Conference Championship in 1947.

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  • Home
  • The Story Of ....
    • The Three Musketeers
    • The Dixie Kid
    • The Perfect Season
    • High School to the Pros
    • The Cranston Cooneys
    • Poosha Madonna
    • The Pride of Ashton
    • The Other Steam Roller
    • Sunday Baseball at the Parks
    • The Queen of Baseball
    • Hank Soar
    • Like Father Like Son
    • The Viking Named Curly
    • The Ace of Harts
    • A Man Called Smiley
    • The Rangers on the Pitch
    • Brown Iron Men
    • It's All in the Name
    • The Bear's First Quarterback
    • Cinderella on the Gridiron
    • Howie Crins
    • Semi-Tough
    • The Wordsmith
    • Friar Football
    • Rhody on the Roller
    • The Giants
    • Coach McGee
    • Football Heroes
    • Down-the-River Eleven
    • "Speed" Braney
    • Motor-Paced
    • Cycledrome
    • Young Montreal
  • Football
    • Football History
    • High School Football
    • Amateur Football
    • Pro Football
    • NFL
  • Basketball
    • Basketball History
    • High School Basketball
  • Ice Hockey
    • Ice Hockey History
    • High School Hockey
  • Baseball
    • Baseball History
    • High School Baseball
    • Amateur Baseball
    • Baseball Cards
  • Track & Field
    • Track & Field History
    • High School Indoor Track
    • High School Outdoor Track
    • High School Cross county
  • Wrestling
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Roller Polo
  • Ice Polo
  • Tennis
  • Swimming
  • Golf
  • Boxing
  • Fencing
  • Cricket
  • Legends
  • Venues
  • Contact