Rhody on the Roller
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The Providence Steam Roller were established in 1916 and soon became a regional power and by the mid-1920s was known as the best independent football team in the country. The 1924 Steam Roller won the mythical "undisputed championship of the Northeast". The team's success was enough to make the Steam Roller management and fans start thinking about playing in the NFL. Over the course of the next seven years in the NFL (1925-1931), the team not only won an NFL championship in 1928 but eventually became the oldest semipro/professional team of its era. After the team ended play in the NFL in 1931 one of its original owners, Pearce Johnson, organized a semi-pro version and later a minor league version of the team on a near-continuous basis through 1949.
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The Roller had several Rhode Island schoolboy gridiron stars on their roster through the existence of the club. The greatest Steam Roller from Rhode Island was quarterback/running back Curly Oden (Classical and Brown). He played for the club prior to, during and after they left the NFL (1921-32). He was known for his colorful backfield performance in breakaway field reverses, punt returns and end around runs. Lou Pieri (Brown), long-time owner of the Rhode Island Auditorium, played on the 1920 Roller. Providence Technical High had a strong presence on the Roller roster. Chisel Boyle was a three-time all-stater on the first Roller team of 1916 and played nine seasons (1916-24). Logan Downey was a speedy back (1919-24). Dan Mahoney was all-state at center in 1913 and played parts of seven seasons (1916-24) and Jim Hickey at fullback (1919, 1921 and 1923). Two-time all-stater Swede Vreeland played in the back field (1921-24), running back Ira "Al" "Speed McKay" MacIntosh (R.I. State) played four seasons (1923-26) and all-stater "Firpo" Avedisian (Army) played guard from 1920 to 1924.
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All-State guard Mark Farnum (Pawtucket High and Brown) suited up in 1919, 1921 and 1922. Leo Fox (Moses Brown) at guard (1917,1919-20) and Joe "Speed" Braney (Dean Academy and Syracuse/Fordham) of Providence played guard from 1919 to 1926. Bert Shurtleff (East Greenwich Academy and Brown) was at center for the Steam Roller from 1923 to 1926, former Chicago Bear quarterback Pard Pearce (Classical and U Penn) in 1923 and 1925 and Pinky Lester (East Providence High) starred at end for the Roller from 1922 to 1924 and 1926. Herb Titmas (Pawtucket High and Syracuse) suited up in the team's NFL final season in 1931.
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When Johnson continued the Roller eleven in 1932 he was fresh with local talent. Semi-pro stars "Dixie" Matthews (Technical High and PC) and long time Roller Andy Rotelli (Technical and Brown) along with his brother Tommy Rotelli (Technical and PC) played for the team. After an absence in 1933 and 1935 the team secured Commercial High and Brown University teammates Joe Bounanno and Cap Capasso for the 1936 season. Joe McGee (Woonsocket High and PC) took over the coaching reins in 1938 after coaching Providence College football (1934-37). Multi-sport athlete Walter Garbecki (Technical High and Providence College) played several seasons for the Steam Roller. Joe Zibilski (La Salle and Boston College and R.I. State back field ace Bob Albanese of Providence, Earl Crompton (Cranston High and Boston University) and Dick Vitullo and Ben Polak, both of Warren High and Providence College, continued to shine on the gridiron when the Roller played in the American Football Association.
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The 1940s saw the Steam Roller start but interrupted by WWII (1942-45) eventually continuing in 1946 to 1949. Four NFL players from Rhode Island suited up for the Roller during their pro careers. Joe Osmanski (Central High and Holy Cross) started with the Roller in 1941 before embarking on a 4 year NFL career with the Chicago Bears and New York Bulldogs. Ray Monaco (Central High and Holy Cross) also played in 1941 before two seasons with the NFL Washington Redskins and Cleveland Rams. Ken Steinmetz (Aldrich High), who went straight to the NFL at 20 years old with the Boston Yanks, played during the team's run to the New England Professional Conference Championship in 1947. The most exciting NFLer to play for the Steam Roller was Lou "Duke" Abbruzzi. Abbruzzi, a multi-sport star at Warren High and Rhode Island State, suited up for the Roller in 1941 upon graduating college. After serving in the U.S. Army he had a stint in 1946 with the Boston Yanks of the NFL before returning with the Roller through the 1947 campaign.
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The 1948 campaign saw coach McGee resign as head coach to become the general manager of the Steam Roller. The team repeated as New England Professional Conference champions with some new in-state gridders. Hockey olympian George Pulliam (Cranston High and Dartmouth), John "Goose" Gentile (Westerly High), George Casparian (La Salle) and George Mihailides (Central High) contributed to the defense of their crown. The Steam Roller ended their long run as a pro franchise in Rhode Island after the 1949 season. They returned in 1960 playing in the semi-pro New England Professional League and returned to the pro ranks in Atlantic Coast Football League from 1962-64.
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