Ross Fiscus

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1870–1950)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Ross Fiscus

| image = Ross Fiscus 1900.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Fiscus on 1900 Duquesne C&AC football team

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1870|4|2}}

| birth_place = Armstrong Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1950|11|6|1870|4|2}}

| death_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1891–1894

| player_team1 = Allegheny A. A.

| player_years2 = 1892–1895

| player_team2 = Washington & Jefferson

| player_years3 = 1896

| player_team3 = Greensburg A. A.

| player_years4 = 1900

| player_team4 = Duquesne C. & A. C.

| player_positions = Guard, tackle, halfback

| coach_years1 = 1897–1899

| coach_team1 = Geneva

| overall_record = 3–13–2

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

William Ross Fiscus (April 2, 1870 – November 6, 1950) was an early professional American football player and coach. He was one of the first pro players on record.

Playing career

Fiscus played for the Allegheny Athletic Association professional football team as a lineman in 1891 and 1892, but by 1893 he had successfully earned the role as halfback.[http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Weekly_Wage.pdf Pro Football Researchers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126225134/http://profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Weekly_Wage.pdf |date=November 26, 2010 }} "The Weekly Wage Professionalism Expands in Pittsburgh: 1893" Fiscus continued to play several more years for Allegheny, even dropping out of college to do so.[http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/3As_Triumph.pdf Pro Football Researchers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126224105/http://profootballresearchers.org/Articles/3As_Triumph.pdf |date=November 26, 2010 }} "The A's Have It: The 3A's Triumph: 1894" This would have put him alongside the first recorded professional football player Pudge Heffelfinger, who also played for Allegheny. In 1896, he played alongside his brother, Lawson, for the Greensburg Athletic Association.

Coaching career

Fiscus was the second head football coach at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and he held that position for three seasons, from 1897 until 1899. His coaching record at Geneva was 6–9–2.[http://www.geneva.edu/object/athletics_footballmediaguide.html Geneva College coaching records]

Later life

Fiscus died November 6, 1950, at his home in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.{{cite news |author= |title=William Ross Fiscus |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85665285/obituary-for-william-ross-fiscus/ |newspaper=Indiana Gazette |location=Indiana, Pennsylvania |date=November 7, 1950 |page=2 |access-date=September 20, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}