Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Rochester helps the NFL announce some draft picks

Mayor Lovely Warren and friends at the NFL Draft party on Saturday.
City of Rochester/Facebook
Mayor Lovely Warren and friends at the NFL Draft party on Saturday.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren and Buffalo Bills legend Darryl Talley announced NFL draft picks Saturday.  It was carried live on the NFL Network.

It was all part of an effort  honor the NFL’s roots in Rochester

Leo Lyons was born in Fairport in 1892. By the age of 16 he fell for football. He joined the Rochester Jeffersons, a semi-pro team, which was named after Jefferson Avenue,  where they played on sandlots.

Leo’s grandson John Steffenhagen was at the big NFL Draft party in Rochester Saturday at Cornhill Landing, and said his grandfather  was ambitious.

“A couple of years later, he took over as manager and coach and owner of the team. Got them uniforms. He would pluck the best players in Rochester to form the Jeffersons into a top team, Steffenhagen said.

Players like Henry McDonald. McDonald was a Canandaigua Academy grad. He was also one of the first black men to play professional football.

Mayor Warren was thrilled to have national eyes on Rochester on Saturday during that NFL Network broadcast of the football draft.

Buffalo Bills great Darryl Talley during the telecast of the NFL Draft picks in Rochester.
Credit City of Rochester/Facebook
Buffalo Bills great Darryl Talley during the telecast of the NFL Draft picks in Rochester.

“For the NFL to come here and highlight the Jeffersons one of the original teams is so exciting but to also be able to announce the Buffalo Bills draft pick is even more exciting for our city and just highlights the great things that we have going on here,” Warren said.

It’s all a part of NFL 100, a celebration of all things football including the original 14 franchises. The Rochester Jeffersons played in the NFL from 1920 to 1925.

The Rochester Jeffersons played for over a quarter century and was one of the NFL’s original 14 teams. It disbanded in 1925.

The league is working with the city to donate at least one five-figure grant to youth football or health related programs in Rochester. No word yet on who gets the money.

James Brown is a reporter with WXXI News. James previously spent a decade in marketing communications, while freelance writing for CITY Newspaper. While at CITY, his reporting focused primarily on arts and entertainment.
Related Content