 | This article includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s) | End |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1904–1906 | Massillon Tigers |
| 1907 | "All-Massillons" |
| 1910 | Shelby Tigers |
| 1911 | Shelby Blues |
| 1912 | Toledo Overlands |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Dan Policowski was an early professionalfootball player for theMassillon Tigers from 1904 to 1906. Originally fromCanton, Ohio, which was the home of the Tigers', rival theCanton Bulldogs, Policowski playedend under the aliasDan Riley. He was also known as"Bullet Riley".
On October 25, 1906, Policowski made professional football history when he caught a short pass from MassillonquarterbackPeggy Parratt. This was the first recorded use of theforward pass in professional football game. However, it is unknown if it was truly the first use of the pass in a professional game, since Parratt may have used it even earlier.
Eddie Wood was erroneously credited for catching the first forward pass in pro football byHarry March in his bookPro Football: Its Ups and Downs. During the second game of the 1906Ohio League championship, which would later result in abetting scandal on November 24, 1906, Wood reportedly caught a couple of the new forward passes. March somehow stated that those catches in a championship game, at the end of the season, were very first catches in professional football. It was later discovered that Parratt threw an earlier recorded pass to Policowski on October 25, for professional football's first forward pass. A second recorded pass was thrown toClark Schrontz two days later.
The Tigers and Bulldogs left football in 1906 after the eventsCanton Bulldogs-Massillon Tigers Betting Scandal. In 1907 he played for the "All-Massillon" team, which featured most of Tigers line-up. In 1910, Policowski played for theShelby Tigers, while in 1911, he played for theShelby Blues. A year later Policowski played for theToledo Overlands. During a game against theDetroit Wolverines, he grabbed a fumble at Detroit's three yard line and ran it in for a touchdown.