Latrobe and pro football have a longstanding relationship that predates the 1960s. Decades before the Steelers began holding training camp at Saint Vincent College outside of town, Latrobe was an integral part of the nascent sport’s transition toward fielding teams of paid players. Just what role the community played in that shift will be explored by the Latrobe Area Historical Society in a slide show called “Latrobe: Home of Professional Football… Or Are We?� Part of a series of monthly presentations, the free program will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the society headquarters, 416 Weldon St. The society program looks at whether the Pro Football Hall of Fame should have been situated in Latrobe instead of Canton, Ohio — a sore spot for many Latrobe residents. President Mary Lou Townsend noted the program “could stir up some controversy, but we’re hoping people come in with an open mind. Part of the problem is trying to separate fact from legend.� The NFL for years upheld the idea that professional football got its start in Latrobe on Sept. 3, 1895, when John Brallier was paid $10 and expenses to quarterback the Latrobe YMCA team in its 6-0 victory over Jeannette. The society program includes a photo of “The Chief� Art Rooney Sr., then president of the Steelers, taking part in the 1960 dedication of a plaque recognizing Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium as the “Birthplace of Professional Football.� An expense accounting sheet for the Allegheny Athletic Association, surfacing decades after the fact, has since advanced the arrival of the first paid football player to 1892, at Recreation Field in what is now Pittsburgh’s North Side. But, Townsend said, Brallier’s openness about being paid had set a new example for others to follow. With the rules of the new game in flux in the last decade of the 19th century, and regular leagues yet to be established, teams like Latrobe’s normally wouldn’t want to broadcast the fact that they’d paid someone to play. “They were afraid if other teams found out they were paying ringers, those teams might not want to play them,� Townsend noted. Latrobe still has an early football milestone it can claim, Townsend said. The Latrobe Athletic Association is credited with fielding the first all-paid team of players. With famous native sons like Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer, Latrobe “has a lot to be proud of,� she said, “and we have the first professional football team, if not the first individual player.� Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@tribweb.com or via Twitter @jhimler_news. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.