Doc Young
Alvah Andrew "Doc" Young was a founder of the National Football League. He was also the owner of NFL's Hammond Pros from 1920 until 1926. He was also a respected medical doctor and sports trainer.
Early career
Young was born December 18, 1881, in Hamilton County, Indiana. He received his medical degree from Indiana University's Medical School in Indianapolis in 1905. He then established a general practice in Hammond, Indiana and married a woman from England, Lillian Fallowes Young. He also would assist the police, by serving as the leading authority on gunshot wounds. In 1915, he briefly left Hammond for New York City to take post graduate work at New York University. During World War I in 1917–1918, he served with the U.S. Army Medical Corps with the Depot Brigade at Camp Travis in San Antonio, Texas.Sports
Young played semi-pro baseball and was a lightweight wrestler in his youth. He also he promoted amateur and semi-pro boxing matches in Hammond. His greatest love was horse racing; Doc owned a stable of horses and spent several years making the circuit of the leading race tracks. He founded a company called A.A. Young Laboratories that developed a vitamin-calcium supplement for thoroughbreds called Min-O-Lac.Doc became a supporter of professional football in Indiana. He served as team doctor and trainer for the Hammond Clabby Athletic Club during the 1915–17 period. In 1919, promoter Paul Parduhn established the Hammond Pros for the purpose of competing against the Decatur Staleys and Canton Bulldogs. The team played its home games in Cub Park, and one of its stars was George Halas. It is likely that Dr. Young was a part owner of the franchise.
In 1919 the Pros lost many of their high-priced players. Many of these players later appeared for the Chicago Tigers. This caused Young to field a new team, but one with fewer stars.
Forming the NFL
On September 17, 1920, Dr. Young represented Hammond at a meeting of the nation's leading pro football team managers held in Canton, Ohio, for the purpose of creating the American Professional Football Association. Dr. Young's Hammond Pros were charter members of the organization and played in the league from 1920 to 1926. They played three league opponents in 1920 and lost all three games by big scores.In addition to games, Doc attended the league meetings. In Green Bay, Young got into an argument with Curly Lambeau over the kind of football the league would use. The Spalding J-5 was watermelon-shaped and perfect for drop kicks. However Lambeau wanted to use a thinner ball better-suited for passing, probably since he was the top passer of his day.