Members of the Buffalo All Stars in their blue-and-white uniforms, 1970.Credit- Buffalo History Museum
The Buffalo All Stars:New York State’s First Women’s Professional Football Team
By Greg D. Tranter
[This article is Part II of a two-part story. To read Part I, please see the Fall 2023 issue of Western New York Heritage.]
Prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972, sports opportunities for girls were extremely limited—and the idea of women playing tackle football was ridiculous to many people. Yet, in 1970, the Buffalo All Stars took to the field as part of the newly formed Women’s Professional Football League.
Buffalo’s entry into the world of women’s professional football began when 18-year-old Dee Dee DeBone contacted Syd Friedman, the founder and funder of the WPFL, looking to join his Cleveland Daredevils. When Friedman suggested Dee Dee start a new team in Buffalo, she jumped at the chance. Following the initial organizing meeting on October 14, 1970, at the Hotel Lafayette, head coach Skip Klimas began forming and training his new team. Practices were held at Delaware park—after work hours, as most of the women had jobs and/or family responsibilities. Navy blue-and-white uniforms were issued in preparation for the first of an anticipated two-game schedule for 1970—a road contest against Friedman’s flagship team, the Cleveland Daredevils, on November 7.
As they began their first contest against an experienced opponent, there was a mix of excitement and apprehension. Early in the game, quarterback DeBone called a “screen right on two,” which denoted a screen pass to the halfback in the right flat, on the second hut. “One of the girls asked me, ‘who do I block?’” Dee Dee recalled. “I responded, ‘the biggest one.’” In the third quarter, DeBone called another screen pass to the right. “I was blindsided by three defensive linemen weighing approximately 200 pounds each,” DeBone said, describing the play years later. “My heels were planted firmly in terra firma. I was then asking for the license plate of the truck that hit me. It was later described as my body heading in three different ways at once. I was left with a torn ligament, which I am unfondly reminded of on rainy days even now.”
Despite their preparation, Buffalo was no match for the veteran Daredevils, and the All Stars suffered a 40-0 loss. However, the women got their first taste of live action and were not dismayed. In fact, they were stimulated and looked forward to practicing more, improving and getting back on the field for the next game. There was no time to lament, and it was back to practice in preparation for the first women’s professional football game in New York State history on December 5. The All Stars would tangle with the Toronto Canadian Belles at Buffalo’s All High Stadium at 2885 Main Street. Tickets were on sale for $2.00 in advance and $2.50 at the gate. The game was sponsored by the Buffalo Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Buffalo Burn Center.
With light snow falling, temperatures in the low 30s, and the field frozen, 500 spectators braved the elements to see these women play football. The dark blue-clad All Stars, wearing their shiny white helmets, took the field. In the locker room prior to the game, the players had switched their spikes for sneakers to gain better traction on the frozen turf. The history-making game commenced at 2:30 p.m., when Donna Sutter, who had replaced the injured DeBone at quarterback, leaned under center and barked out the signals, “hut, hut.” At the snap of the football, history was made.
Buffalo had improved significantly since its loss to Cleveland. Their offensive execution and tackling were much better. With Sherrill Cooper and DeBone cheering from the sidelines in casts, Sutter led the All Stars on two touchdown drives. Each of the scoring marches were finished off by Sherrie Louther, who ran for touchdowns of 7 and 11 yards. Sutter converted a two-point conversion after the first touchdown and Carol Rebon missed an extra point kick following the second score. Those touchdowns, along with a stout defense, propelled Buffalo to a 14-0 victory over the Belles. Barbara Pennachio, Marilyn Bongiovanni, Diane Carbone, Carol Rebon, Mary Ann Horey and Diane Gilbert (who played both center and middle linebacker) all contributed to the historic victory. DeBone recently described Barbara Pennachio as, “one short little mighty peanut.” It was the last game of the 1970 season for the All Stars as they finished with a 1-1 record and had proved they could play the game of football.
A Second Season
In preparation for a second season, DeBone inserted more want ads in the Buffalo papers in May 1971, encouraging additional women to try out for the team. Mike Pawlak succeeded Skip Klimas as head coach and tryouts were scheduled for May 15 at Delaware Park. Judy Swircek, a tight end, and Mary Michael, a defensive stalwart, joined the team while Cooper and DeBone returned, now healed from their injuries. Meanwhile, the league added a fifth team, the Toledo Troopers. Each franchise was slated to play between 5 to 8 games, but it was a pretty loose schedule, as each team was dependent on securing sponsors for home games. Friedman ran the business operations of the league under a non-profit entity called Day Enterprises and maintained ownership of each of the five franchises—Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Toronto.
Dale Stump of Stump Promotions, acting agent for the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals and Harlem Sputniks at the time, promoted a game between the All Stars and the Toronto Canadian Belles to kick off Buffalo’s 1971 season in Piqua, OH, on August 21 at Roosevelt Stadium. However, the game was cancelled and rescheduled at the last minute, with a different opponent. The All Stars finally opened their season in Piqua on September 1 against the Cleveland Daredevils. This time, Buffalo, wearing new teal-colored jerseys, defeated the Daredevils 28-0. Sherrie Louther scored two touchdowns, both on end sweeps. Diane Carbone added a 20-yard touchdown gallop, right up the middle and DeBone bootlegged for 35 yards for another score, demonstrating she was fully recovered from her injury. Dee Dee described her touchdown:
The quarterback bootleg is some fancy ball handling with a fake to the halfback, a fake to the fullback, a fake to the slotback while still having the ball safely hidden on the outside of your right thigh with your left hand in the air. I was happily heading in the opposite direction around the end. By the time the defense was yelling ‘Reverse, Reverse,’ I was long gone for the touchdown.
She had become adept at running a bootleg to pick up key yardage and her passing ability had improved, as she was now comfortable throwing longer post patterns with velocity and accuracy.
Diane Gilbert booted the first extra point in team history. “Dynamite” Diane was the most valuable player on the team. She played center on offense, was a pit bull as the middle linebacker and also punted and kicked. What motivated Gilbert? “I enjoy contact,” she said. “I really enjoy getting out there and hitting people.” Describing this first extra point attempt, DeBone recalled:
The center hiked the ball to me and I spun the ball and tilted it slightly towards her with the seam just off her right foot. She got underneath it and bam!!!! Over the goal post. She was sooo focused on that ball, almost like she wished it over the goal. I was focused on getting that ball tilted, just right. Never mind who was barreling down on us. I jumped up and we just stared at each other and started screaming and laughing our heads off. Total disbelief. A truly great moment for us.
Buffalo played it best game in franchise history on September 11, when it routed the new Toledo Troopers, 40-0, at Central High Stadium in Roaring Springs, PA, near Altoona in the south central part of the state. The All Stars welcomed the inexperienced Troopers with an onslaught of touchdowns in front of a crowd of more than 1,000. Louther scored three times, Diane Carbone had a 16-yard run for a score, Mary Ann Horey scooted 31 yards for another and Dee Dee snuck for five yards for the final Buffalo touchdown. Diane Gilbert and Mary Michael intercepted Toledo passes and Bongiovanni and Rebon were lauded for their defensive play.
Horey was a versatile athlete in high school, having played field hockey, basketball, softball and volleyball at Williamsville High. Her favorite NFL player was John Unitas and she wore No. 19 in his honor. Mary Ann became interested in football watching several of her neighbors playing high school ball and she played touch football in the streets with the boys and enjoyed it.
Author Stephen Guinan in his book, We Are The Troopers, described Buffalo’s dominant performance that day:
The All Stars were apt teachers, having played the previous season…and demonstrated a baseline understanding of the rules of engagement. They knew how to line up. They knew how to block and how to avoid one. They were experienced at the game’s rhythm and understood that their obligations included the infliction of physical pain. Buffalo was also better equipped. They wore uniforms that fit, and the players showed an array of additional wraps and bands and pads, each layer of confidence heading into the hit. They knew how to pace themselves in full pads.
Buffalo had played sound fundamental, hard-hitting football.
Six weeks later, when the two teams met at Rossford Stadium, just south of Toledo, on October 16, the result was quite different. The Troopers, having practiced hard under head coach Bill Stout, responded with their own brand of smashmouth football in a 25-6 victory. Toledo scored on a first quarter safety that set the tone for the game. Judy Verbosky scored two touchdowns and quarterback Lee Hollar added one. Toledo quickly was becoming the top team in the league.
Later that month, Friedman secured the best media coverage the WPFL would receive as highlights of the Daredevils 28-0 win over the Pittsburgh Hurricanes on October 23 was featured on CBS’s NFL pre-game show. While the Daredevils were beating Pittsburgh, the All Stars were putting a hurt on the Canadian Belles by a 39-0 count. Mary Ann Horey ran for three touchdowns of 25, 20 and 50 yards at Lackawanna Stadium in Lackawanna, NY, with 1,200 spectators on hand. “After looking at the bruises on my arms, I knew I needed to play with arm pads, and I did after that,” Horey said later. DeBone described one of the more exciting plays in the game from her safety position:
There was a fumble and the ball was loose. Pennachio jumps on that ball and cradles it like a mother duck and its egg. She was expecting a pile on. Time stood still for a brief moment. Some gals started yelling ‘run, run.’ No one was around her yet. I started yelling RUN, RUN. She jumps up like a shot and starts running down the field. I hear ‘Block, Block.’ I come to my senses and say to myself, geez I have to block too! That Pennachio had her legs going like a windmill and heading down the line toward the goal. Not only did she get possession of the ball, she ran another seven yards. OMG. She was soooo proud.
By the end of the 1971, season the All Stars were a solid, highly competitive team in the WPFL, second only to Toledo.
The 1972 Season
Mike Pawlak returned to coach the All Stars in 1972, with Gene Barrett as offensive coach and Bob Pawlak as defensive coach. The name of the team was changed to the Lackawanna Belles, though the name never really stuck. They were still referred to most frequently as the Buffalo All Stars. All the team’s home games were now scheduled for Lackawanna Stadium, where they had also played a game in 1971.
The team moved to Lackawanna as they needed to play their games at night in order to avoid competing against college games on Saturday afternoons. Lackawanna Stadium had lights and the only stadium in Buffalo with lights was War Memorial Stadium—which was too large and expensive.
Writer Paul Moran Jr. gave a vivid description of the Belles’ quarterback in a story that appeared in Sports Digest in the Fall of 1972: “Dee Dee is – from her flowing shag coiffure to her white shoes – the liberated women’s answer to Joe Namath. She is the field general of Western New York’s most inconspicuous, but undoubtedly most glamorous football team.”
Tragedy struck the team prior to an August practice before the season began. Carol Rebon, who had been on the All Stars from the start, was traveling back to Buffalo from Canada on August 27 when she stopped to help a stranded motorist. While helping the motorist, Carol was struck and killed by a car. The team was devastated.
The Belles regrouped, however, and opened the season almost a month later, on September 23 at 8:00 p.m. at Lackawanna Stadium. Buffalo suffered a tough 6-0 loss to Marion Motley’s Daredevils. DeBone acknowledged years later, with frustration in her voice, that it was one of her worst games. “That loss against Cleveland was a really off day for me. I was exasperated and was really frustrated. I was rapidly saying … What the hell is going on??”
The following week, the team traveled to Toledo and suffered a 37-16 loss to the Troopers. It was Toledo’s closest game of the year as they finished with an 8-0 record as champions of the WPFL. Linda Jefferson, the league’s best player, scored four touchdowns on runs of 40, 23 and 42 yards and caught a pass for a 32-yard score.
Toledo defeated the Belles again the following week in Buffalo by a 28-2 count, with Jefferson accounting for all four varied touchdowns—a 65-yard punt return, a 32-yard screen pass, a 38-yard run and an 85-yard kickoff return—an achievement never accomplished by an NFL player. By this time, Toledo had become the dominant team in the WPFL. DeBone half-joked about the Troopers, “They must have fed those girls raw meat and led them with a cattle prod.” She added they are “nasty.” Every time the All Stars played Toledo, “We were bleeding, bruised and bloody… it was more than our girls could give.”
The Belles played Cleveland on November 11 and had games scheduled on November 18 against Detroit and November 25 versus the New York Fillies. No results have been found for those games. Buffalo was playing 5-6 games each season, but several of the games were not covered by local media and records were either not maintained or have not been kept. Thus, some of the game scores and statistics are lost forever.
The End of the WPFL
Buffalo drew between 500 and 1,500 spectators per game. The team had a dedicated group of fans that faithfully followed the Belles, but it was not enough. Without additional investors and sponsors, along with more media coverage to generate additional interest, the Belles and the league were not financially sustainable. Friedman did not have deep enough pockets without help. Yet he wanted to maintain control.
The team returned for the 1973 season and played five to six games with no substantial records found, just the players’ memories 50 years later. But the lack of records does not diminish what these women accomplished, how they persevered and the heart and soul they put into playing. Gail Kwiatkowski, a 5-foot, 5-inch quarterback studying to be an x-ray technician, joined the team that year. “My mother and family thought I was crazy. I thought it was neat to play and be part of it. You are young and crazy at that age,” she said later.
Toledo did not believe Friedman’s actions were in the best long-term interest of women’s professional football and thus dropped out of the WPFL and went independent. Friedman had supposedly asked the team to throw one or two of its games to make the league look more competitive. They flatly refused. The Troopers were forbidden to play any of Friedman’s teams once they dropped out of the league, and thus Buffalo did not face Toledo that season.
The WPFL did play the first official women’s pro football championship game following the conclusion of the 1973 season. The Daredevils defeated the Dayton Fillies in the spring of 1974 in Berea, OH, (home of the Cleveland Browns training camp). Later in 1974, Sherrill Cooper, who had now retired from her football career, became Western New York’s first certified female baseball umpire who handled men’s games. Recalling her experience, she observed:
While girls usually play mostly for fun, men have a more ferocious desire to win, are much more knowledgeable about rules and are much quicker to criticize the umpire when there is a difference of opinion. Men’s games are more challenging. If I am unable to establish authority and make instantaneous decisions, I’m in trouble.
Buffalo played limited games in 1974.
The Belles had a challenging time finding sponsors for the games as did other teams in the league. It is known that Buffalo played against Columbus and Detroit, but no records or scores have been discovered. The Belles played Toledo on November 2, losing 30-8, and this is believed to be the last game in franchise history.
The WPFL struggled for acceptance and survival with the poor management by Friedman, the development of a rival league and the loss of the Toledo franchise. In 1974, the Troopers joined the competing National Women’s Football League (NWFL) that had begun that year, which led to the dissolution of the WPFL following the season. Buffalo was not part of the new NWFL and disbanded at the end of the 1974 season, as they were unable to secure local ownership. Buffalo’s trail blazing women’s football team, after so much promise, went quietly into the sunset. A few of the WPFL franchises morphed into the NWFL that lasted until 1985.
Today, the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), founded in 2009, is the premier women’s professional football league. Their six-game regular season runs from April to July, followed by a championship tournament that ends in Canton, OH, with the crowning of a champion. There are three levels, with 14 teams at the Pro level, 16 in Division II and 29 in Division III. The Boston Renegades, led by 5-foot, 5-inch quarterback Allison Cahill, are the five-time defending WFA Pro champions.
The Buffalo players interviewed for this story reflected on how much fun it was, how they enjoyed the hitting and physicality of the sport, as well as the joy of camaraderie found only in a football locker room. They are also proud of how the team represented everyone—Black, white, large, small, tall, short, moms, wives, gay, straight, working and housewives. It didn’t matter. They were a team—a family—and a camaraderie developed that was unlike what most of the players had ever experienced. The women also remarked on how the experience positively impacted the rest of their lives. And—like other football players—they bear scars, sprains and broken bones from the experience.
“A lot of fun. I loved football and I cherish the memories. I liked it because you could hit,” Barbara Pennachio said years later. “I loved competition and I loved the sport,” Sherrill Cooper recalled. She also provided some real wisdom: “Things work out best for the people who make the best of how things work out.”
“It was fun,” Mary Ann Horey observed. “I met a lot of different people, I enjoyed it. Boy what a difference today. Things have opened up so much since then for girls and it is great.” Dee Dee DeBone recalled the intellectual stimulation. “I loved the strategy of the game,” she shared. “The psychological aspect and the ability of getting into the other teams’ heads, and even their coaches’ heads. You know when the other team’s coaches start changing it up, sending in new people, taking their hats off and yelling… I knew I had them where I wanted them. Frustrated and doubting themselves made a miserable defeat for them and a fun game for us.”
In reflecting on her football experience Dee Dee added, “It gave me the confidence and conviction of tackling anything. Nothing was out of my reach. I was never railroaded into a conventional position in life. I no longer was on the sidelines watching men pave the way. I paved my own road. I never again believed that there were only gender specific sports. Women no longer had to just watch men perform.”
In 1983, the Toledo Troopers were recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as “the winningest team in professional football history,” with a 61-4 record. And to think they got their start getting schooled by the Buffalo All Stars, 40-0, in 1971. This team and its players deserve to be honored for their groundbreaking and trailblazing achievements—maybe it’s time for a new Buffalo women’s professional football team in Western New York?
* In the Spring of 2024 a New York State Historical Marker will be dedicated at All High Stadium to commemorate the first Women’s Professional Tackle Football game played in the history of New York State.
About the Author
Greg Tranter is a prominent sports historian, curator and author with a specialized expertise in Buffalo Bills history. He has authored numerous books on Buffalo sports history with the most recent titled, Buffalo Bills: An Illustrated Timeline of a Storied Team and Buffalo Braves from A to Z. Greg is the assistant executive director of the Pro Football Researchers Association and the managing editor of The Coffin Corner.
