1960s Central States League - minor league football

[Jay Z]

Are there distinctions between levels of minor league football? I notice there's nothing for the Central States League on Pro Football Archives. Was that league considered at a different level, just never documented, or what? I know some NFL camp level players were playing in that league.

[Bob Gill]

The Central States League was a couple of notches below the top minor leagues of the 1960s -- maybe something like what baseball used to call "high A" level, like the Carolina League. Over its 20-year history it featured a handful of players who were drafted by the NFL, and at least one Central States alumnus actually played (and thrived) in the NFL: Otis Sistrunk. Rick Telander, who used to write for Sports Illustrated, also played there for a season or two as a defensive back. Also, a few guys from the CSFL spent a season or two in the higher minor leagues like the Continental League and the Atlantic Coast League, and in one or two cases a CSFL team moved into one of the higher leagues for a season. Those didn't work out well.

Incidentally, this might have been the favorite league of the late Steve Brainerd, who was originally from Wisconsin. It was rare to have a conversation with him that did not include a mention of the Delevan Red Devils or some other CSFL team.

[Lee Elder]

The Central States League was a couple of notches below the top minor leagues of the 1960s -- maybe something like what baseball used to call "high A" level, like the Carolina League. Over its 20-year history it featured a handful of players who were drafted by the NFL, and at least one Central States alumnus actually played (and thrived) in the NFL: Otis Sistrunk. Rick Telander, who used to write for Sports Illustrated, also played there for a season or two as a defensive back. Also, a few guys from the CSFL spent a season or two in the higher minor leagues like the Continental League and the Atlantic Coast League, and in one or two cases a CSFL team moved into one of the higher leagues for a season. Those didn't work out well.

Incidentally, this might have been the favorite league of the late Steve Brainerd, who was originally from Wisconsin. It was rare to have a conversation with him that did not include a mention of the Delevan Red Devils or some other CSFL team.

I did not know about Telander playing minor league ball. That's a nice tidbit, thanks!

[Bob Gill]

I did not know about Telander playing minor league ball. That's a nice tidbit, thanks!

To be more specific (just looked him up in my file), Telander played in 1971 with the Lake County Rifles. It seems to me that he mentioned in a Sports Illustrated article, or maybe a book, that he got paid something like $25 per game. I don't think I read it myself, but Steve Brainerd or somebody told me that years ago.