The Rome Free Academy football program is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to the late 1800s, so it has many notable alumni, iconic teams and historic rivalries.

“Pride and tradition mean a lot,” said Dave Sbaraglia, the executive director of the Rome Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

Fans say that about every school. At Rome Free Academy, though, it certainly rings true. The football team began its winning tradition when it first took the field in 1891.

When RFA faced rival Proctor, formerly Utica Free Academy, the entire town got involved.

“It is the longest high school rivalry, I believe, in the state,” said Sbaraglia. “They would make a casket and they would have a burial down to the Mohawk River, and the kids would get a half a day off of school and  march down Dominic Street, light this casket on fire and throw it into the river so everybody got to celebrate.”

Back in the day, RFA dominated the rivalry.

“Undefeated teams?” said Sbaraglia. “Many, many undefeated teams over the years.”

Some of those teams featured future NFL players. Four RFA alumni made it to the league: Don Healy, John Dominic, Tom Myslinski Sr. and Tom Jr.

The hard-nosed RFA teams of yesteryear had a lot of pride, but not a lot of padding.

“Here’s your helmet. Did you notice there’s no face guard? You didn’t have anything in front of your face,” said Sbaraglia. “I said no. Probably nine out of 10 times, you broke your nose tackling and everything, because these these were the iron men.”

If you want to learn more about the RFA football team or any Rome sports, the Rome Sports Hall of Fame is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is currently open by appointment.