The Toledo Troopers were the city’s women’s football team — the first of its kind in the 1970s. We aren’t talking about powderpuff football many girls played in high school in the 80s, or even softball, which was kind of invented for girls – hence the larger “softer” ball. This was rough, tough, no-holds-barred, tackle football.
The Troopers were part of the Women’s Professional Football League from 1971 to 1973 and the National Women’s Football League from 1974 to 1977. During this time the team won a stunning seven consecutive national championships. According to a press release by Anserina Films, a division of Communica, the team behind a new documentary about the Troopers, the NFL Hall of Fame recognized them in 1980 as “the winningest team in pro football history – making it difficult to dismiss them as a “girls’ team.” These ladies, who did so much to advance women’s sports, never got enough credit and are largely forgotten today. The new book and documentary released this year, “We Are the Troopers,” is about to change that.
Documenting The Troopers
Stephen Guinan and Guy Stout of the Troopers players’ committee reached out to Anserina Films with the proposition to make a documentary. At the time, Guinan was still in the process of writing a book on the Troopers, which was published in August 2022. Even through the 1990s, many women’s games weren’t televised like mens’ sports. The Troopers played almost fifty years ago, so footage of games or even radio broadcasts were difficult to come by. This provided more reason the film needed to be done now while players could still talk about their experiences, and before physical reminders were lost to time.
The documentary team started by working from the book. Guinan says the film’s editor, Tom Sanders, conducted many interviews with any former players who wanted to speak on camera.
The filmmakers collected whatever they could from the players, including newspaper clippings, photographs, and some game film. In a pre-video era, this meant reaching out to friends and family who had the ability to film the games. Through the years, much film had been lost or damaged, but they used every bit they could find. “We filmed the reels ourselves to digitize them. There was a film of player Linda Jefferson being featured on ABC Superstars and we were also sent a snippet of a game from Dallas stadium. It was the Dallas team’s side footage, so it was one reel of some of the Dallas [women’s] team’s offensive plays.”
Sanders hopes that as people see the documentary, more footage, photographs, other memorabilia turn up. Even so, the documentary’s strength is in the words and memories of both players and fans — 48 interviews were done for the film. With so many stories to tell, the hardest part was narrowing down that footage. Sanders says it was fascinating to hear the accounts of women who played offense, defense, and special teams, while still maintaining a job and for some, marriages and kids.
Legendary Quarterback, Pam Fisher (Pam Hardy, No. 11)
It’s not a typical women’s sport. Some of the girls on the team had never played a game in their life, but liked the game and were interested, and some played backyard football growing up with brothers. For Fisher, it was the latter. A family pastime every fall was to break out the football and play. “I really loved playing football with my family,” remembered Fisher. “Then a friend called me and said, ‘Have you seen this ad in the paper? There are tryouts for a women’s team.
Do you want to try out?’ and I said, ‘Yes I do!’”
The women were paid $25 a game, with no health insurance. In the days before Title IX, this is how it was. Fisher is quick to point out that most of the women players weren’t thinking about Title IX, they just wanted to play a game they loved. “Every one of us has great stories to tell and it was a fantastic time in our lives. The coaches treated us like we were football players, not like girls. It was serious business.”
Fisher tells how she became the quarterback. “When I was a rookie there was a gal that was the starting quarterback and she also played on a softball team. They were going to the playoffs, and the first night of the season she wasn’t there because of her other team commitments, so they put me in and she never got her job back.” Pam originally thought of playing defense, but at 100 pounds, her size put her in the running to be a quarterback. “The coach used to tell the front-line players not to let me get hit, but the ball was out of my hands before I was in any real danger.”
Sisterhood
One of the most moving comments came when Fisher talks about the sisterhood of the team. “We were very diversified,” she says, “but we were sisters. It didn’t matter where you came from, we all had each other’s backs.” These are women who came together because they loved the sport and were brave enough to say, I don’t care what anyone thinks, I’m gonna play.
“We are the Troopers” will be showing at the 9th Annual Toledo Jewish Film Festival at the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University on Monday, July 31 at 7pm. A Q&A with author Stephen Guinan will follow the screening. $10. jewishtoledo.org/toledo-jewish-film-festival-2023
