Bob Shiring

Charles Robert Shiring (April 13, 1876 – July 23, 1957) was a professional football player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his professional playing career with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club in 1901. In 1902, he played for the Pittsburgh Stars of the first National Football League (NFL) who ended up winning the league title. Since the Stars consisted of the best professional players from western Pennsylvania at the time, it can be said that Shiring was considered the best at his position, center, in the region (and probably in the country). However Shiring is best known for playing for the Massillon Tigers from 1903 until 1907. He finally served from 1907 to 1910 as a player-coach for the Pittsburgh Lyceum, Pittsburgh's last championship professional football team until the 1970s.

Playing career Shiring began playing amateur football at least as early as 1897 for various local teams, including the 1899 local amateur champion Lalus Athletic Club, where he took up the center position. Massillon residents reportedly attempted to persuade Shiring to move to their town during and after his time Tigers, however he returned to Pennsylvania in 1907. Throughout his career, Shiring refused to wear shoulder pads while playing. When asked why he refused to wear pads, Shiring responded by saying, "because they hinder me getting through the line." His only padding concession was that he would wear shin guards.

However E. J. Stewart, the Tigers' coach and the editor of the Massillon Independent, charged that an actual attempt was made to bribe some of the Tiger players and that Wallace had been involved. His accusation was that an attempt had been made to bribe some Massillion players before the first game. According to Stewart, Tiny Maxwell and Shiring of Massillon had been solicited to throw the first game by East. Maxwell and Shiring then reported the offer to the Tigers' manager and the scandal ended before it began. The scandal was blamed for ruining professional football in Ohio until the mid-1910s.

Shiring later spent 50 years as a borough official in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, where he served as the town's squire, which is the equivalent of a magistrate, in addition to being the elected Wilmerding's tax collector in 1903. He also opened a business, working in the insurance and real estate fields. He fathered nine children and remained close to his home in Wilmerding.

On July 23, 1957 Shiring died in a Pittsburgh hospital.