The current popularity of Philly Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has stirred up memories of Pennsylvania fullback Barney Wentz, a star from the NFL’s pioneering days almost a century ago, writes Frank Fitzpatrick for Philly.com.

In fact, the story Barney Wentz has been a popular topic among NFL aficionados in the region for decades and has been immortalized in a play by a Villanova professor.

The 2011 play, titled “Maroons: The Anthracite Gridiron” was the brainchild of Bryn Mawr resident, Ray Saraceni, an adjunct theater professor at Villanova University. It tells the story of the Pottsville Maroons, which were stripped of their NFL title in 1925 after they played an unauthorized game in Philadelphia.

Even now the tale of this injustice still irks the people of Pottsville as they have tried unsuccessfully over the years to get the title restored.

“You go to Pottsville today and it’s amazing how many people remember Wentz and the Maroons and can still talk about them,” Saraceni said. “It’s like 1925 happened the day before yesterday.”

Read more about Barney Wentz’s career at Philly.com by clicking here.