Did pro teams ever consist of local players only?

Not a pro team (in fact, mandated amateurs) but the Gaelic Atlethic Association of Ireland requires you to live or be from the County you play for (think States).

So an inter-county hurler or football players in almost always from the County they play (with some occasional exceptions). It’s of the key drivers of the game in my opinion.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club, a professional level team, mandated that players had to be born within the historic county borders of Yorkshire to play, a restriction that remained until 1992.

Athletic Bilbao still try to maintain a Basque-only team.

It’s a broad definition but they are a good sized team in La Liga in Spain.

Russ Jackson wasn’t from Ottawa, though. He was from Hamilton, and went to college there, too. Logically, had he played for the local team he’d have played for the Tiger-Cats. He did take up teaching in Ottawa, but did not move there until the Rough Riders drafted him.

Jackson was one hell of a football player, I’ll tell you that. He probably could have been a starter in the NFL. He got better as he aged, and retired at 33 coming off a season where he threw for 33 touchdowns, personally averaged nine yards per rush, and won the Grey Cup (in which he threw four touchdown passes.)