To find the first term of an arithmetic sequence, we can use the formula for the \( n \)-th term of an arithmetic sequence:
\[ a_n = a_1 + (n - 1)d \]
where:
- \( a_n \) is the \( n \)-th term,
- \( a_1 \) is the first term,
- \( d \) is the common difference,
- \( n \) is the term number.
In this case, we have:
- \( a_{28} = \frac{423}{4} \)
- \( d = \frac{5}{4} \)
- \( n = 28 \)
Substituting the known values into the formula, we can solve for the first term \( a_1 \):
\[ \frac{423}{4} = a_1 + (28 - 1) \cdot \frac{5}{4} \]
This simplifies to:
\[ \frac{423}{4} = a_1 + 27 \cdot \frac{5}{4} \]
Calculating the right-hand side:
\[ 27 \cdot \frac{5}{4} = \frac{135}{4} \]
Now substitute this back into the equation:
\[ \frac{423}{4} = a_1 + \frac{135}{4} \]
To isolate \( a_1 \), we subtract \(\frac{135}{4}\) from both sides:
\[ a_1 = \frac{423}{4} - \frac{135}{4} \]
This leads to:
\[ a_1 = \frac{423 - 135}{4} = \frac{288}{4} = 72 \]
Thus, the first term \( a_1 \) of the arithmetic sequence is:
\[ \boxed{72} \]