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Nagurski's Debut and Rockne's Lesson
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 20, No. 3 (1998) NAGURSKI’S DEBUT AND ROCKNE’S LESSON Pro Football in 1930 By Bob Carroll For years it was said that George Halas and Dutch Sternaman, the Chicago Bears’ co-owners and co- coaches, always took opposite sides in every minor argument at league meetings but presented a united front whenever anything major was on the table. But, by 1929, their bickering had spread from league politics to how their own team was to be directed. The absence of a united front between its leaders split the team. The result was the worst year in the Bears’ short history -- 4-9-2, underscored by a humiliating 40-6 loss to the crosstown Cardinals. A change was necessary. Neither Halas nor Sternaman was willing to let the other take charge, and so, in the best tradition of Solomon, they resolved their differences by agreeing that neither would coach the team. In effect, they fired themselves, vowing to attend to their front office knitting. A few years later, Sternaman would sell his interest to Halas and leave pro football for good. Halas would go on and on. Halas and Sternaman chose Ralph Jones, the head man at Lake Forest (IL) Academy, as the Bears’ new coach. Jones had faith in the T-formation, the attack mode the Bears had used since they began as the Decatur Staleys. While other pro teams lined up in more modern formations like the single wing, double wing, or Notre Dame box, the Bears under Jones continued to use their basic T. -
1920 Akron Pros Ken Crippen
Building a Champion: 1920 Akron Pros Ken Crippen BUILDING A CHAMPION: 1920 AKRON PROS By Ken Crippen It’s time to dig deep into the archives to talk about the first National Football League (NFL) champion. In fact, the 1920 Akron Pros were champions before the NFL was called the NFL. In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed and started play. Currently, fourteen teams are included in the league standings, but it is unclear as to how many were official members of the Association. Different from today’s game, the champion was not determined on the field, but during a vote at a league meeting. Championship games did not start until 1932. Also, there were no set schedules. Teams could extend their season in order to try and gain wins to influence voting the following spring. These late-season games were usually against lesser opponents in order to pad their win totals. To discuss the Akron Pros, we must first travel back to the century’s first decade. Starting in 1908 as the semi-pro Akron Indians, the team immediately took the city championship and stayed as consistently one of the best teams in the area. In 1912, “Peggy” Parratt was brought in to coach the team. George Watson “Peggy” Parratt was a three-time All-Ohio football player for Case Western University. While in college, he played professionally for the 1905 Shelby Blues under the name “Jimmy Murphy,” in order to preserve his amateur status. It only lasted a few weeks until local reporters discovered that it was Parratt on the field for the Blues. -
NFL 1926 in Theory & Practice
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 24, No. 3 (2002) One division, no playoffs, no championship game. Was there ANY organization to pro football before 1933? Forget the official history for a moment, put on your leather thinking cap, and consider the possibilities of NFL 1926 in Theory and Practice By Mark L. Ford 1926 and 2001 The year 1926 makes an interesting study. For one thing, it was 75 years earlier than the just completed season. More importantly, 1926, like 2001, saw thirty-one pro football teams in competition. The NFL had a record 22 clubs, and Red Grange’s manager had organized the new 9 team American Football League. Besides the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, and the Cardinals (who would not move from Chicago until 1959), there were other team names that would be familiar today – Buccaneers (Los Angeles), Lions (Brooklyn), Cowboys (Kansas City) and Panthers (Detroit). The AFL created rivals in major cities, with American League Yankees to match the National League Giants, a pre-NBA Chicago Bulls to match the Bears, Philadelphia Quakers against the Philly-suburb Frankford Yellowjackets, a Brooklyn rival formed around the two of the Four Horsemen turned pro, and another “Los Angeles” team. The official summary of 1926 might look chaotic and unorganized – 22 teams grouped in one division in a hodgepodge of large cities and small towns, and is summarized as “Frankford, Chicago Bears, Pottsville, Kansas City, Green Bay, Los Angeles, New York, Duluth, Buffalo, Chicago Cardinals, Providence, Detroit, Hartford, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Akron, Dayton, Racine, Columbus, Canton, Hammond, Louisville”. -
Five Modern-Era Players Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee Selects Five Players Who Join 15-Person Centennial Slate for Special Class of 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 02/01/2020 FIVE MODERN-ERA PLAYERS ELECTED TO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME SELECTION COMMITTEE SELECTS FIVE PLAYERS WHO JOIN 15-PERSON CENTENNIAL SLATE FOR SPECIAL CLASS OF 2020 CANTON, OHIO – “Selection Saturday” resulted in five “Heroes of the Game” earning election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall’s 48-person Selection Committee held its annual meeting today in Miami Beach to elect five Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2020. The special class also includes the Centennial Slate of 15 Hall of Famers who were picked by a special Blue-Ribbon Panel in January. The Modern-Era players for the Class of 2020 were just announced on stage during taping of NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special that will air nationally tonight at 8 p.m. (ET and PT) on FOX. They include safety STEVE ATWATER, wide receiver ISAAC BRUCE, guard STEVE HUTCHINSON, running back EDGERRIN JAMES, and safety TROY POLAMALU. The five newest Hall of Famers were joined on stage by the living members from the Centennial Slate. Today’s annual selection meeting capped a year-round selection process. The newly elected Hall of Famers were chosen from a list of 15 Finalists who had been determined earlier by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. Representatives of the accounting firm Ernst & Young tabulated all votes during Saturday’s meeting. STEVE ATWATER HOF Finalist: 3 | Year of Eligibility: 16 Position: Safety Ht: 6-3, Wt: 218 NFL Career: 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets Seasons: 11, Games: 167 College: Arkansas Drafted: 1st Round (20th overall), 1989 Born: Oct. -
The Rock Island Independents
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 5, No. 3 (1983) THE ROCK ISLAND INDEPENDENTS By Bob Braunwart & Bob Carroll On an October Sunday afternoon in 1921, the Chicago Cardinals held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter at Normal Park on the strength of Paddy Driscoll's 75-year punt return for a touchdown and his subsequent extra point. If there was a downside for the 4,000 assembled Cardinal fans, it was the lackluster performance of the visitors from across state--The Rock Island Independents. But the Independents were not dead. As a matter of fact, their second quarter was to be quite exciting--and certainly one of the most important sessions in the life of their young halfback, Jim Conzelman. It would be nice if we only knew in what order the three crucial events of that second quarter occurred, but newspaper accounts are unclear and personal recollections are vague. Certain it is that the Islanders ruched the ball down the field to the Chicago five. At that point, Quarterback Sid Nichols lofted a short pass to Conzelman in the end zone. After Jim tied the score with a nice kick, the teams lined up to start all over. At the kickoff, Conzelman was down the field like a shot--the Cardinals were to insist he was offsides. Before any Chicagoan could lay hand on the ball, Jim grasped it and zipped unmolested across the goal line. Another kick brought the score to 14-7, as it was to remain through the second half. The third event of that fateful second quarter was the most unusual, but whether it happened before Conzelman's heroics to inspire him or after them to reward him is something we'll probably never know. -
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 15, No. 3 (1993)
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 15, No. 3 (1993) IN THE BEGINNING Famous (or forgotten) firsts for every NFL franchise By Tod Maher The following is a comprehensive listing of various first games played by every member, past and present, of the National Football League; its predecessor, the American Professional Football Association; and the American Football League, which merged with the NFL in 1970. Each team's first game ever, first league game, first home league game, first league win and first playoff game are listed. In some cases, one game fills more than one category. A few historical notes are also included. When first ever is in italics, that means it's the earliest known game for that team, but there are earlier games that aren't documented yet. The years of a team's APFA / NFL membership are given in parenthesis, as are the scores of the games involved. AKRON PROS / INDIANS (1920-25 / 26) First ever, Oct. 3, 1920, vs Wheeling Stogies (43-0; first league, home, and win, Oct. 10, 1920, vs Columbus Panhandles (37-0). ATLANTA FALCONS (1966-) First ever, Aug. 1, 1966, vs Philadelphia Eagles (7-9); first league, home, Sept. 11, 1966, vs Los Angeles Rams (14-19); first win, Nov. 20, 1966, at New York Giants (27-16); first playoff, Dec. 24, 1978, vs Philadelphia Eagles (14-13). BALTIMORE COLTS (1950) The Colts were members of the rival All-America Football Conference, 1947-49. First ever, Aug. 22, 1947, vs Buffalo Bisons at Hershey, Pa. (29-20); first league, home, Sept. 17, 1950, vs Washington Redskins (14-38); first win, Nov. -
The Pioneers
Gridiron Glory: Footballs Greatest Legends and Moments is the most extensive and comprehensive exhibit featuring America’smost popular sport ever to tour. Many of the objects included in the exhibition have never been outside the walls of their home, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The artifacts are representative of the great moments, great players and coaches and milestone moments of the sport over the last 100-plus years. Below is a partial list of the rare and historically significant artifacts that will be presented in Gridiron Glory: Footballs Greatest Legends and Moments. The Pioneers This section looks at the early days of the sport when a very unorganized, rough and tumble game was played in empty lots and other makeshift venues. It captures the moment when the NFL was born, when the rules of the game were created anew on every field and when one player of staggering ability, Red Grange, “barnstormed” across America to drum up fan support for a sport in its infancy. Artifacts featured include: 1892 Allegany Athletic Association accounting ledger – Pro Football’sBirth Certificate This accounting ledger sheet from the 1892 Allegheny Athletic Association documents football’s first case of professionalism. “Pro Football’sBirth Certificate” has never before been displayed outside the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jim Thorpe’sCanton bulldogs Sideline Blanket In 1915 the Canton Bulldogs signed Jim Thorpe to a $250 per game contract. Thorpe, the first big-name athlete to play pro football, was an exceptional talent and major gate attraction. His outstanding talent enabled Canton to lay claim to unofficial world championships in 1916, 1917 and 1919. -
Jimmy Conzelman
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 19, No. 1 (1997) JIMMY CONZELMAN By Bill Schubert @1997 It is difficult to find a person with a more varied life, successful in so many unrelated endeavors as Jimmy Conzelman. When Conzelman sadly left the good earth in 1970 at 72 years old, his spirit could certainly reflect on a full life. More important than his list of accomplishments was Conzelman's passion for life. The epitome of the benefit of positive thinking, Conzelman was a born leader and a pursuer of perfection. This pursuit was tempered with a sense of realism and lofty but not unattainable goals. In a word -- attitude! The best example of this axiom is evidenced by Jimmy's attitude toward his own early shyness when speaking in public. Attacking this perceived personality flaw in himself head on, he challenged himself and accepted every possible public speaking opportunity. Forcing himself to improve, Conzelman became so accomplished, that his address to Dayton University in 1942, titled "A Young Man's Mental and Physical Approach to War" was read into the U.S. Congressional record and was required reading by all students in Annapolis and West Point academies. Conzelman's style was not to start at the bottom and work his way up, but rather start at the top and handle it. He would have been the ideal spokesman for the athletic shoe manufacturer so famous for using famous sports personalities, as he lived by their motto, -- "Just do it!" He was an accomplished writer, authoring a syndicated column for the Hearst newspapers, while simultaneously editing his own newspaper. -
Centennial Slate for Class of 2020 Revealed 15-Person Centennial Slate Elected During Meeting at Hall of Fame in Canton Last Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 01/15/2020 CENTENNIAL SLATE FOR CLASS OF 2020 REVEALED 15-PERSON CENTENNIAL SLATE ELECTED DURING MEETING AT HALL OF FAME IN CANTON LAST WEEK CANTON, OHIO – The full 15-person Centennial Slate for the Class of 2020 was revealed live today on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” The special slate of enshrinees consisting of 10 Seniors (players who last played more than 25 years ago), three Contributors (an individual other than a player or coach) and two Coaches were elected by a special Blue-Ribbon Panel during a meeting at the Hall of Fame last week. It marked the first time in history that a group of enshrinees was selected during a meeting held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The two coaches, BILL COWHER and JIMMY JOHNSON, were surprised by Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker, who informed them of their election on their respective studio shows during last weekend’s NFL divisional playoff games. The Centennial Slate of Enshrinees will be joined in the Class of 2020 by five Modern-Era Players who will be elected on “Selection Saturday,” the day before Super LIV in Miami. Those five individuals will be revealed and join the members of the Centennial Slate on NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on the eve of Super Bowl LIV at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Details and ticket information for the annual Enshrinement Ceremony and the Centennial Celebration will be revealed in the coming weeks. COACHES • Bill Cowher – 1992-2006 Pittsburgh Steelers • Jimmy Johnson – 1989-1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996-99 Miami Dolphins CONTRIBUTORS *Deceased • *Steve Sabol, Administrator/President – 1964-2012 NFL Films • Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League • *George Young, Contributor/General Manager – 1968-1974 Baltimore Colts, 1975-78 Miami Dolphins, 1979-1997 New York Giants, 1998-2001 National Football League September 16-19, 2020 A once-in-every- other-lifetime celebration to kick off the NFL’s next century in the city where the league was born. -
Ollie's All-Stars
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 5, No. 7 (1983) OLLIE'S ALL-STARS By Bob Carroll Ollie Kraehe thought he had it made. Only one year earlier as a low-paid substitute guard for Rock Island's 1922 Independents, he'd had plenty of time to sit on the bench and count the house at little Douglas Park. A couple of thousand Islander fans usually showed up at a dollar a head. They'd never get rich in Rock Island. But if a burg like that could break even on this professional football thing, what riches might await a smart fellow with a team in a really big town like, say, St. Louis? St. Louis came readily to his mind. Ollie was a local boy who'd done his undergrad footballing in the maroon and myrtle of Washington University. He'd been a teammate of local hero Jimmy Conzelman and captained the team in 1921. Now, only two years later, he was triumphantly returning home, clutching a National Football League franchise signed by league prexy Joe Carr. As soon as a few more details were worked out, the money could begin rolling in. Detail number one was finding some players. Ollie had bravely christened his club the "All-Stars," but, when he started looking, he found that stars were few and far between. From the local schools -- St. Louis U. and Washington U. -- the state schools, and a few eastern colleges, he got bodies, but most of them were not very well known outside their immediate families. Years later, Ollie insisted, "There were some players who didn't want their parents to know they were in the game and some of them used fictitious names." That may have been so (although the league had a rule against it), but few fans figured to storm the gates to catch a glimpse of a.k.a. -
Lavie Dilweg, by Nearly All Contemporary Accounts and Measurements, Was the Best End in Pro Football Almost from His First Game Until His Last
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 8, No. 3 (1986) THE BEST END WE EVER FORGOT By Bob Carroll Lavie Dilweg, by nearly all contemporary accounts and measurements, was the best end in pro football almost from his first game until his last. He had an unusually long career, played on the best team of his time, and followed his playing days with a life of public service that took him all the way to Washington. What more could anyone ask? How about being remembered? Today, the name Dilweg would stump all but the most dedicated pro football trivia buffs. Ask the average fan to identify "Dilweg" and he might think it's some kind of pickle. Well, you say, that happens sometimes. The men he played against and beat, the writers who modified his name with reverent adjectives, the fans who cheered him to the skies have, for the most part, passed on. The man himself is gone. That's the way it happens. Yet, it didn't happen to Ed Healey or Mike Michalske or George Trafton or Joe Guyon – men arguably no better at their positions than Dilweg at his. Their glory, legends, and skill seem to grow greater in proportion to the distance from their last games. Their names may not ring a bell with the casual fan, but to anyone who knows pro football was played before Garbo talked, their names set off tingles like the Greeks used to get when Homer mentioned Olympus. But Dilweg? Is it some kind of toupee? Well, if he was so good, why ain't he famous? The reasons for this phenomenon are to be found in the way football has changed since Lavie played it so well and in his own – for lack of a better word – style. -
The Racine Legion
THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 6, Nos. 11 & 12 (1984) THE RACINE LEGION By Paul LaRose Originally Published in Racine Journal, August 5, 1979 There were a lot of things you could do in Racine, Wisconsin, with $100 in 1922. You could buy a 1919 Ford or make a down payment on a new house. Or you could buy your way into the National Football League. Which is just what the American Legion Post 76 did, giving Racine its first – and only – major professional sports franchise. That's right, the Racine Horlick-Legions played right alongside the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers (and 15 other teams) in the 1922 NFL. The team was organized by American Legion Post 76 to help promote both the club's activities and the city of Racine. Consisting of 18 men, it was coached by one George "Babe" Ruetz. Ruetz's son Howard would go on to play for the Packers from 1951- 53 and his grandson, Joe, is now a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers. Babe Ruetz, a mountainous man of 285 pounds, had been one of the city's finest amateur players from about 1910-20. He apparently was as bold as he was big because the first team Ruetz scheduled was the defending NFL champion Chicago Bears. But first, Ruetz had to recruit some players. Which, in 1922, was not an easy task. The NFL was just entering its third season. And pro ball was nowhere near as popular as college ball. Reaction to the game was mixed, and the new league had a hard time convincing the sporting public that it had a worthy product.