1920 Rock Island Independents season
Encyclopedia
The 1920 Rock Island Independents
season was their inaugural season in the American Professional Football Association
. The team finished 6-2-2 (7-2-2 overall), earning them fifth place in the league. Their last game against the Chicago Pullman Thorns was after the season had ended and was not counted in the standings.
Rock Island Independents
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team based in Rock Island, Illinois. One of the first professional football teams, they were founded in 1907 as an independent club. They later played in what is now the National Football League from 1920 to 1925. They joined the...
season was their inaugural season in the American Professional Football Association
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The team finished 6-2-2 (7-2-2 overall), earning them fifth place in the league. Their last game against the Chicago Pullman Thorns was after the season had ended and was not counted in the standings.
Schedule
| 1920 regular season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | | Date | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | ||
| Final score | Team record | |||||
| 1 | September 26 | St. Paul Ideals | W 48–0 | 1–0–0 | Douglas Park Douglas Park (Rock Island) Douglas Park was a minor league baseball stadium for the Rock Island Islanders from 1907 until 1937. The team played in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League , Mississippi Valley League and Western League... |
|
| 2 | October 3 | Muncie Flyers Muncie Flyers The Muncie Flyers from Muncie, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920-1921.-Origins:... |
W 45–0 | 2–0–0 | Douglas Park | |
| 3 | October 10 | Hammond Pros Hammond Pros The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team.-History:The Pros were established by Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young who was a boxing promoter, owner of a racing stable and a doctor and trainer for a semi-pro football team... |
W 26–0 | 3–0–0 | Douglas Park | |
| 4 | October 17 | Decatur Staleys | L 7–0 | 3–1–0 | Douglas Park | |
| 5 | October 24 | Chicago Cardinals | W 7–0 | 4–1–0 | Douglas Park | |
| 6 | October 31 | Chicago Tigers Chicago Tigers The Chicago Tigers of the American Professional Football Association played only in the first year of the league and, because of this, have the distinction of being the first official NFL team to fold. They had a record of 2 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie... |
W 20–7 | 5–1–0 | Douglas Park | |
| 7 | November 7 | Decatur Staleys | T 0–0 | 5–1–1 | Douglas Park | |
| 8 | November 11 | at Thorn Tornadoes | T 7–7 | 5–1–2 | Monmouth College Monmouth College Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.-History:Monmouth College was founded on April 18, 1853 by the Second Presbytery of Illinois, a frontier arm of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church... Athletic Park |
|
| 8 | November 14 | Dayton Triangles Dayton Triangles The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangle Park, which was located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers in north... |
L 21–0 | 5–2–2 | Douglas Park | |
| 9 | Bye week Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||
| 10 | November 28 | Washington and Jefferson Collegians Washington & Jefferson College Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh... |
W 48–7 | 6–2–2 | Douglas Park | |
| Team names in italics are against non-APFA teams. | ||||||
Week 1: vs. St. Paul Ideals
Week 2: vs. Muncie Flyers
Week 3: vs. Hammond Pros
Week 4: vs. Decatur Staleys
Week 5: vs. Chicago Cardinals
Week 6: vs. Chicago Tigers
Week 7: vs. Decatur Staleys
Week 8: at Thorn Tornadoes
Week 8: vs. Dayton Triangles
Week 10: vs. Washington and Jefferson Collegians
Exhibition games
Roster
| Rock Island Independents 1920 roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blocking Backs
Running backs
|
Linemen
Walt Buland Walter Daniel Buland was a professional football player in the early National Football League. He played in the NFL for the Rock Island Independents, Green Bay Packers and Duluth Eskimos. He also played for the Minneapolis Marines prior to their entry into the NFL. Buland also played in one of the... RT * Fred Denfeld Frederick Denfeld was a professional American football offensive lineman in the American Professional Football Association and the National Football League. He played two seasons for the Rock Island Independents and the Duluth Kelleys .... G/T Freeman Fitzgerald Freeman Charles Fitzgerald was an All-American football player for Notre Dame. He was six feet in height and weighed 195 pounds. He played football for Notre Dame from 1913–1915 and was selected as an All-American at the guard position in 1915... C * Ed Healey Edward Francis Healey, Jr. was a professional football player for the Rock Island Independents, and best known with the Chicago Bears.-College years:... T/G/E Polly Koch Walter Henry "Polly" Koch was a player in the American Professional Football Association for the Rock Island Independents in 1920 as a guard and tackle. He played at the collegiate level at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... G/T Dewey Lyle Dewitt "Dewey" Wagner Lyle was a professional American football offensive lineman in the American Professional Football Association and the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Rock Island Independents and the Green Bay Packers... RG * George Magerkurth George Levi Magerkurth was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the National League from 1929 to 1947. Paparella umpired 2,814 major league games in his 19 year career. He umpired in four World Series and two All-Star Games... T Ed Shaw (American football) Edson Walter Shaw was a professional football player who played in the National Football League with the Rock Island Independents, Canton Bulldogs and the Akron Pros. Shaw won a NFL Championship in 1922 with the Bulldogs. He finish his career in 1923, playing for the Pros. Before playing... LT/FB/WB/G * |
Special Teams
Coaching Staff
* = starter |
||||||
All-APFA selections
- Fred DenfeldFred DenfeldFrederick Denfeld was a professional American football offensive lineman in the American Professional Football Association and the National Football League. He played two seasons for the Rock Island Independents and the Duluth Kelleys ....
- Rock Island ArgusThe Dispatch / The Rock Island ArgusThe Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus are daily morning newspapers based in Moline, Illinois, and circulated throughout the Quad City metropolitan area of Moline, East Moline, Rock Island and Rock Island County in Illinois; and Davenport, Bettendorf and Scott County in Iowa.The newspapers are owned...
: 1st Team All-APFA - Dewey LyleDewey LyleDewitt "Dewey" Wagner Lyle was a professional American football offensive lineman in the American Professional Football Association and the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Rock Island Independents and the Green Bay Packers...
- Rock Island Argus: 1st Team All-APFA - Eddie NovakEddie NovakEddie Novak was a professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Rock Island Independents and Minneapolis Marines....
- Rock Island Argus: 1st Team All-APFA - Ed ShawEd Shaw (American football)Edson Walter Shaw was a professional football player who played in the National Football League with the Rock Island Independents, Canton Bulldogs and the Akron Pros. Shaw won a NFL Championship in 1922 with the Bulldogs. He finish his career in 1923, playing for the Pros. Before playing...
- Rock Island Argus: 2nd Team All-APFA - Oke SmithOke SmithOkla Eugene "Oke" Smith, also known by his nickname "Oak", was a professional American football player who played wide receiver for two seasons for the Rock Island Independents.-External links:*...
- Rock Island Argus: 1st Team All-APFA - Ervine Wenig - Rock Island Argus: 2nd Team All-APFA