1926 American Football League season
Encyclopedia
The 1926 American Football League season is the only season of the existence of the first American Football League
. It started with nine teams, with the initial game of the season being played in front of 22,000 fans in Cleveland, Ohio
, but by the end of the season (December 14, 1926), only four teams were still in existence: three teams owned or subsidized by league founder C. C. Pyle
and star Red Grange
(New York Yankees
, Los Angeles Wildcats
, and Chicago Bulls
) and league champion Philadelphia Quakers
. The initial lineup of teams included the traveling Wildcats and a charter member of the National Football League, the Rock Island Independents
, which became a second traveling team after having poor attendance in its first three games.
Most AFL games were defensive affairs, with only New York and the Cleveland Panthers
averaging more than 10 points of offense per contest. The majority of scoring was by either placement or drop kick; Chicago's Joey Sternaman
scored 52 of the team's total of 88 (60% of Chicago’s points), but that wasn't the largest share of team points in the AFL of 1926: Newark
's Doug Wycoff
had his team's entire point total for the year when he scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point in the Bears' first game.
While Philadelphia and New York were consistently playing in front of crowds of at least 20,000 per game, the rest of the league was not so fortunate. While crowds of more than 10,000 attended games in Fenway Park
and Comiskey Park
in September and October, crowds in other AFL cities were consistently much smaller: Rock Island (Moline, Illinois
) struggled to draw 5000 into its home stadium; Newark didn't have a total of 5000 in its three home games combined. Competing against the Brooklyn Lions of the National Football League
, the Brooklyn Horsemen
called it quits in November and merged with its NFL brethren.
As the AFL decreased in size in October and November, so did the attendance figures in Philadelphia, the only team in the AFL reported to have made a profit.
Two weeks after clinching the AFL championship, the Philadelphia Quakers played an exhibition game with the NFL's seventh place team, the New York Giants
, in a driving snowstorm at the Polo Grounds
. Only 5000 hardy fans witnessed the home team's 31-0 whitewash of the AFL titlists. While the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Wildcats went on a barnstorming tour, the rest of the American Football League folded.
(attendance 22,000) The opening game of the league designed to showcase Red Grange
and his New York Yankees resulted in complete domination by the host Cleveland Panthers, with a 10-0 score. While the visitors were kept out of the end zone, a pass from Al Michaels to Dave Noble
and a field goal by Doc Elliott
provided all the points for the Panthers, which used mostly players who were members of the 1925 Cleveland Bulldogs
NFL team.
, Moline, Illinois
(attendance 2500) A charter member of the National Football League opened its initial season in a new AFL as the host Rock Island Independents defeated Wildcat Wilson
's traveling squad, the Los Angeles Wildcats, 7-3. An 18-yard field goal by Jim Lawson
put L.A. on the board in the first quarter, but Rock Island took the lead in the second quarter with a short touchdown run by quarterback Johnny Armstrong
, who had set up the play with a long pass to Wes Bradshaw
.
(attendance 2000) The Chicago Bulls and the host Newark Bears played in the AFL’s first tie game, 7-7. The visiting Bulls started the game with a dominating drive with a 40-yard run by owner/coach/quarterback Joey Sternaman
, a pass to Eddie Anderson, and a five-yard touchdown run by Buck White. After a first half of frustration, Newark's Doug Wycoff
gained 60 yards in a drive which resulted in a Wycoff touchdown plunge and a Wycoff extra point to tie the game. No one knew it at the time, but it proved to be the only points that the Bears would score in its short AFL history.
(attendance 8000) Making their debut in the AFL with the first of six consecutive Saturday home games (Pennsylvania's Blue Law
s prohibited games on Sunday), the Philadelphia Quakers defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 9-3, in which all the points in the game were scored by field goals. An interception by the Bulls' Johnny Mohardt set up Joey Sternaman's drop kick for Chicago's only points in the game, while the Quakers' Al Kreuz
placekicked three field goals of his own.
, Rock Island, Illinois
(attendance 5000) Despite the Rock Island Independents' outplaying the visiting team, a muddy field and a slew of Rock Island penalties led to the New York Yankees posting a 26-0 shutout. Although Red Grange's team scored a touchdown in each quarter, the Yankees racked up a total of four first downs in the game. Grange scored two TDs (a 20-yard run and catching a 15 yard pass from George Pease
), and Harry Fry
(an 82-yard interception return) and Pooley Hubert (five-yard run) scored one touchdown each.
. The winning touchdown was the duo's second touchdown of the game. After Doc Elliott dropkicked a field goal in the first quarter, Cunningham's first touchdown staked the Panthers to a 10-0 lead in the third frame. Touchdowns by Wildcat Wilson (a run) and John Vesser (a pass from Wilson) gave the Wildcats a short-lived lead.
in the fourth quarter. The Bears lost its sole source of offense when back Doug Wycoff was injured in the team's first game and was limited to a mere few minutes in this match. The Bulldogs' offense was just as ineffectual until Gehrke's deciding kick.
, Brooklyn, New York (attendance 10,000) One day after losing to Philadelphia, the visiting Chicago Bulls lost to the Brooklyn Horsemen, 12-7. The Bears had the first score of the game, a run by Joey Sternaman in the second quarter, before the Horsemen had touchdowns by Earl Britton
(a run) and Ed Harrison (a 60 yard pass from Sternaman) in the second half to seize the lead.
. Wildcat Wilson's running, passing, and kicking for his traveling squad dominated the game, but each time Los Angeles threatened to score, the Quakers' defense stopped the Wildcats. The deciding field goal was the culmination of a sequence of events that began with a failed 55-yard field goal attempt by Kreuz. While the kick fell short, the Quakers' Whitey Thomas
downed the ball at the one-yard line. Wilson was forced to punt from his end zone; Philadelphia resumed possession of the ball on the Los Angeles side of the field, ultimately resulting in a successful 28 yard placekick by Kreuz.
, Boston, Massachusetts (attendance 12,000) Professional football makes its debut at the fabled Fenway as the host Boston Bulldogs were shut out by the visiting New York Yankees, 13-0, despite Red Grange spending most of the second half on the New York bench. Eddie Tryon had a long touchdown run in the second quarter, while Bullet Baker
caught a touchdown pass from George Pease
in the fourth. Boston's offense may have been weak, but its defense, led by Bull Lowe
, kept the Bulldogs in the game for most of the game.
to defeat the visiting Chicago Bulls, 7-3. Joey Sternaman put the first points on the board by a dropkicked field goal after Chicago end intercepted a Mohardt pass in the second quarter; Norton scored the game's lone touchdown in the fourth.
Citing low attendance, Independents owner Arch Bowlby announced that Rock Island would become a traveling team, and the team's future would depend upon its performance and results on the road. In addition, center Lou Kolis retired after the game to concentrate on his campaign for sheriff
. Kolis had played more games for the Independents than any other player.
also had a 50-yard catch against the Horsemen's overmatched defense.
and returned the ball to the Bears 18-yard line, and then rushed into the end zone in a subsequent play. While Kreuz missed the extra point attempt, he did have a successful field goal try earlier in the quarter. At this point, the Quakers were undefeated, with Kreuz having scored every one of his team's points.
, Boston, Massachusetts (attendance 2000) The Los Angeles Wildcats scored all of its points in the first quarter as the visiting team overwhelmed the Boston Bulldogs, 21-0. All three touchdowns came on long plays: a Wildcat Wilson-to-Ram Morrison 50-yard pass, a 70-yard punt return by Mal Bross
, and a 25-yard Wilson-to-Bross pass. Dick Reed became the fourth Wildcat to kick an extra point, after Bross, Ed Illman, and Jim Lawson did the duty in previous games.
, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 16,000) After they forced the NFL Chicago Cardinals to move to their home games from Comiskey Park to a smaller Normal Field, the Chicago Bulls won their home opener by shutting out the New York Yankees, 14-0. While Bulls tailback Johnny Mohardt scored two touchdowns, the real stars of the game were the Chicago line, who neutralized the Yankees offense.
kicked two field goals to give the Panthers a 23-0 lead before the reserves came in. A 20-yard pass from Johnny Armstrong to Wes Bradshaw in the fourth quarter ended the shutout.
added a short touchdown run in the fourth period. The Bulldogs had three different players score points by kicking: Joe McGlone and Erwing Gehrke kicked extra points, while Carl Etelman kicked a field goal. Etelman also had a field attempt blocked and intercepted a Harry Stuhldreher pass to set up Cronin's score.
intercepted a Johnny Armstrong pass and returned it 18 yards for the team’s second touchdown of the season. The Rock Island offense stayed in the game as Wes Bradshaw's passing started dominating the second half, but one drive ended as Frank Coyle
dropped a pass in the end zone.
(attendance 11,560 – announced as 20,000) Missed field goals and a steady rain dampened the New York Yankees' home opener against the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats as the home team prevailed 6-0 on an 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Both the Yankees' Art Coglizer and the Wildcats' Jim Lawson missed a pair of field goal attempts. In the fourth quarter, a 30-yard catch by Ray Flaherty set up Lawson’s second failed attempt; shortly afterwards, New York's Eddie Tryon decided the game with his long run through the muddy field.
, and Red Grange was credited with 91 yards in rushing and receiving. This was the first of four games to be played by the Yankees in the space of nine days.
to the Los Angeles Wildcats, 6-0, in front of an audience of only 1000 people. Both teams' defensive lines (particularly the Panthers' Al Nesser
) controlled the game, which was a scoreless struggle until Cleveland’s Al Michaels fumbled. A few plays after the Wildcats recovered the ball on the 20-yard line, Duke Morrison ran the ball into the end zone for the only score in the game. Later that day, the Cleveland Panthers, unbeaten seven days earlier, ceased to exist.
, a run by White, and a 15-yard rush by Sternaman put Chicago in the end zone. Shortly afterward, Chicago's Harry Hall intercepted a pass, setting up a Sternaman-to-Romey touchdown pass on the next play.
started his AFL career by intercepting four passes as the host Philadelphia Quakers continued the Rock Island Independents' futility by pummeling the visitors, 24-0. While Killinger also had a touchdown catch for Philadelphia, the game was certainly not a one-man show as Bob Dinsmore passed for two touchdowns (to Dillinger and George Tully) and kicked a field goal and extra point. Charlie Way also had a touchdown run. Six interceptions proved to be Rock Island's undoing, while Vince McCarthy
had a 40-yard run for the Independents in the final minutes. The game was originally scheduled to be between Philadelphia and Cleveland, but Rock Island filled in after the Panthers called it quits.
tossed a touchdown pass to Jim Flaherty
as the Yankees put in their second string in the second quarter; Harry Stuhldreher followed up with a connection with Jim Bolger
.
This was the last game in the AFL for the Brooklyn Horsemen. They subsequently merged with the NFL's Brooklyn Lions and finished the 1926 season in the more-established league. The merged team played one game as the Lions before playing three as the Horsemen… and then folded.
, Toronto, Ontario (attendance 10,000) In the first professional football game played outside the United States, the New York Yankees crushed the Los Angeles Wildcats, 28-0. Red Grange started the scoring with a 60-yard run in the third quarter. Red Maloney followed with two touchdown catches before Harry Fry
scored on an interception return. Despite the lopsided score, the Wildcats' Jim Bradshaw
was effective passing until team star back Wildcat Wilson was sidelined in the third quarter with an injury.
was in attendance for the game and had to make a ruling after New York’s Art Coglizer kicked a field goal that completed the game’s scoring. The football flew into the bleachers, and when a fan refused to return it (there were only two available for play at the time), Edwards ruled that the spectator must give it back. Soon after the end of the game, the Boston Shamrocks joined Newark, Cleveland, and Brooklyn in exiting the AFL. The league that started the 1926 with nine teams was reduced to five.
.
-to-Frank Coyle
touchdown pass that apparently gave Rock Island a 7-3 was nullified when officials ruled Coyle out of bounds when he caught the ball. After the game, the Independents – charter members of both the AFL and the NFL – folded. The AFL has shrunk to four teams: the Philadelphia Quakers and three teams owned or bankrolled by Red Grange and C. C. Pyle
: the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Wildcats, and the Chicago Bulls.
recovered a Los Angeles fumble and returned the ball to the 15-yard line. On the next play, the Bulls fumbled, and the Wildcats' Jim Bradshaw recovered to end the threat.
set up the score. Later in the game, Tryon had a 70-yard punt return for the Yankees.
returned the opening kickoff 45 yards; when the subsequent drive stopped, Los Angeles kicker Dick Reed booted a 25 yard field goal. While both teams were fumbling the ball with regularity, only Los Angeles seemed to be recovering with any efficiency. While Wildcat Wilson was nursing an injury, fellow Wildcat Ram Morrison showed deadly punting ability, having one kick stop dead at the Chicago one yard line. When Chicago’s Buck White tried to kick the Bulls out of danger, he fumbled the snap and had to fall on the ball in the end zone for a safety in the third quarter. While the Wildcats were technically in existence at the end of the season (December 13), this was the last game in their short history.
, the New York Yankees were defeating the host Chicago Bears, 7-0, in the last official game of the American Football League. There was no scoring in the first three quarters as the teams slipped, slid, and slopped through the fog, snow, and slush. In the fourth quarter, Sam Whiteman
led the Bulls to the game's first score, a 20 yard dropkicked field goal by Joey Sternaman
. After Bullet Baker
handled the succeeding kickoff for the Yankees, he passed to Art Coglizer before Larry Marks
rushed 43 yards for the deciding score.
As the New York Yankees started a barnstorming tour of the American South and West, the rest of the league folded. For the 1927 season, the Yankees joined the NFL in a lease agreement with New York Giants owner Tim Mara
, who acquired the Brooklyn franchise in payment of debts. The contract signed by Mara and Yankees owner C. C. Pyle limited the number of Yankees home games to four in 1927.
, New York, New York (attendance 5000) In an exhibition game between the AFL’s champion Philadelphia Quakers and the NFL’s seventh place New York Giants, the host Giants crushed the visitors 31-0 in a driving snowstorm. A first period field goal by Jack McBride
gave the Giants an early 3-0 lead that stood into the second half. As conditions deteriorated, the Quakers had trouble hanging onto the ball as the opportunistic New Yorkers converted turnovers into points in the third and fourth quarters. McBride scored two touchdowns and all four extra points in the second half and the Giants' Jack Haggerty and Tillie Voss
each crossed the goal line once as the Quakers were held to one first down in the game.
Scoring
of the Southern United States. After four games against each other, the Wildcats went to California to play two home games: one against the local Hollywood Generals in Los Angeles's Wrigley Field
, and the second effectively becoming the West Coast AFL-NFL Challenge Game against the Los Angeles Buccaneers
in San Francisco's Ewing Field. The Yankees also went to California, played three games against the Buccaneers and one against the Generals, and this resulted in their season extending all the way until February 1927, practically unheard of at that time.
American Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
. It started with nine teams, with the initial game of the season being played in front of 22,000 fans in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, but by the end of the season (December 14, 1926), only four teams were still in existence: three teams owned or subsidized by league founder C. C. Pyle
C. C. Pyle
Charles C. "C. C." Pyle , often called Cash and Carry Pyle, was a Champaign, Illinois theater owner and sports agent who represented American football star Red Grange and French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen...
and star Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
(New York Yankees
New York Yankees (NFL)
The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium...
, Los Angeles Wildcats
Los Angeles Wildcats
The Los Angeles Wildcats was a traveling team of the first American Football League that was not based in its nominal home city but in Chicago, Illinois...
, and Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls (AFL)
The Chicago Bulls were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by Joey Sternaman , the Bulls also had AFL founders C. C. Pyle and Red Grange as shareholders...
) and league champion Philadelphia Quakers
Philadelphia Quakers (AFL)
Not to be confused with the defunct Philadelphia Quakers team of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Quakers baseball team who became the Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 or the University of Pennsylvania athletics teams, the Pennsylvania Quakers....
. The initial lineup of teams included the traveling Wildcats and a charter member of the National Football League, the Rock Island Independents
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...
, which became a second traveling team after having poor attendance in its first three games.
Most AFL games were defensive affairs, with only New York and the Cleveland Panthers
Cleveland Panthers
The Cleveland Panthers were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by General C. X. Zimmerman , the Panthers played their home games in Luna Bowl in Luna Park...
averaging more than 10 points of offense per contest. The majority of scoring was by either placement or drop kick; Chicago's Joey Sternaman
Joey Sternaman
Joey Sternaman was a former professional American football player, born in Springfield, Illinois, who played quarterback for nine seasons for the Chicago Bears and Duluth Kelleys. In 1926, he was the quarterback, head coach, and owner of the Chicago Bulls of the first American Football League...
scored 52 of the team's total of 88 (60% of Chicago’s points), but that wasn't the largest share of team points in the AFL of 1926: Newark
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
's Doug Wycoff
Doug Wycoff
Stephen Douglas Wycoff was an American football running back for the New York Giants, Staten Island Stapletons, and Boston Redskins in the National Football League, the Newark Bears in the first American Football League, and the Boston Shamrocks in the second American Football League...
had his team's entire point total for the year when he scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point in the Bears' first game.
While Philadelphia and New York were consistently playing in front of crowds of at least 20,000 per game, the rest of the league was not so fortunate. While crowds of more than 10,000 attended games in Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
and Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in September and October, crowds in other AFL cities were consistently much smaller: Rock Island (Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
) struggled to draw 5000 into its home stadium; Newark didn't have a total of 5000 in its three home games combined. Competing against the Brooklyn Lions of the National Football League
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 Brooklyn Horsemen
Brooklyn Horsemen
The Brooklyn Horsemen was a professional football team that competed in the American Football League during the 1926 season.On November 12, 1926, the team withdrew from the AFL and merged with Brooklyn Lions of the National Football League. The new team created by the merger was initially called...
called it quits in November and merged with its NFL brethren.
As the AFL decreased in size in October and November, so did the attendance figures in Philadelphia, the only team in the AFL reported to have made a profit.
Two weeks after clinching the AFL championship, the Philadelphia Quakers played an exhibition game with the NFL's seventh place team, the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in a driving snowstorm at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. Only 5000 hardy fans witnessed the home team's 31-0 whitewash of the AFL titlists. While the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Wildcats went on a barnstorming tour, the rest of the American Football League folded.
League standings
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Quakers Philadelphia Quakers (AFL) Not to be confused with the defunct Philadelphia Quakers team of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Quakers baseball team who became the Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 or the University of Pennsylvania athletics teams, the Pennsylvania Quakers.... |
8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 93 | 52 | Bob Folwell Bob Folwell Robert Cook "Bob" Folwell, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Lafayette College , Washington & Jefferson College , the University of Pennsylvania , and the United States Naval Academy , compiling a career college football record of... |
| New York Yankees New York Yankees (NFL) The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium... |
10 | 5 | 0 | .667 | 212 | 82 | Ralph Scott |
| Cleveland Panthers Cleveland Panthers The Cleveland Panthers were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by General C. X. Zimmerman , the Panthers played their home games in Luna Bowl in Luna Park... |
3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 62 | 46 | Roy Watts |
| Los Angeles Wildcats Los Angeles Wildcats The Los Angeles Wildcats was a traveling team of the first American Football League that was not based in its nominal home city but in Chicago, Illinois... |
6 | 6 | 2 | .500 | 105 | 83 | Jim Clark |
| Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls (AFL) The Chicago Bulls were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by Joey Sternaman , the Bulls also had AFL founders C. C. Pyle and Red Grange as shareholders... |
5 | 6 | 3 | .455 | 88 | 69 | Joey Sternaman Joey Sternaman Joey Sternaman was a former professional American football player, born in Springfield, Illinois, who played quarterback for nine seasons for the Chicago Bears and Duluth Kelleys. In 1926, he was the quarterback, head coach, and owner of the Chicago Bulls of the first American Football League... |
| Boston Bulldogs Boston Bulldogs (AFL) The Boston Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by Robert McKirby, the Bulldogs lasted only six games into the AFL season, playing one home game in Braves Field and one in Fenway Park... |
2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 20 | 81 | Herb Treat Herb Treat Charles Herbert "Herb" Treat was an American football player who played for Princeton University and was unanimously selected as an All-American at the tackle position in 1922. He was also the player-coach of the first professional football team in Boston, the Boston Bulldogs of 1926... |
| Rock Island Independents 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... |
2 | 6 | 1 | .250 | 21 | 126 | Johnny Armstrong Johnny Armstrong John A. Armstrong, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He played on the Rock Island Independents of the National Football League, and later the first American Football League, from 1923–1926. In 1924, Armstrong coached the Independents to a 5–2–2 record, and a fifth-place... |
| Brooklyn Horsemen Brooklyn Horsemen The Brooklyn Horsemen was a professional football team that competed in the American Football League during the 1926 season.On November 12, 1926, the team withdrew from the AFL and merged with Brooklyn Lions of the National Football League. The new team created by the merger was initially called... |
1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 25 | 68 | Eddie McNeeley |
| Newark Bears Newark Bears (AFL) The Newark Bears were a professional American football team that competed in the first American Football League in 1926. Owned by the New Jersey Athletic Association , the Bears played their home games in Davids' Stadium... |
0 | 3 | 2 | .000 | 7 | 26 | Hal Hansen Hal Hansen Harlan C. Hansen was a professional football player and coach who played with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League and the Newark Bears of the first American Football League. Prior to playing professionally, Hansen played college football at the University of Minnesota.-References:... |
Cleveland Panthers 10, New York Yankees 0
September 26, 1926 – Luna Bowl, Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
(attendance 22,000) The opening game of the league designed to showcase Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
and his New York Yankees resulted in complete domination by the host Cleveland Panthers, with a 10-0 score. While the visitors were kept out of the end zone, a pass from Al Michaels to Dave Noble
Dave Noble
David Gordon Noble , nicknamed "Big Moose", was an American football running back. He played college football for the University of Nebraska, where he scored the first touchdown in Memorial Stadium history...
and a field goal by Doc Elliott
Doc Elliott
Wallace John "Doc" Elliott was an American football running back. He played five seasons in the National Football League for the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Bulldogs and the Cleveland Indians. During that time he won NFL Championships with Canton in 1922 and 1923, as well as a third with the...
provided all the points for the Panthers, which used mostly players who were members of the 1925 Cleveland Bulldogs
Cleveland Bulldogs
The Cleveland Bulldogs was a team that played in Cleveland, Ohio in the National Football League. They were originally called the Indians in 1923, not to be confused with the Cleveland Indians NFL franchise in 1922...
NFL team.
Rock Island Independents 7, Los Angeles Wildcats 3
September 26, 1926 – Browning FieldBrowning Field
Browning Park is a park in Moline, Illinois, USA that has been the home of high school and professional athletic events since 1910. The land is deeded to the city of Moline for use as a "playground and athletic park"...
, Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
(attendance 2500) A charter member of the National Football League opened its initial season in a new AFL as the host Rock Island Independents defeated Wildcat Wilson
Wildcat Wilson
George "Wildcat" Wilson was an American football player, earning All-American honors as a halfback for the University of Washington Huskies.-Collegiate career:...
's traveling squad, the Los Angeles Wildcats, 7-3. An 18-yard field goal by Jim Lawson
Jim Lawson
Jim Lawson is an American comic book artist best known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Lawson created the Rat King and also co-created the series Planet Racers with Peter Laird. He is also the writer/artist of the black-and white-comic series Paleo: Tales of the Late...
put L.A. on the board in the first quarter, but Rock Island took the lead in the second quarter with a short touchdown run by quarterback Johnny Armstrong
Johnny Armstrong
John A. Armstrong, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He played on the Rock Island Independents of the National Football League, and later the first American Football League, from 1923–1926. In 1924, Armstrong coached the Independents to a 5–2–2 record, and a fifth-place...
, who had set up the play with a long pass to Wes Bradshaw
Wes Bradshaw
Wesley Walker Bradshaw was an American football player and coach. He was an All-Southwest Conference back at Baylor University and was the first Southwest Conference football player to score 100 points in a single season with 119 points scored during the 1922 college football season.He earned the...
.
Chicago Bulls 7, Newark Bears 7
September 26, 1926 – Davids' Stadium, Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
(attendance 2000) The Chicago Bulls and the host Newark Bears played in the AFL’s first tie game, 7-7. The visiting Bulls started the game with a dominating drive with a 40-yard run by owner/coach/quarterback Joey Sternaman
Joey Sternaman
Joey Sternaman was a former professional American football player, born in Springfield, Illinois, who played quarterback for nine seasons for the Chicago Bears and Duluth Kelleys. In 1926, he was the quarterback, head coach, and owner of the Chicago Bulls of the first American Football League...
, a pass to Eddie Anderson, and a five-yard touchdown run by Buck White. After a first half of frustration, Newark's Doug Wycoff
Doug Wycoff
Stephen Douglas Wycoff was an American football running back for the New York Giants, Staten Island Stapletons, and Boston Redskins in the National Football League, the Newark Bears in the first American Football League, and the Boston Shamrocks in the second American Football League...
gained 60 yards in a drive which resulted in a Wycoff touchdown plunge and a Wycoff extra point to tie the game. No one knew it at the time, but it proved to be the only points that the Bears would score in its short AFL history.
Philadelphia Quakers 9, Chicago Bulls 3
October 2, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
(attendance 8000) Making their debut in the AFL with the first of six consecutive Saturday home games (Pennsylvania's Blue Law
Blue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s prohibited games on Sunday), the Philadelphia Quakers defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 9-3, in which all the points in the game were scored by field goals. An interception by the Bulls' Johnny Mohardt set up Joey Sternaman's drop kick for Chicago's only points in the game, while the Quakers' Al Kreuz
Al Kreuz
Albert F. Kreuz was an American football fullback. He played on the Philadelphia Quakers' 1926 American Football League team, which won the league's only championship....
placekicked three field goals of his own.
New York Yankees 26, Rock Island Independents 0
October 3, 1926 – Douglas ParkDouglas 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...
, Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
(attendance 5000) Despite the Rock Island Independents' outplaying the visiting team, a muddy field and a slew of Rock Island penalties led to the New York Yankees posting a 26-0 shutout. Although Red Grange's team scored a touchdown in each quarter, the Yankees racked up a total of four first downs in the game. Grange scored two TDs (a 20-yard run and catching a 15 yard pass from George Pease
George Pease
George Gregory Pease was a professional football player with the New York Yankees of the first American Football League and the Orange Tornadoes of the National Football League. George played college football at Columbia University prior to playing professionally.-References:*...
), and Harry Fry
Harry Fry
Harry Brittain Fry was a Canadian rower who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was born and died in Dundas....
(an 82-yard interception return) and Pooley Hubert (five-yard run) scored one touchdown each.
Cleveland Panthers 17, Los Angeles Wildcats 14
October 3, 1926 – Luna Park, Cleveland (no attendance report) After the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to take the lead, the host Cleveland Panthers beat the visitors 17-14 on a 40 yard pass from Al Michaels to Cookie CunninghamCookie Cunningham
Harold Brewer "Cookie" Cunningham was an American professional football player, basketball player, and basketball coach....
. The winning touchdown was the duo's second touchdown of the game. After Doc Elliott dropkicked a field goal in the first quarter, Cunningham's first touchdown staked the Panthers to a 10-0 lead in the third frame. Touchdowns by Wildcat Wilson (a run) and John Vesser (a pass from Wilson) gave the Wildcats a short-lived lead.
Boston Bulldogs 3, Newark Bears 0
October 3, 1926 – Davids' Stadium, Newark, New Jersey (attendance 1000) The Boston Bulldogs became the last AFL team to play its inaugural game by beating the host Newark Bears, 3-0, on a 40-yard field goal by Erwin GehrkeErwin Gehrke
Erwin L. Gehrke was a professional football fullback, halfback, and quarterback in the first American Football League. In his one season career he played for the Boston Bulldogs in 1926....
in the fourth quarter. The Bears lost its sole source of offense when back Doug Wycoff was injured in the team's first game and was limited to a mere few minutes in this match. The Bulldogs' offense was just as ineffectual until Gehrke's deciding kick.
Brooklyn Horsemen 12, Chicago Bulls 7
October 3, 1926 – Commercial FieldCommercial Field
Commercial Field is a 2,112-acre athletic field located in the Wingate neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was home to the Commercial High School soccer, football, and baseball teams from around 1906. Other schools, such as Boys High, also called Commercial Field their home from time to time, as did...
, Brooklyn, New York (attendance 10,000) One day after losing to Philadelphia, the visiting Chicago Bulls lost to the Brooklyn Horsemen, 12-7. The Bears had the first score of the game, a run by Joey Sternaman in the second quarter, before the Horsemen had touchdowns by Earl Britton
Earl Britton
Earl Tanner Britton was a professional American football fullback who played in the National Football League and the American Football League...
(a run) and Ed Harrison (a 60 yard pass from Sternaman) in the second half to seize the lead.
Philadelphia Quakers 3, Los Angeles Wildcats 0
October 9, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia (attendance 35,000) For the second straight Saturday, the Philadelphia Quakers kept the visiting team from their end zone as they prevailed over the Los Angeles Wildcats, 3-0, and for the second consecutive game, all of the Quakers' points were scored by Al KreuzAl Kreuz
Albert F. Kreuz was an American football fullback. He played on the Philadelphia Quakers' 1926 American Football League team, which won the league's only championship....
. Wildcat Wilson's running, passing, and kicking for his traveling squad dominated the game, but each time Los Angeles threatened to score, the Quakers' defense stopped the Wildcats. The deciding field goal was the culmination of a sequence of events that began with a failed 55-yard field goal attempt by Kreuz. While the kick fell short, the Quakers' Whitey Thomas
Whitey Thomas
William C. "Whitey" Thomas was an American football end. At 5'10", 180 pounds, he played for the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1924 in the National Football League at the age of 29 and for the Philadelphia Quakers in 1926 in the first American Football League at the age of 31...
downed the ball at the one-yard line. Wilson was forced to punt from his end zone; Philadelphia resumed possession of the ball on the Los Angeles side of the field, ultimately resulting in a successful 28 yard placekick by Kreuz.
New York Yankees 13, Boston Bulldogs 0
October 9, 1926 – Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, Boston, Massachusetts (attendance 12,000) Professional football makes its debut at the fabled Fenway as the host Boston Bulldogs were shut out by the visiting New York Yankees, 13-0, despite Red Grange spending most of the second half on the New York bench. Eddie Tryon had a long touchdown run in the second quarter, while Bullet Baker
Bullet Baker
Roy Marlon Baker was a professional football player in the National Football League and the first American Football League. Over th span of his career, Babe played for the Chicago Cardinals, New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers, Staten Island Stapletons of the NFL. Before that played again in 1926...
caught a touchdown pass from George Pease
George Pease
George Gregory Pease was a professional football player with the New York Yankees of the first American Football League and the Orange Tornadoes of the National Football League. George played college football at Columbia University prior to playing professionally.-References:*...
in the fourth. Boston's offense may have been weak, but its defense, led by Bull Lowe
Bull Lowe
Bull Lowe was an American football running back. He played five seasons for the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Providence Steam Roller, and Frankford Yellow Jackets of the National Football League and the Boston Bulldogs of the first American Football League....
, kept the Bulldogs in the game for most of the game.
Rock Island Independents 7, Chicago Bulls 3
October 10, 1926 – Browning Park, Moline, Illinois (attendance 1700) No one knew it at the time, but an era was coming to an end as the home Rock Island Independents combined effective passing by Johnny Mohardt and rushing by Marty NortonMarty Norton
Marty Norton was a player in the National Football League. He first played for the Minneapolis Marines during the 1922 NFL season. After a season away from the NFL, he re-joined the Marines for the 1924 NFL season. The next season he played with the Green Bay Packers. He was also a member of the...
to defeat the visiting Chicago Bulls, 7-3. Joey Sternaman put the first points on the board by a dropkicked field goal after Chicago end intercepted a Mohardt pass in the second quarter; Norton scored the game's lone touchdown in the fourth.
Citing low attendance, Independents owner Arch Bowlby announced that Rock Island would become a traveling team, and the team's future would depend upon its performance and results on the road. In addition, center Lou Kolis retired after the game to concentrate on his campaign for sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
. Kolis had played more games for the Independents than any other player.
Los Angeles Wildcats 23, Brooklyn Horsemen 0
October 10, 1926 – Commercial Field, Brooklyn, New York (attendance 6000) After three weeks of futility, the team without a home field, the Los Angeles Wildcats, routed the host Brooklyn Horsemen, 23-0. Rushes by Duke Morrison and Wildcat Wilson produced touchdowns, as did a pass from Wilson to Ed Illman. The Wildcats' Ray FlahertyRay Flaherty
Raymond Paul Flaherty was a professional football player in the National Football League from 1926-1935. He was the head coach of the Boston/Washington Redskins from 1936–1942, where he won four division titles and two NFL Championships . Flaherty served in the United States Navy until 1945...
also had a 50-yard catch against the Horsemen's overmatched defense.
Cleveland Panthers at Newark Bears, cancelled
Game scheduled for October 10, 1926, at Davids' Stadium, Newark, was cancelled due to driving rain.Philadelphia Quakers 9, Newark Bears 0
October 16, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (attendance 40,000) The Philadelphia Quakers shut out the visiting Newark Bears, 9-0, in front of the largest crowd to attend an American Football League game. Unlike the previous three Quakers games, this one had Philadelphia score a touchdown: Al Kreuz intercepted an errant pass from Newark's Jim BrewsterJim Brewster
Jim Brewster is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania Senate who represents the 45th District.-External links:* official PA Senate website* official Party website...
and returned the ball to the Bears 18-yard line, and then rushed into the end zone in a subsequent play. While Kreuz missed the extra point attempt, he did have a successful field goal try earlier in the quarter. At this point, the Quakers were undefeated, with Kreuz having scored every one of his team's points.
Los Angeles Wildcats 21, Boston Bulldogs 0
October 17, 1926 – Braves FieldBraves Field
Braves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, Boston, Massachusetts (attendance 2000) The Los Angeles Wildcats scored all of its points in the first quarter as the visiting team overwhelmed the Boston Bulldogs, 21-0. All three touchdowns came on long plays: a Wildcat Wilson-to-Ram Morrison 50-yard pass, a 70-yard punt return by Mal Bross
Mal Bross
Matthew A. "Mal" Bross was a running back in the National Football League.-Career:Bross played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1927 NFL season. Previously he had played with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the American Football League.He played at the collegiate level at Gonzaga...
, and a 25-yard Wilson-to-Bross pass. Dick Reed became the fourth Wildcat to kick an extra point, after Bross, Ed Illman, and Jim Lawson did the duty in previous games.
Chicago Bulls 14, New York Yankees 0
October 17, 1926 – Comiskey ParkComiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 16,000) After they forced the NFL Chicago Cardinals to move to their home games from Comiskey Park to a smaller Normal Field, the Chicago Bulls won their home opener by shutting out the New York Yankees, 14-0. While Bulls tailback Johnny Mohardt scored two touchdowns, the real stars of the game were the Chicago line, who neutralized the Yankees offense.
Cleveland Panthers 23, Rock Island Independents 7
October 17, 1926 – Luna Park, Cleveland, Ohio (attendance 6000) As the Rock Island Independents started its odyssey as a traveling team, the host Cleveland Panthers remained undefeated by winning a lopsided game, 23-7. Dave Noble rushed for two touchdowns, Dick Wolf caught a 29-yard pass from Al Michaels, and Guy RobertsGuy Roberts
Guy Thomas "Zeke" Roberts was a professional American football player in the early National Football League and the first American Football League. He played for three pro teams over the course of two years. In 1926 he played with the Canton Bulldogs in the NFL and the Cleveland Panthers in the...
kicked two field goals to give the Panthers a 23-0 lead before the reserves came in. A 20-yard pass from Johnny Armstrong to Wes Bradshaw in the fourth quarter ended the shutout.
Los Angeles Wildcats 7, Newark Bears 0
October 17, 1926 – Davids' Stadium, Newark, New Jersey (attendance 2000) Despite the outstanding play of the host Newark Bears defense, the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats prevailed, 7-0. The game's sole touchdown was scored by Mal Bross on a pass from Wildcat Wilson to cap a 68-yard drive. While the Bears defense held their own, the Newark offense (led by Doug Wycoff) was a model of inconsistency as the team was shut out for the second time in 24 hours. One day after playing in front of 40,000 spectators in Philadelphia, Newark struggled in front of a mere 2000 at home. The worst is yet to come for the ill-fated Bears.Boston Bulldogs 17, Brooklyn Horsemen 0
October 17, 1926 – Commercial Field, Brooklyn, New York (attendance 4000) One day after being shut out in Braves Field, the visiting Boston Bulldogs overcame a soggy Commercial Field and shut out the host Brooklyn Horsemen, 17-0 in what turned out to be the last Brooklyn AFL home game. A first quarter fumble recovery and return by Charlie Morrison was the first scoring play, while tailback Bill CroninBill Cronin
William Patrick Cronin was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Boston Braves.-External links:...
added a short touchdown run in the fourth period. The Bulldogs had three different players score points by kicking: Joe McGlone and Erwing Gehrke kicked extra points, while Carl Etelman kicked a field goal. Etelman also had a field attempt blocked and intercepted a Harry Stuhldreher pass to set up Cronin's score.
Philadelphia Quakers 9, Rock Island Independents 0
October 23, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (attendance 15,000) Playing their fifth straight home game, the Philadelphia Quakers maintained their undefeated record by shutting out the traveling Rock Island Independents, 9-0. After Al Kreuz kicked a field goal, the Quakers finally had someone other than their fullback/kicker put points on the board when Adrian FordAdrian Ford
Adrian Grainger Ford was a professional football player from Youngstown, Ohio. After going attending high school in Niles, Ohio; Ford attended and played college football for Lafayette College. He made his professional debut in the first American Football League, formed by Red Grange, in 1926 with...
intercepted a Johnny Armstrong pass and returned it 18 yards for the team’s second touchdown of the season. The Rock Island offense stayed in the game as Wes Bradshaw's passing started dominating the second half, but one drive ended as Frank Coyle
Frank Coyle
Frank Coyle was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Chicago, Illinois.In 1912 he finished eighth in the pole vault event....
dropped a pass in the end zone.
Newark Bears at Boston Bulldogs, cancelled
Game scheduled for October 23, 1926, at Braves Field, Boston, was cancelled due to inclement weather. It was the second cancelled game for the financially shaky Bears.New York Yankees 6, Los Angeles Wildcats 0
October 24, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(attendance 11,560 – announced as 20,000) Missed field goals and a steady rain dampened the New York Yankees' home opener against the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats as the home team prevailed 6-0 on an 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Both the Yankees' Art Coglizer and the Wildcats' Jim Lawson missed a pair of field goal attempts. In the fourth quarter, a 30-yard catch by Ray Flaherty set up Lawson’s second failed attempt; shortly afterwards, New York's Eddie Tryon decided the game with his long run through the muddy field.
Chicago Bulls 19, Cleveland Panthers 12
October 24, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 3000) Owner/head coach/quarterback Joey Sternaman put on a one-man show as the host Chicago Bulls gave the visiting Cleveland Panthers their first defeat, 19-12. A long Sternaman pass to Buck White set up the first score, a short run by John Mohardt. Later in the first quarter, Sternaman’s recovery of a Cleveland fumble led to a field goal, also by Sternaman. Passing by Al Michaels and two touchdown runs by Dave Noble gave the Panthers the lead in the third quarter, but a 55-yard run by Sternaman set up a touchdown rush by the Chicago signal caller, who later added another field goal to finish the scoring.Rock Island Independents 0, Newark Demons 0
October 24, 1926 – Davids' Stadium, Newark, New Jersey (attendance 400) Although it wasn’t known at the time, the host Newark Demons (formerly the Bears) played the last game of their existence, tying the Rock Island Independents, 0-0, on a storm-drenched field. There were only seven first downs made in the game (five for Rock Island, two for Newark). Neither Bear quarterback Doug Wycoff nor Independents signal caller Johnny Armstrong could pass the ball effectively as the teams were forced to resort to line plunges for the entire game. Rock Island's Wes Bradshaw missed two field goal attempts, but Newark was in no position to try even one. After the game, Newark became the first AFL team to call it quits.Philadelphia Quakers at Brooklyn Horsemen, cancelled
Game scheduled for October 24, 1926, at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, was cancelled due to driving rain.New York Yankees 23, Philadelphia Quakers 0
October 30, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (attendance 30,000) After three scoreless quarters, the host Philadelphia Quakers was handed its first loss by the visiting New York Yankees, 23-0. George Pease broke the deadlock with a touchdown run for the Yankees, and Eddie Tryon scored 11 points for New York as he caught a touchdown pass (from Pooley “Papa” Hubert) and kicked a field goal and two extra points. Hubert was also the recipient of a touchdown toss, this time from Larry MarksLarry Marks (American football)
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Marks was a player in the National Football League.-Career:Marks played with the New York Yankees during the 1927 NFL season. The following season he played with the Green Bay Packers....
, and Red Grange was credited with 91 yards in rushing and receiving. This was the first of four games to be played by the Yankees in the space of nine days.
Los Angeles Wildcats 6, Cleveland Panthers 0
October 31, 1926 – Luna Park, Cleveland, Ohio (attendance 1000) A little more than one month after opening the AFL season in front of 22,000 fans, the Cleveland Panthers lost its swan songSwan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
to the Los Angeles Wildcats, 6-0, in front of an audience of only 1000 people. Both teams' defensive lines (particularly the Panthers' Al Nesser
Al Nesser
Alfred "Al" Louis Nesser was a professional American football offensive lineman. He played for 7 teams in the National Football League and the Cleveland Panthers in the first American Football League...
) controlled the game, which was a scoreless struggle until Cleveland’s Al Michaels fumbled. A few plays after the Wildcats recovered the ball on the 20-yard line, Duke Morrison ran the ball into the end zone for the only score in the game. Later that day, the Cleveland Panthers, unbeaten seven days earlier, ceased to exist.
Chicago Bulls 23, Boston Bulldogs 0
October 31, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 4000) As was the case with the other AFL games of the weekend, the host Chicago Bulls and visiting Boston Bulldogs were in a scoreless deadlock in the fourth quarter before the home team prevailed, 23-0. This time, the lack of scoring was not generally due to a lack of offense as both teams had threatened to score before being thwarted by penalty or turnover. Rushing by Boston's Bill Cronin set up a missed field goal attempt by Joe McGlone. Chicago had apparent touchdowns nullified by officials' whistles. In the fourth quarter, Joey Sternaman kicked a field goal to start the scoring; after an out-of-bounds punt set up the Bulls on the Boston 38, a pass to Dick RomeyDick Romey
Richard E. "Dick" Romey was a football player for the Chicago Bulls in 1926. He played the end position, at 6'1 186 pounds. He atteneded Mason City High School and the University of Iowa.-References:*...
, a run by White, and a 15-yard rush by Sternaman put Chicago in the end zone. Shortly afterward, Chicago's Harry Hall intercepted a pass, setting up a Sternaman-to-Romey touchdown pass on the next play.
Rock Island Independents at Brooklyn Horsemen, cancelled
Game scheduled for October 31, 1926, at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, was cancelled due to inclement weather. It was the second consecutive cancelled home game for the financially shaky Horsemen.Newark Demons at New York Yankees, cancelled
Game scheduled for October 31, 1926, at Yankee Stadium, New York, was cancelled due to Newark withdrawing from the AFL.New York Yankees 35, Rock Island Independents 0
November 2, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (attendance 30,000) Three days after crushing the previously-undefeated Quakers in Philadelphia, the New York Yankees returned home to obliterate the traveling Rock Island Independents, 35-0. Eddie Tryon intercepted two Rock Island passes (returning one of them 45 yards for a touchdown) as Pooley Hubert and Red Grange each had a rushing touchdown and George Pease threw two touchdown passes (one to Tryon, one to Larry Marks).Philadelphia Quakers 24, Rock Island Independents 0
November 6, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (attendance 5000) A newly signed All-American Glenn KillingerGlenn Killinger
William Glenn Killinger was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He letter in three sports at Pennsylvania State University, where he was an All-American in football in 1921...
started his AFL career by intercepting four passes as the host Philadelphia Quakers continued the Rock Island Independents' futility by pummeling the visitors, 24-0. While Killinger also had a touchdown catch for Philadelphia, the game was certainly not a one-man show as Bob Dinsmore passed for two touchdowns (to Dillinger and George Tully) and kicked a field goal and extra point. Charlie Way also had a touchdown run. Six interceptions proved to be Rock Island's undoing, while Vince McCarthy
Vince McCarthy
Vincent John McCarthy was an NFL football player, who played for two years with the Rock Island Independents. He was 5'10", and weighed 155 lbs . He played the full back, half back, quarterback and guard positions. Born in Illinois, McCarthy attended St. Viator College.-External links:*...
had a 40-yard run for the Independents in the final minutes. The game was originally scheduled to be between Philadelphia and Cleveland, but Rock Island filled in after the Panthers called it quits.
New York Yankees 21, Brooklyn Horsemen 13
November 7, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (attendance 28,000) Eddie Tryon scored two touchdowns and Red Grange scored once as the host New York Yankees jumped to a 21-0 lead before defeating the visiting Brooklyn Horsemen, 21-13. Brooklyn's Earl BrittonEarl Britton
Earl Tanner Britton was a professional American football fullback who played in the National Football League and the American Football League...
tossed a touchdown pass to Jim Flaherty
Jim Flaherty
James Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
as the Yankees put in their second string in the second quarter; Harry Stuhldreher followed up with a connection with Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
.
This was the last game in the AFL for the Brooklyn Horsemen. They subsequently merged with the NFL's Brooklyn Lions and finished the 1926 season in the more-established league. The merged team played one game as the Lions before playing three as the Horsemen… and then folded.
Los Angeles Wildcats 3, Chicago Bulls 3
November 7, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 7500) Two field goals were all the scoring as the host Chicago Bulls tied the Los Angeles Wildcats, 3-3. Although the score was deadlocked, the Wildcats outplayed the Bulls for most of the game. Five Los Angeles drives threatened touchdowns, but the Chicago defense allowed only one Dick Reed field goal. The Bulls showed no offense until a fourth quarter dropkick by Joey Sternaman knotted the score.New York Yankees 28, Los Angeles Wildcats 0
November 8, 1926 – Maple Leaf StadiumMaple Leaf Stadium
Maple Leaf Stadium was a baseball stadium in Toronto built in 1926 by Lol Solman for his Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the International League on the site of a stadium that had been built in 1907. It continued to be the home of the Leafs for 42 seasons, until the team left town following...
, Toronto, Ontario (attendance 10,000) In the first professional football game played outside the United States, the New York Yankees crushed the Los Angeles Wildcats, 28-0. Red Grange started the scoring with a 60-yard run in the third quarter. Red Maloney followed with two touchdown catches before Harry Fry
Harry Fry
Harry Brittain Fry was a Canadian rower who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was born and died in Dundas....
scored on an interception return. Despite the lopsided score, the Wildcats' Jim Bradshaw
Jim Bradshaw
Jim Bradshaw is a former professional American football safety for five seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League. He graduated in 1958 from St...
was effective passing until team star back Wildcat Wilson was sidelined in the third quarter with an injury.
Chicago Bulls 3, Philadelphia Quakers 0
November 14, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 2500) After seven straight Saturday home games, the Philadelphia Quakers traveled to Chicago for its first road game – and lost to the Chicago Bulls, 3-0, in a muddy Comiskey Park on a rainy Sunday afternoon. While the Quakers were unable to mount a challenge to the Bulls end zone all day, the Bulls had a bit more success in moving the ball. Joey Sternaman and Buck White had completed passes before Sternaman drop kicked a 26-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half.New York Yankees 24, Boston Bulldogs 0
November 14, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (attendance 20,000) Red Grange scored touchdowns three different ways (5-yard rush, 65-yard pass reception, 55-yard interception return) as the host New York Yankees shut out the visiting Boston Bulldogs in a game more noted for activity off the field. AFL President Bill EdwardsBig Bill Edwards
William Hanford "Big Bill" Edwards was an American football player who played guard at the Princeton University from 1896 to 1899...
was in attendance for the game and had to make a ruling after New York’s Art Coglizer kicked a field goal that completed the game’s scoring. The football flew into the bleachers, and when a fan refused to return it (there were only two available for play at the time), Edwards ruled that the spectator must give it back. Soon after the end of the game, the Boston Shamrocks joined Newark, Cleveland, and Brooklyn in exiting the AFL. The league that started the 1926 with nine teams was reduced to five.
Philadelphia Quakers 13, Los Angeles Wildcats 7
November 20, 1926 – Sesquicentennial Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (attendance 4000) A 56-yard punt return by Jim Dinsmore scored the deciding touchdown in the third quarter as the host Philadelphia Quakers defeated the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats, 13-7, in front of the smallest crowd to attend an AFL game in Sesquicentennial Stadium. Los Angeles took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a Wildcat Wilson touchdown dive. A second quarter interception by Philadelphia's George Tully led to an equalizing touchdown pass from Johnny Scott to Adrian FordAdrian Ford
Adrian Grainger Ford was a professional football player from Youngstown, Ohio. After going attending high school in Niles, Ohio; Ford attended and played college football for Lafayette College. He made his professional debut in the first American Football League, formed by Red Grange, in 1926 with...
.
Los Angeles Wildcats 16, New York Yankees 6
November 21, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (attendance 18,827) One day after losing a hard-fought battle in Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Wildcats returned to Yankee Stadium and knocked the host New York Yankees out of first place with a 16-6 victory. Two long Los Angeles drives in the first half were capped by Wildcat Wilson and Wes Bradshaw; a safety just before halftime increased the Wildcats' lead to 16-0. A third quarter pass from George Pease to Lowell Ottie provided the Yankees’ only score as a dropkick extra point attempt by Larry Marks was blocked.Chicago Bulls 3, Rock Island Independents 0
November 21, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 1800) A snow-covered field hampered both teams' offenses as the home Chicago Bulls edged the Rock Island Independents, 3-0, with a 20-yard dropkick by Joey Sternaman providing the only points. A Marty NortonMarty Norton
Marty Norton was a player in the National Football League. He first played for the Minneapolis Marines during the 1922 NFL season. After a season away from the NFL, he re-joined the Marines for the 1924 NFL season. The next season he played with the Green Bay Packers. He was also a member of the...
-to-Frank Coyle
Frank Coyle
Frank Coyle was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was born in Chicago, Illinois.In 1912 he finished eighth in the pole vault event....
touchdown pass that apparently gave Rock Island a 7-3 was nullified when officials ruled Coyle out of bounds when he caught the ball. After the game, the Independents – charter members of both the AFL and the NFL – folded. The AFL has shrunk to four teams: the Philadelphia Quakers and three teams owned or bankrolled by Red Grange and C. C. Pyle
C. C. Pyle
Charles C. "C. C." Pyle , often called Cash and Carry Pyle, was a Champaign, Illinois theater owner and sports agent who represented American football star Red Grange and French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen...
: the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Wildcats, and the Chicago Bulls.
Philadelphia Quakers 13, New York Yankees 10
November 25, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (attendance 22,000) A Thanksgiving Day game in New York had more than the usual excitement as the league-leading Philadelphia Quakers came from behind with a fourth quarter touchdown to defeat the host New York Yankees, 13-10. The first three quarters belonged to the kickers as Philadelphia's Al Kreuz booted two field goals and New York's Eddie Tryon hit one. The Yankees took a 10-6 lead in the fourth quarter when George Pease replaced an injured Red Grange and threw a pass to Tryon for a 26-yard gain. Passes to Pooley Hubert, Tryon, and Pease set up a short touchdown run by Tryon (who also kicked the extra point). The Quakers were not subdued: Pie Way replaced an ineffective Doc Elliott, and a few plays later, Way caught a pass from Johnny Scott and ran to the end zone on the deciding 40-yard play.Los Angeles Wildcats 0, Chicago Bulls 0
November 25, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 3500) The AFL's second Thanksgiving Day game was a defensive struggle as the host Chicago Bears tied the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats, 0-0. Los Angeles struggled as Wildcat Wilson was sidelined with an injury for much of the game. Chicago's offense threatened to score several times, but were stopped by the Wildcats' front line. One sequence of plays typified the play of the day: Chicago's best offensive opportunity came after a Dick RomeyDick Romey
Richard E. "Dick" Romey was a football player for the Chicago Bulls in 1926. He played the end position, at 6'1 186 pounds. He atteneded Mason City High School and the University of Iowa.-References:*...
recovered a Los Angeles fumble and returned the ball to the 15-yard line. On the next play, the Bulls fumbled, and the Wildcats' Jim Bradshaw recovered to end the threat.
Philadelphia Quakers 13, New York Yankees 6
November 27, 1926 – Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (attendance 15,000) The Philadelphia Quakers clinched the AFL title by beating the visiting New York Yankees, 13-6. An injured Red Grange stayed on the New York bench as Philadelphia exhibited the dominance possessed by a championship team. While local favorite Al Kreuz was injured in the game, Jim Dinsmore filled his kicking shoes by booting two field goals and an extra point after a Johnny Scott-to-Adrian Ford touchdown pass.New York Yankees 7, Chicago Bulls 0
November 28, 1926 – Yankee Stadium, New York, New York (attendance 15,000) Playing their third game in four days, a shorthanded New York Yankees defeated the host Chicago Bulls, 7-0, as an injured Red Grange stayed on the New York bench. A 23-yard pass from George Pease to Eddie Tryon provided all the points the visitors needed. Passes to Bullet Baker and Paul G. GoebelPaul G. Goebel
Paul Gordon Goebel was an American football end who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1920 to 1922. He was an All-American in 1921 and was the team's captain in 1922. He played professional football from 1923 to 1926 with the Columbus Tigers, Chicago Bears, and New York Yankees...
set up the score. Later in the game, Tryon had a 70-yard punt return for the Yankees.
Los Angeles Wildcats 5, Chicago Bulls 0
December 5, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 3000) In a game dominated by freezing temperatures and an icy field, the traveling Los Angeles Wildcats bested the host Chicago Bulls, 5-0. Mal BrossMal Bross
Matthew A. "Mal" Bross was a running back in the National Football League.-Career:Bross played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1927 NFL season. Previously he had played with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the American Football League.He played at the collegiate level at Gonzaga...
returned the opening kickoff 45 yards; when the subsequent drive stopped, Los Angeles kicker Dick Reed booted a 25 yard field goal. While both teams were fumbling the ball with regularity, only Los Angeles seemed to be recovering with any efficiency. While Wildcat Wilson was nursing an injury, fellow Wildcat Ram Morrison showed deadly punting ability, having one kick stop dead at the Chicago one yard line. When Chicago’s Buck White tried to kick the Bulls out of danger, he fumbled the snap and had to fall on the ball in the end zone for a safety in the third quarter. While the Wildcats were technically in existence at the end of the season (December 13), this was the last game in their short history.
New York Yankees 7, Chicago Bulls 3
December 13, 1926 – Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois (attendance 8000) While the AFL champion Philadelphia Quakers were playing an exhibition game against the NFL's New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the New York Yankees were defeating the host Chicago Bears, 7-0, in the last official game of the American Football League. There was no scoring in the first three quarters as the teams slipped, slid, and slopped through the fog, snow, and slush. In the fourth quarter, Sam Whiteman
Sam Whiteman
Sam W. Whiteman was an American football fullback/halfback in the first American Football League for the Chicago Bulls in 1926. Whiteman went to Richmond, Missouri High School and the University of Missouri where he was a 3 year letterman in football.-External links:**- References :...
led the Bulls to the game's first score, a 20 yard dropkicked field goal by Joey Sternaman
Joey Sternaman
Joey Sternaman was a former professional American football player, born in Springfield, Illinois, who played quarterback for nine seasons for the Chicago Bears and Duluth Kelleys. In 1926, he was the quarterback, head coach, and owner of the Chicago Bulls of the first American Football League...
. After Bullet Baker
Bullet Baker
Roy Marlon Baker was a professional football player in the National Football League and the first American Football League. Over th span of his career, Babe played for the Chicago Cardinals, New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers, Staten Island Stapletons of the NFL. Before that played again in 1926...
handled the succeeding kickoff for the Yankees, he passed to Art Coglizer before Larry Marks
Larry Marks (American football)
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Marks was a player in the National Football League.-Career:Marks played with the New York Yankees during the 1927 NFL season. The following season he played with the Green Bay Packers....
rushed 43 yards for the deciding score.
As the New York Yankees started a barnstorming tour of the American South and West, the rest of the league folded. For the 1927 season, the Yankees joined the NFL in a lease agreement with New York Giants owner Tim Mara
Tim Mara
Timothy James "Tim" Mara was the founder and administrator for the New York Giants of the National Football League. The Giants', under Mara, would win NFL championships in 1934, 1938, and 1956 and divisional titles in 1933, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1958, 1959.-Early life:Mara was born into poverty...
, who acquired the Brooklyn franchise in payment of debts. The contract signed by Mara and Yankees owner C. C. Pyle limited the number of Yankees home games to four in 1927.
New York Giants 31, Philadelphia Quakers 0
December 14, 1926 – Polo GroundsPolo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, New York, New York (attendance 5000) In an exhibition game between the AFL’s champion Philadelphia Quakers and the NFL’s seventh place New York Giants, the host Giants crushed the visitors 31-0 in a driving snowstorm. A first period field goal by Jack McBride
Jack McBride
John F. McBride was an American football player who played the positions of halfback, fullback, and quarterback in the National Football League . He was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. McBride played collegiately at Syracuse University where he finished second in the nation in scoring in his...
gave the Giants an early 3-0 lead that stood into the second half. As conditions deteriorated, the Quakers had trouble hanging onto the ball as the opportunistic New Yorkers converted turnovers into points in the third and fourth quarters. McBride scored two touchdowns and all four extra points in the second half and the Giants' Jack Haggerty and Tillie Voss
Tillie Voss
Walter Clarence "Tillie" Voss was a tackle who played nine seasons in the National Football League.- External links :...
each crossed the goal line once as the Quakers were held to one first down in the game.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Quakers (AFL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | ||||||
| New York Giants (NFL) | 3 | 0 | 14 | 14 | ||
| 31 |
Wildcats-Yankees barnstorming tour
After the season, the Yankees and Wildcats went on a barnstorming tourBarnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
of the Southern United States. After four games against each other, the Wildcats went to California to play two home games: one against the local Hollywood Generals in Los Angeles's Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)
Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years, and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team, the later Los Angeles Angels, in their...
, and the second effectively becoming the West Coast AFL-NFL Challenge Game against the Los Angeles Buccaneers
Los Angeles Buccaneers
The Los Angeles Buccaneers were a traveling team in the National Football League during their one season 1926, ostensibly representing the city of Los Angeles, California. Like the Los Angeles Wildcats of the first American Football League, the team never actually played a league game in Los...
in San Francisco's Ewing Field. The Yankees also went to California, played three games against the Buccaneers and one against the Generals, and this resulted in their season extending all the way until February 1927, practically unheard of at that time.
- December 14: Wildcats 7, Yankees 7, at Atlanta, Georgia
- December 16: Yankees 14, Wildcats 3, at Birmingham, Alabama (attendance: 5000)
- December 22: Wildcats 34, Yankees 0, at Beaumont, Texas
- December 27: Yankees 20, Wildcats 14, at San Antonio, Texas (attendance: 3000)
- January 9: Wildcats 28, Generals 7, at Los Angeles (attendance: 10000)
- January 16: Buccaneers 30, Yankees 6, at Los Angeles (attendance: 20000)
- January 23: Yankees 48, Generals 0, at Los Angeles
- January 23: Wildcats 17, Buccaneers 0, at San Francisco (attendance: 11000)
- January 30: Yankees 14, Buccaneers 0, at Los Angeles (attendance: 10000)
- February 6: Buccaneers 7, Yankees 6, at San Francisco (attendance: 8500)
See also
- 1926 NFL season1926 NFL seasonThe 1926 NFL season was the 7th regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine...
- 1926 AFL entry in Enciclopedia del football italiano (note that home teams are listed first)