1941 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Encyclopedia
The 1941 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the club's ninth as a member of the National Football League
. In the off season, the team had been sold and then re-acquired (more or less) in a bizarre series of transactions which has come to be referred to as the "Pennsylvania Polka". The roster consisted of many players who had played for the Philadelphia Eagles
the previous year, who joined the Steelers as a result of the moves.
Bert Bell
became half-owner of the team and he named himself the head coach. After starting the season with two straight losses, Aldo "Buff" Donelli
was brought in. Donelli was acting concurrently as head coach at Duquesne University, and when the team's schedules prevented him from fulfilling both roles, he stepped down as the Steelers' coach in favor or Walt Kiesling
.
The team held training camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania
.
Week 1 (Sunday September 7, 1941): Cleveland Rams
at Rubber Bowl
, Akron, Ohio
Scoring Drives:
Week 3 (Sunday, September 21, 1941): Philadelphia Eagles
at Forbes Field
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
Week 5 (Sunday October 5, 1941): New York Giants
at Forbes Field
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
Week 6 (Sunday October 12, 1941): Washington Redskins
at Forbes Field
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
Week 7 (Sunday October 19, 1941): New York Giants
at Polo Grounds
, New York, New York
Scoring Drives:
Week 8 (Sunday October 26, 1941): Chicago Bears
at Wrigley Field
, Chicago, Illinois
Scoring Drives:
Week 9 (Sunday November 2, 1941): New York Giants
at Griffith Stadium
, Washington, DC
Scoring Drives:
Week 10 (Sunday November 9, 1941): Philadelphia Eagles
at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
Week 11 (Sunday November 16, 1941): Brooklyn Dodgers
at Forbes Field
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
Week 12 (Sunday November 23, 1941): Green Bay Packers
at Forbes Field
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
Week 13 (Sunday November 30, 1941): Brooklyn Dodgers
at Ebbets Field
, Brooklyn, New York
Scoring Drives:
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...
. In the off season, the team had been sold and then re-acquired (more or less) in a bizarre series of transactions which has come to be referred to as the "Pennsylvania Polka". The roster consisted of many players who had played for the Philadelphia Eagles
1940 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season was their eighth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 1–9–1, losing ten games...
the previous year, who joined the Steelers as a result of the moves.
Bert Bell
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
became half-owner of the team and he named himself the head coach. After starting the season with two straight losses, Aldo "Buff" Donelli
Aldo Donelli
Aldo "Buff" Teo Donelli was an American football and soccer player. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club:...
was brought in. Donelli was acting concurrently as head coach at Duquesne University, and when the team's schedules prevented him from fulfilling both roles, he stepped down as the Steelers' coach in favor or Walt Kiesling
Walt Kiesling
Walter Andrew Kiesling was an American football player and coach.-Playing career:A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kiesling played both offensive and defensive line at the University of St. Thomas...
.
The team held training camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
.
Standings
| NFL Eastern Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| New York Giants 1941 New York Giants season The 1941 New York Giants season was the seventeenth season for the club in the National Football League.-Season recap:The Giants managed to put together a quite respectable team that year. Ed Danowski was lured out of retirement, Tuffy Leemans' back healed, and Mel Hein was talked out of a... |
8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 238 | 114 | L-1 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season The 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers season was their 12th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 8-3, winning only seven games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 158 | 127 | W-2 |
| Washington Redskins 1941 Washington Redskins season The 1941 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 9-2 record from 1940.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 176 | 174 | W-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles 1941 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1941 Philadelphia Eagles season was their ninth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 1–10, winning two games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.-Off Season:... |
2 | 8 | 1 | .200 | 119 | 218 | L-3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | 9 | 1 | .100 | 103 | 276 | L-2 |
Week 1 (Sunday September 7, 1941): Cleveland RamsCleveland RamsThe Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
at Rubber BowlRubber Bowl
The Rubber Bowl is a stadium in Akron, Ohio primarily used for American football. From 1940 to 2008, it served as the home field of the University of Akron's Zips football team...
, Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 23,720
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Cleveland – Magnani 93 kick return (Adams kick)
- Cleveland – FG Adams 40
- Pittsburgh – HackneyElmer HackneyElmer Loyd Hackney ) was a professional American football running back in the National Football League. Hackney was an 11th round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1940 NFL Draft out of Kansas State University. Hackney played seven seasons for the Eagles , the Pittsburgh Steelers , and...
4 run (Sanders kick) - Pittsburgh – JonesArt Jones (American football)Arthur Edward "Art" Jones, Jr. was a professional American football defensive back in the National Football League. He played two seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers .-References:...
34 run (Sanders kick) - Cleveland – McDonough 10 pass from Hall (Adams kick)
Week 3 (Sunday, September 21, 1941): Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 12,893
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Philadelphia – FG Barnum 43
- Pittsburgh – Brumbaugh 4 run (Sanders kick)
- Philadelphia – Tomasetti 40 pass from DeSantis (Barnum kick)
Week 5 (Sunday October 5, 1941): New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe 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...
at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 13,458
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
22 - New York – FG Marefos 24
- New York – Cuff 9 pass from Leemans (Cuff kick)
- Pittsburgh – Cichefski 72 pass from Brumbaugh (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - New York – Yeager 53 pass from Pugh (Marefos kick)
- New York – Poole 16 pss from Eshmont (Cuff kick)
- New York – Reagan 21 run (kick failed)
- New York – Reagan 8 run (Cuff kick)
Week 6 (Sunday October 12, 1941): Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 30,842
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Washington – Todd 35 pass from Filchock (Materson kick)
- Pittsburgh – Riffle 10 pass from Donelli (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - Washington – FG Aguirre 39
- Washington – Todd 7 run (Masterson kick)
- Washington – R. Hare 7 run (Masterson kick)
- Pittsburgh – Jones 59 pass from McDonough (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - Pittsburgh – Brumbaugh 1 run (kick failed)
Week 7 (Sunday October 19, 1941): New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe 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...
at 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
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 34,604
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- New York – Cope recovered blocked kick in end zone (Marefos kick)
- Pittsburgh – Looney 66 pass from Brumbaugh (Sanders kick)
- New York – Leemans 1 run (Cuff kick)
- New York – Marefos 1 run (Marefos kick)
- New York – Reagan 3 run (Marefos kick)
Week 8 (Sunday October 26, 1941): Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Wrigley FieldWrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, Chicago, Illinois
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 17,212
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Chicago Bears – Osmanski 13 run (Snyder kick)
- Chicago Bears – McAfeeGeorge McAfeeGeorge Anderson McAfee was a former American football player. McAfee is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played college football at Duke University. He is a former running back who played for the Chicago Bears...
33 run (Snyder kick) - Chicago Bears – Kavanaugh 45 pass from LuckmanSid LuckmanSidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
(Maniaci kick) - Pittsburgh – Hoague 14 pass from Rivvle (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - Chicago Bears – Pool 56 pass from LuckmanSid LuckmanSidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
- Chicago Bears – Gallameau 1 run (kick failed)
Week 9 (Sunday November 2, 1941): New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe 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...
at Griffith StadiumGriffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
, Washington, DC
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 30,755
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Washington – Moore 42 run (Masterson kick)
- Washington – FG Aldrich 17
- Pittsburgh – FG NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
19 - Washington – Farkas 1 run (Aguirre kick)
- Washington – Carroll 25 interception (kick failed)
Week 10 (Sunday November 9, 1941): Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Shibe Park, 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,...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 15,601
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Philadelphia – Castiglia 47 run (Basca kick)
- Pittsburgh – Jones 25 run (Sanders kick)
Week 11 (Sunday November 16, 1941): Brooklyn DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers (NFL)The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks...
at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 20,843
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Brooklyn – Manders 3 run (Condit kick)
- Pittsburgh – Riffle 1 run (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - Pittsburgh – Jones 25 run (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick)
Week 12 (Sunday November 23, 1941): Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
at Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 4,593
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – Hoague 1 run (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - Green Bay – Hinkle 3 run (kick failed)
- Green Bay – HutsonDon HutsonDonald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
8 pass from Isbell (kick failed) - Green Bay – Hinkle 1 run (HutsonDon HutsonDonald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
kick) - Green Bay – Panell 26 fumble run (HutsonDon HutsonDonald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
kick) - Green Bay – Urban 12 pass from Canadeo (Adkins kick)
- Green Bay – Van Every 5 run (Adkins kick)
- Green Bay – Van Every 31 run (Adkins kick)
- Green Bay – Van Every 86 interception (Rohrig kick)
Week 13 (Sunday November 30, 1941): Brooklyn DodgersBrooklyn Dodgers (NFL)The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks...
at Ebbets FieldEbbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
, Brooklyn, New York
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 12,336
- Referee:
Scoring Drives:
- Brooklyn – Condit 6 run (Condit kick)
- Brooklyn – Condit 43 run (Condit kick)
- Brooklyn – Kracum 1 run (McAdams kick)
- Pittsburgh – Jones 6 run (NiccolaiArmand NiccolaiArmand Niccolai was a guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Niccolai attended Duquesne University....
kick) - Brooklyn – Shetley 25 lateral from Schwartz after 32 pass from Parker (Condit kick)
- Brooklyn – Kracum 17 run (Peace kick)