Akron Pros
Encyclopedia
The Akron Pros were a professional football
team located played in Akron, Ohio
from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro
team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional Football Association Fritz Pollard
, the first African-American head coach in the NFL, co-coached the Pros in 1921. Paul Robeson
played for the team in 1921 as well. He was among the earliest stars of professional football, before it became segregated from 1934 to 1946. In 1926, the name was changed back to the Akron Indians, after the earlier semi-pro teams. Due to financial problems, the team suspended operations in 1927 and surrendered its franchise the following year.
. The East Ends' dominance of Ohio football went unmatched until the Massillon Tigers
paid several ringers from the recently defunct Pittsburgh Stars
to defeat the East Ends in 1903.
The Akron Indians date as far back as 1908. The early Indians teams went on to win Ohio League
championships in 1908, 1909, 1913 and 1914. The team was always referred to as the Indians by the fans. From 1908–1913, the Indians had a reputation of playing more of a style of football seen at the college
level than that of the early athletic clubs. For example the Indians preferred passing the ball as opposed to running. The team tied for the Akron city title in 1908, and later won the title outright a year later.
, an early football star with the Massillon Tigers
, Franklin Athletic Club
and the Shelby Blues
, joined the Indians. He took the move realizing that he could make more money in the large football market that Akron provided. When he arrived in Akron, his first move was to change the team name from the "Akron" Indians to "Parratt's Indians". With Peggy as player, coach, and owner-manager, the Indians split their series with Shelby and twice defeated Canton, 14-7 and 19-7. However they were defeated by the unheard of Elyria Athletics
, who then took the Ohio championship. The Athletics were mostly former Blues player who formed a team in Elyria after Parratt left for Akron.
The following season, Parratt brought most of Elyria's 1912 championship team to Akron, and adding them to his roster. The Indians then beat Shelby and Elyria. They also managed to tie the rapidly improving Canton Pros. During Indians championship game against Shelby, the Blues loaded their team with a collection of famous players from big eastern schools and supported each member with a payroll of $700 for just that one game. However a the game cancelled due to snowstorm. A week later when the Blues returned to Akron, the Indians were prepared with newly recruited talent that was viewed as even superior to that of Shelbys. The Indians won the game 20-0 and brought the Ohio title back to Akron.
For his 1914 recruiting efforts, Parratt signed the usual big names players, which consisted of a lineup that hanged from week to week, with just enough stars on hand to guarantee a win. However in 1914, he also employed several former Notre Dame
stars, including the legendary Knute Rockne
, Howard "Horse" Edwards, "Deke" Jones, and Joe Collins
. As well as several Ohio collegiate stars like Ed Kagy
, Dwight Wertz, Homer Davidson
, Dutch Powell, Frank Nesser
and Ralph "Fat" Waldsmith
. By late season, the entire left side of his Akron Indian line was from Notre Dame. The team dominated the Ohio League for the season, however the managed to lose to Canton 6-0 on November 15, 1914. However despite the win Canton's captain Harry Turner
died when his spine broke during a tackle on Akron fullback Joe Collins. Turner's death marked the first fatal accident involving a major professional football team in Ohio.
To avoid an Akron title in 1915 the owners of the Massillon Tigers raided Parratt's Akron roster and took away many of his star players. Canton manager, Jack Cusack
, also picked up some former Akron players and, signed Jim Thorpe
, to his renamed Canton Bulldogs team. By the end of the season, Parratt's team was made up mostly of Akron sandlotters. After the disastrous 1915 season, Parratt returned to Cleveland, where he took some of his former Akron players and a few ex-collegians into a respectable team which he named the Cleveland Tigers.
and his brothers Chang
and Suey
. After three seasons, Welch was a player, coach and manager for Akron, playing against many of professional football's early stars. The 1916 Burkhardts had a winning record despite falling to the Bulldogs and splitting a two game series with the Columbus Panhandles. In 1918 the team was once again renamed the Indians, however this is disputed due many records of the time still refer to the club as the Burkhardts until 1920. The 1919 team, finished their season 5-5-0. However the Indians lost money despite the presence of one of the country's best breakaway runners, Fritz Pollard (The league's fist black player). From 1917 through 1918, the Indians name was sold off to Suey Welch
, who fielded it as an independent club.
, an Akron businessman and former football player at Akron University, and Frank Nied
, a cigar
store proprietor in 1920. The new owners soon dropped the Indian moniker and went with "Pros," hoping to inspire better results, or at least better attendance.
, one of the infamous football-playing Nesser Brothers
, reportedly scored three touchdowns on fumble
recoveries. The following week the Pros defeated the Columbus Panhandles 37-0 using former guard
, Frank McCormick
as a wingback
. After a 13-0 win over the Cincinnati Celts
, the Pros played the Cleveland Tigers, a team composed mainly of ex-stars from the Massillon Tigers
. Ironically Bob Nash
, who played for Massillon in 1919, broke up a Stan Cofall punt resulting in an Akron touchdown
and a final score of 7-0. The Pros then shocked the league by beating the Canton Bulldogs
, who were considered the top team in the nation in 1920 with stars Jim Thorpe
, Joe Guyon
, Pete Calac
and Pete Henry, 10-0. However after a rained out game against the Detroit Heralds, the Pros played a reorganized Tigers team that held the Pros to a 7-7 tie. The team, under the rushing of Pollard and McCormick, rebounded by defeating the Dayton Triangles
13-0. After a 7-0 victory in a rematch to Canton, as well as a second win over Dayton, the Pros were recognized as the top team in Ohio.
The Pros then held the Buffalo All-Americans to a scoreless tie in front of only 3,000. At the game, Nied and Ranney agreed to sell Bob Nash to Buffalo for $300 and five per cent of the gate, in the first known player deal between NFL clubs. However since the Pros held the best record in the league, they only had to avoid losing a game, while Buffalo and the Chicago Staleys had to win in order to capture the AFPA Championship. The Pros held the Staleys to a scoreless tie in front of 12,000 fans at Cub Park
.
Both the All-Americans and the Staleys complained about the championship, arguing that Akron had not defeated them. The Pros were not named the AFPA Champs until April 30, 1921, after the team managers got together at Canton and voted the title to Akron. Neid and Ranney were on-hand at the meeting to accept the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup
.
According to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920 Buffalo All-Americans
would be co-champions. They would be tied with the Akron Pros
in win percentage, 9½ wins to 1½ losses (.864), both teams beating out the Decatur Staleys, who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses (.846).
. The team suspended operations in 1927 and formally surrendered its franchise the following year.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team located played in 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...
from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional Football Association Fritz Pollard
Fritz Pollard
Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard was the first African American head coach in the National Football League . Pollard along with Bobby Marshall were the first two African American players in the NFL in 1920...
, the first African-American head coach in the NFL, co-coached the Pros in 1921. Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
played for the team in 1921 as well. He was among the earliest stars of professional football, before it became segregated from 1934 to 1946. In 1926, the name was changed back to the Akron Indians, after the earlier semi-pro teams. Due to financial problems, the team suspended operations in 1927 and surrendered its franchise the following year.
Origins
Prior to 1908, several semi-pro and amateur teams dominated the Akron football scene. The most dominant of these was a team known as the Akron East EndsAkron East Ends
The Akron East Ends are a defunct amateur American Football team that played in the Ohio League, a forerunner to the National Football League. They played in Akron, Ohio, from 1894 until at least 1904. Its primary rivals were the amateur Canton Athletic Association , the Shelby Blues, and later the...
. The East Ends' dominance of Ohio football went unmatched until the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
paid several ringers from the recently defunct Pittsburgh Stars
Pittsburgh Stars
The Pittsburgh Stars were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1902. The team was member of what was referred to as the National Football League. This league has no connection with the National Football League of today. The whole "league" was a curious mixture...
to defeat the East Ends in 1903.
The Akron Indians date as far back as 1908. The early Indians teams went on to win Ohio League
Ohio League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1903 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship . As the name implied, its teams were based in Ohio...
championships in 1908, 1909, 1913 and 1914. The team was always referred to as the Indians by the fans. From 1908–1913, the Indians had a reputation of playing more of a style of football seen at the college
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
level than that of the early athletic clubs. For example the Indians preferred passing the ball as opposed to running. The team tied for the Akron city title in 1908, and later won the title outright a year later.
Parratt's Indians
Before the 1912 season, Peggy ParrattPeggy Parratt
George Watson "Peggy" Parratt was a professional football player who played in the "Ohio League" prior to it becoming a part of the National Football League...
, an early football star with the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
, Franklin Athletic Club
Franklin Athletic Club
The Franklin Athletic Club was an early professional football team based in Franklin, Pennsylvania. It was considered the top team in professional football in 1903, by becoming the becoming the US Football Champions and winning the 1903 World Series of Football, held after the 1903 season, at New...
and the Shelby Blues
Shelby Blues
The Shelby Blues were an American football team based in Shelby, Ohio. The team played in the Ohio League from 1900 to 1919. In 1920, when the Ohio League became the APFA , the Blues did not join but continued to play against APFA teams, only to later suspend operations...
, joined the Indians. He took the move realizing that he could make more money in the large football market that Akron provided. When he arrived in Akron, his first move was to change the team name from the "Akron" Indians to "Parratt's Indians". With Peggy as player, coach, and owner-manager, the Indians split their series with Shelby and twice defeated Canton, 14-7 and 19-7. However they were defeated by the unheard of Elyria Athletics
Elyria Athletics
The Elyria Athletics were an American football team based in Elyria, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League until 1919, then became an independent team...
, who then took the Ohio championship. The Athletics were mostly former Blues player who formed a team in Elyria after Parratt left for Akron.
The following season, Parratt brought most of Elyria's 1912 championship team to Akron, and adding them to his roster. The Indians then beat Shelby and Elyria. They also managed to tie the rapidly improving Canton Pros. During Indians championship game against Shelby, the Blues loaded their team with a collection of famous players from big eastern schools and supported each member with a payroll of $700 for just that one game. However a the game cancelled due to snowstorm. A week later when the Blues returned to Akron, the Indians were prepared with newly recruited talent that was viewed as even superior to that of Shelbys. The Indians won the game 20-0 and brought the Ohio title back to Akron.
For his 1914 recruiting efforts, Parratt signed the usual big names players, which consisted of a lineup that hanged from week to week, with just enough stars on hand to guarantee a win. However in 1914, he also employed several former Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
stars, including the legendary Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
, Howard "Horse" Edwards, "Deke" Jones, and Joe Collins
Joe Collins (American football)
Joseph Collins was an American football player for the University of Notre Dame in 1908 and 1909. During his time at Notre Dame, Collins discovered and recommended Knute Rockne to the football team's coach, Frank Longman....
. As well as several Ohio collegiate stars like Ed Kagy
Ed Kagy
Edmund Kagy was a professional American football player in the Ohio League, which was the direct predecessor to the modern National Football League, from 1912 until 1915. During that time he played with the Shelby Blues, Elyria Athletics, Akron Indians and the Massillon Tigers. He won championships...
, Dwight Wertz, Homer Davidson
Homer Davidson
Homer Hurd Davidson was a professional Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Naps . Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he played only 6 games for the Naps during the 1908 season. Davidson was better known as a professional football player...
, Dutch Powell, Frank Nesser
Frank Nesser
Frank Nesser was a professional football player in the "Ohio League" and the early National Football League. During his career he played mainly for the Columbus Panhandles, however he did also play for a little for the Akron Indians, whenever he was recruited by Indians manager, Peggy Parratt.Frank...
and Ralph "Fat" Waldsmith
Ralph Waldsmith
Ralph George "Fat" Waldsmith was a professional football player during the early years of the National Football League. Waldsmith won an NFL championship with the Canton Bulldogs in 1922...
. By late season, the entire left side of his Akron Indian line was from Notre Dame. The team dominated the Ohio League for the season, however the managed to lose to Canton 6-0 on November 15, 1914. However despite the win Canton's captain Harry Turner
Harry Turner (American football)
Harry Turner was a professional football player. He was one of the most popular players on the Canton Professionals, the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs who played in the Ohio League...
died when his spine broke during a tackle on Akron fullback Joe Collins. Turner's death marked the first fatal accident involving a major professional football team in Ohio.
To avoid an Akron title in 1915 the owners of the Massillon Tigers raided Parratt's Akron roster and took away many of his star players. Canton manager, Jack Cusack
Jack Cusack
Jack Cusack was one of the prominent early figures in professional football in Ohio. At the age of twenty-one, Cusack became the manager and owner of the Canton Bulldogs, one of the leading teams of the day...
, also picked up some former Akron players and, signed Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
, to his renamed Canton Bulldogs team. By the end of the season, Parratt's team was made up mostly of Akron sandlotters. After the disastrous 1915 season, Parratt returned to Cleveland, where he took some of his former Akron players and a few ex-collegians into a respectable team which he named the Cleveland Tigers.
Burkhardts
In 1916 a local brewer, Burkhardt Brewing Company, took over the remains of the Indians and renamed the clube the Akron Burkhardts. The team was reorganized by Howe WelchHowe Welch
Howard A. "Howe" Welch was a professional football player for the Akron Indians. Around 1916, the Indians were briefly referred to as the Burkhardts, a semi-pro team was organized by Howe's brother Suey around brothers Howe and his other brother Chang and Carl Cardarelli...
and his brothers Chang
Chang Welch
Charles "Chang" Welch was an American Footballer, and the brother of well-known boxing manager Suey Welch. He managed Hank Hankinson and Charley Coates, who were his brother's fighters, while Suey was involved in promoting and matchmaking at the Olympic Auditorium...
and Suey
Suey Welch
Stephen H. "Suey" Welch was an Akron, Ohio-based manager who handled boxers from the 1920s through the 1970s. He specialized in bringing fighters from Ohio to Southern California, where many of them went on to become main event fighters. Most notably, he managed Middleweight Champion Gorilla Jones...
. After three seasons, Welch was a player, coach and manager for Akron, playing against many of professional football's early stars. The 1916 Burkhardts had a winning record despite falling to the Bulldogs and splitting a two game series with the Columbus Panhandles. In 1918 the team was once again renamed the Indians, however this is disputed due many records of the time still refer to the club as the Burkhardts until 1920. The 1919 team, finished their season 5-5-0. However the Indians lost money despite the presence of one of the country's best breakaway runners, Fritz Pollard (The league's fist black player). From 1917 through 1918, the Indians name was sold off to Suey Welch
Suey Welch
Stephen H. "Suey" Welch was an Akron, Ohio-based manager who handled boxers from the 1920s through the 1970s. He specialized in bringing fighters from Ohio to Southern California, where many of them went on to become main event fighters. Most notably, he managed Middleweight Champion Gorilla Jones...
, who fielded it as an independent club.
Pros
After experiencing finanicial losses from 1912–1919, the team was sold to Art RanneyArt Ranney
Arthur F. Ranney was a co-founder of the American Professional Football Association , as an owner of the Akron Pros, one of the league's chater teams...
, an Akron businessman and former football player at Akron University, and Frank Nied
Frank Nied
Francis Theodore Nied was a founder of the American Professional Football Association , as well as the owner of the Akron Pros and, as the team became known as in 1926, the Akron Indians.-Purchasing the Indians:In 1920, Neid was a cigar store owner in Akron...
, a cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
store proprietor in 1920. The new owners soon dropped the Indian moniker and went with "Pros," hoping to inspire better results, or at least better attendance.
Founding of the NFL
The minutes for the September 17, 1920 meeting that formed the AFPA, were kept on the stationary of the Akron Pros football team by one of the owners, Art Ranney. Ranney was then elected secretary-treasurer of the league.1920 NFL Champions
Pollard and most of the top 1919 players planned to return to the Pros in 1920. The team opened the season at League Park in early October by defeating the Wheeling Stogies, 43-0. Al NesserAl 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...
, one of the infamous football-playing Nesser Brothers
Nesser Brothers
The Nesser Brothers were a group of football playing brothers who helped make up the most famous football family in the United States from 1907 until the mid-1920s...
, reportedly scored three touchdowns on fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries. The following week the Pros defeated the Columbus Panhandles 37-0 using former guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, Frank McCormick
Frank McCormick (American football)
Frank G. McCormick was the first South Dakotan to play professional football. He played from 1920 until 1921, with the Akron Pros and the Cincinnati Celts of the American Professional Football Association . Originally a guard, Frank was made a wingback by the Pros...
as a wingback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. After a 13-0 win over the Cincinnati Celts
Cincinnati Celts
The Cincinnati Celts was the first professional football team to play in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team played in the unofficial "Ohio League" and the American Professional Football Association . The Celts were a traveling team, playing all of their APFA games in other cities' stadia...
, the Pros played the Cleveland Tigers, a team composed mainly of ex-stars from the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
. Ironically Bob Nash
Bob Nash (American football)
Robert Arthur "Nasty" Nash was a professional football player who played in the American Professional Football Association for the Akron Pros, Buffalo All-Americans, Rochester Jeffersons and the New York Giants...
, who played for Massillon in 1919, broke up a Stan Cofall punt resulting in an Akron touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
and a final score of 7-0. The Pros then shocked the league by beating the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
, who were considered the top team in the nation in 1920 with stars Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
, Joe Guyon
Joe Guyon
Joseph Napoleon Guyon was a professional American football player in the National Football League...
, Pete Calac
Pete Calac
Pedro "Pete" Calac was a professional football player who played in the Ohio League and during the early years of the National Football League...
and Pete Henry, 10-0. However after a rained out game against the Detroit Heralds, the Pros played a reorganized Tigers team that held the Pros to a 7-7 tie. The team, under the rushing of Pollard and McCormick, rebounded by defeating the Dayton Triangles
Dayton Triangles
The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangle Park, which was located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers in north...
13-0. After a 7-0 victory in a rematch to Canton, as well as a second win over Dayton, the Pros were recognized as the top team in Ohio.
The Pros then held the Buffalo All-Americans to a scoreless tie in front of only 3,000. At the game, Nied and Ranney agreed to sell Bob Nash to Buffalo for $300 and five per cent of the gate, in the first known player deal between NFL clubs. However since the Pros held the best record in the league, they only had to avoid losing a game, while Buffalo and the Chicago Staleys had to win in order to capture the AFPA Championship. The Pros held the Staleys to a scoreless tie in front of 12,000 fans at Cub Park
Wrigley 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...
.
Both the All-Americans and the Staleys complained about the championship, arguing that Akron had not defeated them. The Pros were not named the AFPA Champs until April 30, 1921, after the team managers got together at Canton and voted the title to Akron. Neid and Ranney were on-hand at the meeting to accept the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup
Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup
Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup was a silver trophy donated to the American Professional Football Association by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, Tire Division....
.
According to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920 Buffalo All-Americans
1920 Buffalo All-Americans season
The 1920 Buffalo All-Americans season was their inaugural season in the league. The team finished 9-1-1, enough for third place in the league. It was one of only four teams to finish the 1920 season....
would be co-champions. They would be tied with the Akron Pros
1920 Akron Pros season
The Akron Pros were an American football team that played in the American Professional Football Association . The team originally formed as the Akron Indians in 1908 in the Ohio League. In their twelfth year in 1920, they became a charter member of the AFPA, which subsequently changed its name to...
in win percentage, 9½ wins to 1½ losses (.864), both teams beating out the Decatur Staleys, who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses (.846).
Decline
The Pros finished in 3rd place in 1921 and 10th place in 1922. The team only finished higher than 13th place in 1925, when it completed the season at fifth. Following the 1925 season, the Pros became the Akron Indians. This new team played for the next four seasons before disbanding due to declining financial support and the team’s poor record after the 1926 season1926 NFL season
The 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...
. The team suspended operations in 1927 and formally surrendered its franchise the following year.
Season records
| Season | Team | League | Regular season Regular season (NFL) The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday... |
Post Season NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the... Results |
References | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | T | |||||
| "color:white">Akron Pros | ||||||||
| 1920 1920 Akron Pros season The Akron Pros were an American football team that played in the American Professional Football Association . The team originally formed as the Akron Indians in 1908 in the Ohio League. In their twelfth year in 1920, they became a charter member of the AFPA, which subsequently changed its name to... |
APFA † | 1st † | 8 | 0 | 3 ♦ | Named APFA Champions 1920 NFL season The 1920 APFA season was the inaugural regular season of the National Football League which was called the American Professional Football Association in 1920 and 1921... † |
||
| 1921 1921 Akron Pros season The 1921 Akron Pros season was their second in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 8-0-3, losing three games. They finished third in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
APFA | 3rd | 8 | 3 | 1 | The APFA did not hold playoff games | ||
| 1922 1922 Akron Pros season The 1922 Akron Pros season was their third in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 8-3-1, winning only three games. They finished tenth in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
NFL 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... |
10th | 3 | 5 | 2 | The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932 | ||
| 1923 1923 Akron Pros season The 1923 Akron Pros season was their fourth in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 3-5-2, winning only one game. They tied for sixteenth place in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
NFL | 16th | 1 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 1924 1924 Akron Pros season The 1924 Akron Pros season was their fifth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 1-6, winning two games. They tied for thirteenth place in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
NFL | 13th | 2 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 1925 1925 Akron Pros season The 1925 Akron Pros season was their sixth in the league and last season before becoming the Indians. The team improved on their previous output of 2-6, winning six games. They finished fourth in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
NFL | T-4th | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||
| "color:white">Akron Indians | ||||||||
| 1926 1926 Akron Indians season The 1926 Akron Indians season was their seventh and final season in the league and only season as the Indians. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 4-2-2, winning only four games. They tied for sixteenth in the league.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
NFL | T-16th | 1 | 4 | 3 | The NFL did not have playoff games until 1932 | ||
Legend
EWLINE
|
External links
- NFL History by Decade
- Official NFL team colors listing
- Football @ JT-SW.com: Akron Pros-Indians History
- Akron Pros 1920
- Summitt County Hall of Fame: Howard Welch