American Football League (1926)
Encyclopedia
| Sport | American Professional Football 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... |
| Founded | 1926 |
| First Season | 1926 |
| Last Season | 1926 |
| Claim to Fame | first competitor of 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... |
| No. of teams | 9 - - |
| Disbanded | 1926 |
The first American Football League (NFL), sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football
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...
league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to 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...
. Founded by 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 starring Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
halfback 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...
, the short-lived league with nine teams competed against the more established NFL both for players and for fans. While Pyle’s and Grange’s 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...
team became a reliable draw, the lack of star power and the uncertain financial conditions of the other eight teams led to the league’s dissolution after one season.
Origin of League
The controversial ending1925 NFL Championship controversy
The 1925 National Football League Championship, officially held by the Chicago Cardinals, has been the subject of controversy since it was awarded. The controversy centers around the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, which prevented them from taking the title.The...
of the National Football League’s 1925 season led to the founding of the first AFL by Red Grange’s agent, C. C. Pyle. In an era in which no professional football team had a prearranged schedule (each team was responsible for booking its own games, with virtually no limitations as to the number of games), the Pottsville Maroons
Pottsville Maroons
The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1920, they went on to play in the National Football League for four seasons, from 1925–1928...
were hailed as the NFL champions by several newspapers after Pottsville defeated the Chicago Cardinals on December 6, even though there were still two weeks left in the season.
Cardinals owner Chris O’Brien
Chris O'Brien (American football)
Christopher O'Brien, was a painting and decorating contractor as well as a pro football franchise owner. He is mostly known as the owner of the Chicago Cardinals, and is known as the “Father of Professional Football in Chicago,”...
hastily arranged for two more games – one against the Milwaukee Badgers
Milwaukee Badgers
The Milwaukee Badgers were a professional American football team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that played in the National Football League from 1922 to 1926. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, later known as Borchert Field, on Milwaukee's north side...
the following Thursday, another against the Hammond Pros
Hammond Pros
The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team.-History:The Pros were established by Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young who was a boxing promoter, owner of a racing stable and a doctor and trainer for a semi-pro football team...
two days later, even though both teams had already disbanded for the season. Two shutouts (59-0 and 13-0) later, the Cardinals claimed the top spot with a 11-2-1 record. Simultaneous with the Cardinals-Pros game was an exhibition game between Pottsville and an all-star team consisting of former Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
players at Shibe Park, near the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
, who protested the invasion of territorial rights by the Maroons.
Despite an order from NFL commissioner Joe Carr
Joseph Carr
Joseph "Joe" F. Carr was the president of the National Football League from 1921 until his death in 1939. Carr was born in Columbus, Ohio. As a mechanic for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Columbus, he directed the Columbus Panhandles football team in 1907 until 1922...
to cancel the exhibition, the Maroons proceeded to defeat the Notre Dame all-stars 9-7, scoring a field goal in the last minute. Carr immediately canceled the Maroons' scheduled game against the Providence Steam Roller
Providence Steam Roller
The Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England team to win an NFL championship...
and suspended the franchise. In the league meeting in January 1926, O’Brien refused to accept the championship, but the league record book remained unchanged, showing the Cardinals with a 11-2-1 record to the Maroons’ 10-2-0.
While NFL management was contemplating the penalties for the suspended Pottsville franchise (which was eventually reinstated with the payment of a moderate fine) in December, C. C. “Cash and Carry” Pyle surprised the league by requesting a franchise in New York City for himself and star back Red Grange and secured a five year lease for Yankee Stadium, in direct competition to 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...
's year-old 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...
. When Carr announced a ruling in favor of Mara's objection to Pyle's application for NFL membership, Pyle announced the formation of the first American Football League, featuring Grange and the 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...
. The NFL charter member 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...
left the seven-year-old league to join the AFL, and, and the upstart league matched the NFL in having a road team representing Los Angeles
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...
.
The new league chose former Princeton athlete, former New York City deputy of street cleaning, and former Newark, New Jersey
Newark, 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...
chief of waste disposal Bill Edwards
Big Bill Edwards
William Hanford "Big Bill" Edwards was an American football player who played guard at the Princeton University from 1896 to 1899...
as its league president and prepared to compete against the older league for its talent and spectators. The AFL and NFL were head-to-head
Crosstown rivalry
In sports, a crosstown rivalry is a rivalry between two teams in the same metropolitan area. It is a term primarily used in the United States and Canada. They are called "crosstown rivalries" because in most cases, they are held in large cities or metropolitan areas where each team represents a...
in New York (Yankees and Giants), 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...
and Lions), 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...
vs Bears
Chicago Bears
The 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...
and Cardinals), and 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....
and Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
). The AFL’s 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...
, previously independent, were also prepared to go face-to-face with the 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...
, the NFL champions of 1924, when Bulldogs owner Sam Deutsch decided to suspend the operations for 1926.
Teams
Boston BulldogsBoston 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...
. Coached by 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...
, Boston’s first professional football team had been in financial difficulty from the beginning, having played only six games before folding in November 1926. Its lack of stars and lack of offense (only three points per game) doomed the franchise as the team failed to score a point in either of its two home games in a nearly empty stadium. Boston would wait until 1932 before it received a professional football franchise (the Boston Braves, now the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The 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,...
).
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...
. Coached by Eddie McNeeley, the Horsemen featured Notre Dame Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
Harry Stuhldreher
Harry Stuhldreher
Harry Augustus Stuhldreher was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played quarterback at University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924, where he was a three-time All-American and member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
and Elmer Layden
Elmer Layden
Elmer Francis Layden was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at fullback as a member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield...
. Unlike the other New York AFL team, Brooklyn suffered at the turnstiles. After only four games, the team was forced to merge with its NFL counterpart (the Lions), played three games in the NFL as the Brooklyn Lions (all shutouts), and winked out of existence at the end of the season.
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...
. Owned and coached 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...
(brother of Chicago Bears owner Dutch Sternaman), the Bulls also featured the younger Sternaman as quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. While the Bulls' owner created havoc within the Chicago Cardinals by securing a lease for 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...
(forcing the Cardinals into a much smaller Normal Field) and attempting to sign their star halfback Paddy Driscoll
Paddy Driscoll
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was a professional American football quarterback. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team...
(who wound up on the Bears as a result of a trade), the Bulls quarterback provided the bulk of the team’s offense, scoring 52 of the Bulls’ 88 points in 14 games. The Bulls were one of only four AFL teams still playing at the end of the season.
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...
. The Panthers had existed as an independent team since 1919, mostly playing teams from upstate New York. Coached by Roy Watts, the Panthers featured six players who played for the NFL’s Cleveland Bulldogs in the 1925 season: Al Michaels, 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...
, Dick Wolf
Dick Wolf (American football)
Richard D. Wolf was a professional American football player in the early National Football League. He first played at the college level for Miami University. Wolfe then played in the NFL with the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Bulldogs. He also played in the 1926 American Football League for...
, 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...
, Ralph Vince
Ralph Vince
- References :...
, and 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...
. Despite having a potent offense and a winning record, the Panthers drew poorly at home aside from the league-opening game. The team left the AFL hours after losing to the Los Angeles Wildcats road team on October 31; they would return to independent status until folding in 1933.
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...
(some news sources referred to the team as the "L.A. Wilson Wildcats"). Named after former University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
star halfback 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:...
and owned by C. C. Pyle and Red Grange, the Wildcats were strictly a traveling team
Traveling team
In professional team sports, a traveling team is a member of a professional league that never or rarely competes in its home arena or stadium. This differs from a barnstorming team in that the latter does not compete within a league or association framework...
based in 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...
. With only one exception, the entire roster consisted of players who competed for colleges located Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. One of its 14 games was played in Toronto, Canada (December 8: New York won, 28-0). Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
was the head coach.
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...
. Owned by the New Jersey Athletic Association (William Coughlin, president) and coached by 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:...
, featured a backfield consisting of people who attended college in Georgia (Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and Oglethorpe College). The Bears scored a touchdown in its first game, a 7-7 tie with Chicago – and then did not score again in its remaining four games. Newark was the first AFL to fold, calling it quits after playing Rock Island to a scoreless tie in front of 400 fans on October 24, 1926. For its final game, Newark changed its nickname to the Demons.
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...
. Coached by Ralph Scott, the Yankees showcased Red Grange, quarterback 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 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...
Eddie Tryon, a backfield who dominated the league in all offensive categories as the team finished in second place with a 10-5 record. While the rest of the league was starving at the turnstiles, the Yankees were a consistent draw. The Yankees were the only AFL team to outlast the league itself: the league dissolved as the Yankees were on a barnstorming
Barnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
tour of the South and West, and the Yankees entered the NFL as a continuation of the just-defunct Brooklyn franchise for the 1927 season. While New York Giants owner Tim Mara was officially the owner of the “new NFL franchise”, he leased it to C. C. Pyle and Red Grange to compete as the Yankees.
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 Quakers were a revival of an independent team which played one season in 1921 as an independent (and before that, as the Union Athletic Association of Phoenixville from 1907 to 1920). Owned by L. S. Conway and coached by 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...
, the Quakers were the AFL’s only league champion, finishing with a 8-2 record and possessing a formidable line anchored by tackles Bull Boehman and Century Milstead
Century Milstead
Century Allen "Wally" Milstead was a collegiate and professional American football player. He played college football at Wabash College and at Yale University, where his play earned him All-America recognition....
. On December 12, 1926, the Quakers played an exhibition game in a snowstorm against the New York Giants in front of 5000 windblown fans, and lost 31-0. Like Chicago and the traveling Wildcats, the Quakers were still alive at the end of the sole AFL season but folded along with the league at the end of the year.
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...
. A charter member of the NFL, the Independents left the established league to make the unique accomplishment of being a charter member of a second professional football league, the AFL. Coached by 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...
, the Independents played their first three games at Rock Island and then played the rest of their games as a traveling team
Traveling team
In professional team sports, a traveling team is a member of a professional league that never or rarely competes in its home arena or stadium. This differs from a barnstorming team in that the latter does not compete within a league or association framework...
before entering oblivion on November 21, 1926.
1926 AFL standings
| Team | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | Owner | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | L. S. Conway | light blue/gold |
| 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 | 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... |
red/white/blue |
| 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 | Z. X. Zimmerman | brown/gold |
| 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 | C. C. Pyle | light brown |
| 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... |
orange/black |
| 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 | Robert McKirby | dark blue |
| 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 | A. H. Bowlby | green/white |
| 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 | Humbert Fugazy Humbert Fugazy Humbert J. Fugazy was a New York boxing promoter around the 1930s. The Fugazy Bowl is named after him in his honour. He was also the owner of the Brooklyn Horsemen of the first American Football League in 1926.-External links:*... |
maroon/black |
| 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 | William Coughlin1 | purple/white |
1 President of the New Jersey Athletic Association, the organization to whom the franchise was assigned
League leaders
The first AFL did not maintain individual statistics (the same was true of the NFL until 1934). In recent decades, researchers of the history of American football have compiled them from contemporaneous newspaper accounts. The following is reported by David S. Neft, Richard M. Cohen, and Rick Korch in The Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of Professional Football, From 1892 to the Present.Scoring
| Name | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| Eddie Tryon | New York | 72 |
| 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... |
Chicago | 52 |
| 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 | 50 |
| 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.... |
Philadelphia | 34 |
| 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... |
Cleveland | 31 |
| 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:... |
Los Angeles | 25 |
| Johnny Mohardt | Chicago | 24 |
| Adrian Ford Adrian 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... |
Philadelphia | 18 |
| 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.... |
New York | 18 |
| Bob Dinsmore | Philadelphia | 17 |
| 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... |
Los Angeles | 14 |
8 tied with 12 points each
Touchdown Passes
| Name | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| 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:*... |
New York | 7 |
| Al Michaels Al Michaels (American football) Alton Court Michaels was an American football running back.After attending Ohio State University, he joined the Akron Pros of the National Football League, and played a total of 14 games for the team in the 1923 and 1924 seasons, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 1923... |
Cleveland | 4 |
| Wildcat Wilson | Los Angeles | 4 |
| Red Grange | New York | 2 |
| Johnny Scott Johnny Scott Johnny Scott may refer to:*Johnny Scott , defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League*Johnny Scott , jazz vocalist and tenor saxophonist... |
Chicago | 2 |
| Harry Stuhldreher Harry Stuhldreher Harry Augustus Stuhldreher was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played quarterback at University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924, where he was a three-time All-American and member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield... |
Brooklyn | 2 |
8 tied with one touchdown pass each
Touchdown Receptions
| Name | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| Red Grange | New York | 3 |
| Cookie Cunningham Cookie Cunningham Harold Brewer "Cookie" Cunningham was an American professional football player, basketball player, and basketball coach.... |
Cleveland | 2 |
| Red Maloney Red Maloney Gerald Stack Maloney was a professional football player who spent three seasons in the National Football League with the Providence Steam Roller, New York Yankees and the Boston Bulldogs. Red also played in the first American Football League with the Yankees, in 1926 and followed that team to the... |
New York | 2 |
| Eddie Tryon | New York | 2 |
19 tied with one touchdown catch each
Rushing Touchdowns
| Name | Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| Eddie Tryon | New York | 6 |
| Red Grange | New York | 4 |
| Johnny Mohardt | Chicago | 4 |
| Dave Noble | Cleveland | 3 |
| Joey Sternaman | Chicago | 3 |
| Duke Morrison | Los Angeles | 2 |
15 tied with one touchdown run each
Field Goals
| Name | Team | FG |
|---|---|---|
| Joey Sternaman | Chicago | 9 |
| Al Kreuz | Philadelphia | 8 |
| Bob Dinsmore | Philadelphia | 3 |
| Dave Elliott Dave Elliott Dave Elliott is a former English professional footballer and manager.A midfielder, he began his career as an apprentice at before moving to and . In 1975 he joined as player/manager and made 21 Football League appearances in the 1975–76 season before joining as player/manager... |
Cleveland Philadelphia |
2 |
| 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... |
Los Angeles | 2 |
| Dick Reed | Los Angeles | 2 |
| Eddie Tryon | New York | 1 |
| Art Coglizer | New York | 1 |
| Carl Etelman | Boston | 1 |
| Erwin Gehrke Erwin 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.... |
Boston | 1 |
| Guy Roberts Guy 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... |
Cleveland | 1 |
Demise of the first AFL
While a new nine-team AFL was competing against a National Football League that expanded to 26 teams for the 1926 season, optimism yielded to economic reality for both leagues as most professional football franchises were on financially shaky ground. The war for talent and audience had a disastrous effect on all but the strongest teams. Of the 31 teams that were in existence in 1926, only 12 survived to play in 1927.While the Yankees and the Quakers were consistently drawing large crowds, the rest of the AFL were not, and one by one AFL franchises were going out of business, even with the financial assistance of C. C. Pyle. The first sign of trouble occurred in mid-October, when Rock Island played its last home game (of three consecutive) and started wandering like the Wildcats. The following week, Brooklyn played its third (and last) home game in the AFL, in front of mainly empty stands. On October 24, 1926, the Newark Bears changed its nickname to the Demons, played a scoreless tie with Rock Island, and disbanded hours after the end of the game. The following week saw the end of the Cleveland franchise.
November 1926 wasn't much brighter for the house of cards
House of cards
A house of cards is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other. House of cards is also an expression which dates back to 1645 meaning; a structure or argument built on a shaky foundation or one that will collapse if a necessary element is removed...
that was the American Football League. The Brooklyn Horsemen left the league when it merged with its NFL cousins, the Lions, and played the last three games of its existence (three shutout losses) as the Horsemen. By the middle of the month, the Boston Bulldogs called it quits, as did Rock Island a week later. By Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
of 1926, there were only four teams operating in the AFL (New York, Chicago, the Wildcats, and Philadelphia), with only the Quakers making a profit for the year and Pyle was spending money to keep the other three teams afloat.
As the Yankees went on a barnstorming tour and the Quakers repeatedly tried to arrange for a game between champions of the two leagues, the Wildcats officially became inactive (in reality, they were touring with the Yankees as the "designated opponent"). The New York Giants (seventh place) accepted the Quakers' challenge, opting for a game in 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...
on December 12, 1926. The Quakers hopes for both football credibility and a financial windfall evaporated in a blustery snowstorm as only 5000 witnessed complete domination of the AFL champs by the Giants. The final score was 31-0.
The same day, the Chicago Bulls and the New York Yankees met for the last American Football League game in Comiskey Park. The Yankees won, 7-3. The league was no more.