Cooney Checkaye
Encyclopedia
Severin Joseph Checkaye (born 1893-1970) was a professional football
player, coach and owner. He was also a co-founder of the National Football League
. Checkaye's franchise, the Muncie Flyers
was a charter member of the league.
. By 1919, he organized a team in Muncie, Indiana
, the Congerville Flyers (a team that would later be the Muncie Flyers). Cooney soon became a star player in the region.
who owned a Hupmobile
dealership in Canton, Ohio
, a Decatur Staleys (renamed the Chicago Bears
in 1922) owner, George Halas
. Halas and Hay gathered similarly-minded men from Ohio
, Illinois
, Indiana
and New York
for a meeting in Hay’s Hupmobile showroom on September 17, 1920.
Due to the hot weather that occurred that night, a couple of the owners went to a local bar and bought several buckets of beer which they hung from the fender of one Hay’s cars. The owners then sat on the dealership's running boards and organized the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922
). After the meeting, Checkaye was the quarterback
, manager and manager of the Muncie Flyers of the brand new APFA.
at Dayton
, while Muncie played the Rock Island Independents
at Rock Island
.
With Dayton and Rock Island being in different time zones, as well as their being no standard kickoff times and the fact that newspaper accounts of the games did not give the kickoff times, so there’s no way of knowing which game started first. This means that Cooney may have played in the very first NFL game. However the Flyers lost their game to Independents, 45-0. It would be the team's only game played during the 1920 season
. The Flyers had a tough time finding teams to play against in the league. The Staleys cancelled their game against Muncie the following week and a game to be played against Dayton was rained out.
The Flyers came back to the APFA in 1921
. The team though lost league games against the Evansville Crimson Giants
, and the Cincinnati Celts
. They were scheduled to play again on November 13, 1921 against the Green Bay Packers
, however that game was cancelled, leaving the Flyers with a 0-2-0 APFA record. The team then folded. Cooney cited that the salaries, transportation and operating costs were just too steep for the team’s gate receipts.
The Flyers mark in APFA football was an unimpressive 0-3-0. But during 1920 and 1921, the Flyers posted a 4-0-0 mark against non-APFA teams. Including 1919, the Flyers posted a 8-1-1 record against non-APFA teams.
The team regrouped and began playing independently of the NFL, after 1922. Cooney renamed the team the Congerville Flyers. By 1925 the Flyers based their team out of neighboring Jonesboro
, and was called the Jonesboro Flyers. The team played 9 of 11 games in Jonesboro and finished with a 6-2-3 record, before disbanding for good that 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...
player, coach and owner. He was also a co-founder of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Checkaye's franchise, the Muncie Flyers
Muncie Flyers
The Muncie Flyers from Muncie, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920-1921.-Origins:...
was a charter member of the league.
Early football career
After graduating from high school in 1916, Cooney played semi-pro football for a team based in Wabash, IndianaWabash, Indiana
Wabash is a city in Noble Township, Wabash County, Indiana, United States. The population was 10,666 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Wabash County....
. By 1919, he organized a team in Muncie, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
, the Congerville Flyers (a team that would later be the Muncie Flyers). Cooney soon became a star player in the region.
Forming the NFL
In 1920, Checkaye represented Muncie at the meeting that formed the NFL. The meeting was set up by Ralph HayRalph Hay
Ralph E. Hay was the owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 until 1923. However he is mostly recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that would later former the American Professional Football Association, later called the National Football League....
who owned a Hupmobile
Hupmobile
The Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1940 by the Hupp Motor Company, which was located at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Its first car, the Model 20, was introduced to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in February 1909...
dealership in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, a Decatur Staleys (renamed the Chicago 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...
in 1922) owner, George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. Halas and Hay gathered similarly-minded men from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for a meeting in Hay’s Hupmobile showroom on September 17, 1920.
Due to the hot weather that occurred that night, a couple of the owners went to a local bar and bought several buckets of beer which they hung from the fender of one Hay’s cars. The owners then sat on the dealership's running boards and organized the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Football League in 1922
1922 NFL season
The 1922 NFL season was the 3rd regular season of what was now called National Football League . The NFL fielded 18 teams during the season, including new league teams such as the Milwaukee Badgers, the Oorang Indians, the Racine Legion, and the Toledo Maroons...
). After the meeting, Checkaye was the 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...
, manager and manager of the Muncie Flyers of the brand new APFA.
NFL career
Sixteen days later, the season opened with two games for Sunday October 3, 1920. The games consisted of the Columbus Panhandles playing the Dayton TrianglesDayton 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...
at Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, while Muncie played the Rock Island Independents
Rock Island Independents
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team based in Rock Island, Illinois. One of the first professional football teams, they were founded in 1907 as an independent club. They later played in what is now the National Football League from 1920 to 1925. They joined the...
at Rock Island
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 Dayton and Rock Island being in different time zones, as well as their being no standard kickoff times and the fact that newspaper accounts of the games did not give the kickoff times, so there’s no way of knowing which game started first. This means that Cooney may have played in the very first NFL game. However the Flyers lost their game to Independents, 45-0. It would be the team's only game played during the 1920 season
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...
. The Flyers had a tough time finding teams to play against in the league. The Staleys cancelled their game against Muncie the following week and a game to be played against Dayton was rained out.
The Flyers came back to the APFA in 1921
1921 NFL season
The 1921 APFA season was the 2nd regular season of the National Football League, which was then called the American Professional Football Association....
. The team though lost league games against the Evansville Crimson Giants
Evansville Crimson Giants
The Evansville Crimson Giants were a professional American football team based in Evansville, Indiana and were a part of the National Football League in 1921 and 1922. The Giants home games were played at Bosse Field...
, and 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...
. They were scheduled to play again on November 13, 1921 against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The 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...
, however that game was cancelled, leaving the Flyers with a 0-2-0 APFA record. The team then folded. Cooney cited that the salaries, transportation and operating costs were just too steep for the team’s gate receipts.
The Flyers mark in APFA football was an unimpressive 0-3-0. But during 1920 and 1921, the Flyers posted a 4-0-0 mark against non-APFA teams. Including 1919, the Flyers posted a 8-1-1 record against non-APFA teams.
The team regrouped and began playing independently of the NFL, after 1922. Cooney renamed the team the Congerville Flyers. By 1925 the Flyers based their team out of neighboring Jonesboro
Jonesboro, Indiana
Jonesboro is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States, located along the Mississinewa River opposite Gas City. The population was 1,887 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jonesboro is located at ....
, and was called the Jonesboro Flyers. The team played 9 of 11 games in Jonesboro and finished with a 6-2-3 record, before disbanding for good that year.