Muncie Flyers
Encyclopedia
The Muncie Flyers from Muncie, Indiana
played in the National Football League
(then called the American Professional Football Association) from 1920-1921.
, Dunkirk
and Alexandria
. In 1916 the Congerville Athletic Club team and the Congerville Flyers team merged and Muncie was represented by the Congerville Flyers.
and the influenza
epidemic. In September 1917, Earl Ball
announced that he had organized a team. Scheduled to be on this team were famous college players: Dick Abrel of Purdue
and Al Feeney of Notre Dame
. Also scheduled to play was Christian Chambers formerly of the Fort Wayne Friars
. The team was to be led by local hero, Cooney Checkaye
. Ball invited 10 more players to come to practice the next morning. However, a week later on September 9, 1917, Ball announced that he had released all the players that he had signed and that he would not be fielding a team due to the war. Local press was convinced that had Muncie fielded this team, it would have no doubt been strong contenders for the state championship. In 1918 Muncie did not field a team.
, the Flyers were one of the original 14 teams in the American Professional Football Association, which later became the National Football League
. In the second ever NFL game the Rock Island Independents
destroyed the Muncie Flyers 45-0. The following week the Decatur Staleys cancelled their game with the Flyers. Muncie found it difficult to schedule another game. While the team was idle, most of its players signed on to play with other local teams. The Flyers did have a game scheduled against the Dayton Triangles
on November 7, 1920, but that game was rained out. The Flyers came back in late November and early December and won 3 non-APFA games, finishing with an 3-1-0 overall (0-1-0 APFA) record. Coming back to the APFA in 1921
, the Flyers opened the season by crushing the non-APFA Elwood Legion, then lost league games against the Evansville Crimson Giants
, and a loss at home against the Cincinnati Celts
. Scheduled to play again on November 13, 1921 against the Green Bay Packers
, that game was cancelled, leaving the Flyers with a 1-2-0 overall (0-2-0 APFA) record. 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 was referred to as the Jonesboro Flyers in 1925 and played 9 of 11 games in Jonesboro and finished with a 6-2-3 record.
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...
played in 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...
(then called the American Professional Football Association) from 1920-1921.
Origins
The origins of the team show that it evolved from the Congerville (Muncie) Athletic Club, which dates back to at least 1905. Local newspapers provided spotty coverage of the team. An occasional reference was made to a game being scheduled and sometimes the game results with a brief game account was in the Monday paper. In 1910, the Congerville Athletic Club finished with a near-perfect 10-0-1 record, outscoring their opponents 145-0. All of the home games were played against other local Muncie teams, while the road games were played in nearby Hartford CityHartford City, Indiana
Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year “boom” beginning in the late 1880s...
, Dunkirk
Dunkirk, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,646 people, 1,093 households, and 746 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,351.4 people per square mile . There were 1,214 housing units at an average density of 1,078.8 per square mile...
and Alexandria
Alexandria, Indiana
Alexandria is a city in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is about northeast of Indianapolis. It is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 1916 the Congerville Athletic Club team and the Congerville Flyers team merged and Muncie was represented by the Congerville Flyers.
The Flyers
The Congerville Muncie Flyers evolved from a team called the Congerville Thirds This team was later renamed the Congerville Flyers. The 1915 edition of the Flyers proved to be a respectable team, finishing with a 5-3-3 record. Their star player was local player, Cooney Checkeye. Playing all its games on the road, the 1916 Flyers had a disappointing year, finishing with a 2-6-1 record. Also representing Congerville in 1915 and 1916 was the Congerville Eagles. This lightweight team was closely associated with the Flyers, sometimes lending the heavyweight team a player or two when they were short due to injuries.World War I
The Congerville Flyers played briefly in 1917, but they did not field a team in 1918 due to the United States involvement in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
epidemic. In September 1917, Earl Ball
Earl Ball
Earl Wayne Ball was a co-owner of the Muncie Flyers from 1917 until 1922, as well as a co-founder of the American Professional Football Association ....
announced that he had organized a team. Scheduled to be on this team were famous college players: Dick Abrel of Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and Al Feeney of 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...
. Also scheduled to play was Christian Chambers formerly of the Fort Wayne Friars
Fort Wayne Friars
The Fort Wayne Friars were an early professional football team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team, which was also known as the Friars Athletic Association, consistently fielded good and noteworthy teams...
. The team was to be led by local hero, Cooney Checkaye
Cooney Checkaye
Severin Joseph Checkaye 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.-Early football career:...
. Ball invited 10 more players to come to practice the next morning. However, a week later on September 9, 1917, Ball announced that he had released all the players that he had signed and that he would not be fielding a team due to the war. Local press was convinced that had Muncie fielded this team, it would have no doubt been strong contenders for the state championship. In 1918 Muncie did not field a team.
The NFL era
With the war ended, football came back to life in eastern Indiana. The Flyers played some strong teams, including the Wabash Athletic Association, Fort Wayne War Vets and Cincinnati Celts. The 1919 team finished with an 4-1-1 record. In 19201920 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 were one of the original 14 teams in the American Professional Football Association, which later became 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...
. In the second ever NFL game 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...
destroyed the Muncie Flyers 45-0. The following week the Decatur Staleys cancelled their game with the Flyers. Muncie found it difficult to schedule another game. While the team was idle, most of its players signed on to play with other local teams. The Flyers did have a game scheduled against 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...
on November 7, 1920, but that game was rained out. The Flyers came back in late November and early December and won 3 non-APFA games, finishing with an 3-1-0 overall (0-1-0 APFA) record. Coming 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 Flyers opened the season by crushing the non-APFA Elwood Legion, then 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 a loss at home against 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...
. 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...
, that game was cancelled, leaving the Flyers with a 1-2-0 overall (0-2-0 APFA) record. 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.
Post-NFL
After leaving the APFA, the Muncie Flyers reverted back to their original name of the Congerville Flyers. Due to weak fan support, the Flyers played almost all their games on the road from in 1922, 1923 and 1924. The Flyers did play one home game in 1924, that was against the Notre Dame Reserves of Brownson Hall. The Flyers lost 47-0. Some speculate that the team they played was not really reserves from Notre Dame, but the strong South Bend Arrows. During those 3 years, the road-bound Flyers finished with a respectable 10-8-3 record. In 1925, the Flyers could not find a home field in Muncie, so they based their team out of neighboring JonesboroJonesboro, 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 ....
. The team was referred to as the Jonesboro Flyers in 1925 and played 9 of 11 games in Jonesboro and finished with a 6-2-3 record.
Season-by-season
| Year | W | L | T | Finish | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 11 | 0 | 1 | Earl Ball Earl Ball Earl Wayne Ball was a co-owner of the Muncie Flyers from 1917 until 1922, as well as a co-founder of the American Professional Football Association .... |
|
| 1911 | 7 | 1 | 2 | Earl Ball | |
| 1912 | 6 | 3 | 2 | Earl Ball | |
| 1913 | 8 | 2 | 0 | Indiana State Champs | Earl Ball |
| 1914 | 5 | 3 | 1 | Earl Ball | |
| 1915 | 8 | 2 | 1 | Earl Ball | |
| 1916 | 2 | 7 | 1 | F.W. Smith | |
| 1917 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Ky Foster, Ralph Dawson, Zach Toliner | |
| 1918 | did not play | ||||
| 1919 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Cooney Checkaye Cooney Checkaye Severin Joseph Checkaye 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.-Early football career:... |
|
| 1920 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14th APFA | Ken Huffine Ken Huffine Kenneth Wilbur Huffine was a professional football player-coach who played in the National Football League from 1920 until 1925. During that time, he played for the Muncie Flyers, Chicago Staleys and the Dayton Triangles. He was a member of the Staleys' 1921 Championship team. The Staleys were... |
| 1921 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18th APFA | Cooney Checkaye |
| 1922 | 5 | 1 | 3 | Cooney Checkaye | |
| 1923 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Cooney Checkaye | |
| 1924 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Cooney Checkaye | |
| 1925 | 6 | 2 | 3 | Cooney Checkaye | |
| 1926 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Incomplete | |