Washington Senators (NFL)
Encyclopedia
Washington Senators, also referred to as the Washington Pros or Washington Presidents, was a professional football club from Washington, D.C.
. The team played in the American Professional Football Association (now the National Football League
) during the 1921 season
, and continued to operate as a football club until 1941. The Senators played and practiced at American League Park
.
was appointed the team's business manager, and the squad was coached by former Georgetown
star Jack Hegarty
. The Senators would play a full 11-game schedule, however only four of those games would be against other APFA squads. The featured Benny Boynton who would be involved in all three Senator touchdown
s that were scored in APFA contests, throwing for two and running in the third.
. Led by quarterback
Bullets Watson, the victory featured touchdowns by Jack Sullivan, Watson and Dutch Leighty. The team's next opponent was the Holmesburg Athletic Club
which was based out of Holmesburg, Pennsylvania, and were made up of former college stars from Penn State, Penn
, Cornell
, Swarthmore College
, Carlisle Indian School and Lafayette
. The Senators third game was against a team from Norfolk
, after a semi-pro
team from Akron
was unable to play due to having a large number of injured players.
20-7 at home. It is unclear however if the Pros were ever apart of the AFPA. The team acknowledged that they were members of the league, however there is no record available through the AFPA or NFL documenting the team's membership. Therefore the Pros are not counted in many record books as being an AFPA or NFL franchise.
, a left-handed pitcher
for the Washington Senators baseball club
, signed with the football Senators for their November 20 against a team from Clarksburg, West Virginia
. However Clark Griffith
, the owner of the baseball
Senators, found out about his Courtney moonlighting as a football player. Griffith ordered Courtney to stop playing football or risk finding himself without a job in baseball. Indeed, Courtney gave up his football career and continued to focus only on baseball.
. Canton had a reputation was one of the nation's premier clubs. The game received a relatively large amount of hype in the local papers. Many observers saw this as Washington's big chance to show that it was a force to be taken seriously nationally. While, Canton was known for its speed, Washington came into the game with a weight advantage. Washington's average offensive lineman tipped the scales at 189 pounds
while Canton's stood at 185 pounds, while the backs registered at 171 pounds to the Bulldogs' 168 pounds. To help his team win the game, Senators head coach Jack Hegerty signed three former Canton players in an effort to tip the odds. Former Georgia Tech star Joe Guyon
, Johnny Gilroy
and Pete Calac
. The plan was to have the men come off the bench and provide support to the already sturdy starting eleven.
With tickets priced at just one dollar, approximately 4,000 showed up to American League Field to witness the game. However Canton shutout Washington, 15-0.
.
On December 5, 1921, a game was scheduled between the Jeffersons and the Senators. Due to the field being covered with snow, Rochester's manager Leo Lyons
refused to play the game rather than risk injury to his players. It has been said by some fans and historians that Lyons forfeited the game because of snowy conditions. However according to Lyons, the Senators had a poor fan turnout due to a snowstorm and said they would only pay the Jefferson team roughly $200. That amount would not allow for the team to be paid to play the game, or travel expenses for the trip back to Rochester. The game had an NFL guarantee that the Jeffersons must be paid $800 for the game regardless of anything. Lyons refused to play the game because of Washington not paying the $800 that was in the game contract.
The contract between the two teams stated that if there was a dispute as to the condition of the field, the decision would belong to the home team. Washington was willing to play the game, not wanting to disappoint the 400 or so fans that had showed up. After forty minutes of arguing, the game was awarded to Washington, by the score of 1-0. Later, NFL commissioner Joseph Carr
ruled in favor of Lyons and the Jeffs.
Meanwhile, the Senators were required to pay an $800 guaranteed fee to the Jeffersons for showing up regardless of whether the contest happened or not. Washington never paid, as it decided to immediately leave the APFA after the season anyway. As a result of the fine remaining unpaid, the NFL did record the game as a victory, however the Elias Sports Bureau
has not recognized this game as a forfeit and official NFL standings also say it was not a forfeit.
On December 18, 1921, Tim Jordan landed a rematch with the Canton Bulldogs, and was determined to put up a better fight. Washington reached an agreement with Penn State All-American quarterback Glenn Killinger
to play for the Senators, hoping that one of the premier collegiate players would be enough to tip the scales. However at the last moment, Killinger not only pulled out of his deal with the Senators, but also signed with the Bulldogs.
Washington found themselves in an early 14-0 deficit, after a long Killinger pass caught the Senators by surprise, and a poor Boynton punt gave Canton an easy chance to push in their second touchdown. However Washington evened the score at 14 after two long drives that ended with a Johnnie Hudson touchdown reception and a Boynton touchdown run. The game remained tied late into the game, with the Senators holding possession with just a few minutes left in the game. But Washington's Gene Vidal fumbled the ball, and Canton was able to march down the field to take the lead. After the kickoff, the Bulldogs intercepted a Washington pass and returned it for the final touchdown.
Before around 6,000 fans, the Senators again fell to the Bulldogs 28-14.
However the Senators would play one more game, while still members of the AFPA. On December 26, 1921, the Senators were scheduled to play a team of All-Stars at American League Park. The results of the game are unknown. The Senators finished the game with a 1-2-0 AFPA record.
† - Does not include the forfeit by the Rochester Jeffersons that is not officially recognized by the NFL
Led by Bullets Watson on the field and Tim Jordan off (who appears to have doubled as coach), the club did continue to function in the 1922 season as the Washington Football Club or the Washington Pros.
If this game was in fact played, Washington came out with a victory or tie.
The game featured the return of Bennie Boynton, who left the Pros to play with Toledo. For this game, Boynton switched sides and played with the Pros. Akron recorded two touchdowns and safety to remain unbeaten. The Pros relied heavily on Boynton, but could no recover from an early blocked drop-kick, which was run back for the first Arkon score.
The game against Canton came after nearly a month-long layoff, they hosted the APFA champion, and their old nemesis, the Canton Bulldogs. Canton was determined to keep their unbeaten record unblemished, and started their regular unit against the Washingtonians.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The team played in the American Professional Football Association (now 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...
) during the 1921 season
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....
, and continued to operate as a football club until 1941. The Senators played and practiced at American League Park
American League Park
American League Park was a baseball park that formerly stood in Washington, D.C., at the corner of Florida Avenue and Trinidad Avenue, NE. It hosted the Washington Senators from April 29, 1901 to September 27, 1902, when the team moved to National Park...
.
Formation
The Senators were formed specifically for the 1921 APFA season. Officials from the Washington Professional Football Club met at the Arlington Hotel on May 19, 1921 to finalize plans for the team, then referred to as the Washington Pros. Tim JordanTim Jordan (baseball)
Timothy Joseph Jordan was a professional baseball player. He was a first baseman over parts of seven seasons with the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders and Brooklyn Supurbas. He led the National League in home runs twice, in 1906 and 1908 with Brooklyn...
was appointed the team's business manager, and the squad was coached by former Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
star Jack Hegarty
Jack Hegarty
-NFL:† - Does not include the forfeit by the Rochester Jeffersons that is not officially recognized by the NFL-External links:...
. The Senators would play a full 11-game schedule, however only four of those games would be against other APFA squads. The featured Benny Boynton who would be involved in all three Senator 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:...
s that were scored in APFA contests, throwing for two and running in the third.
First non-league opponents
The Senators began their 1921 campaign with a 33-0 win over the Wilmington CollegiansWilmington College
Wilmington College is a private career-oriented liberal arts institution established by Quakers in 1870 in Wilmington, Ohio, United States. The college is accredited by the North Central Association, .-About Wilmington College:...
. Led by 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...
Bullets Watson, the victory featured touchdowns by Jack Sullivan, Watson and Dutch Leighty. The team's next opponent was the Holmesburg Athletic Club
Holmesburg Athletic Club
The Holmesburg Athletic Club was a professional football team from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that was in existence from around 1915 until 1923. The team laid claim to the Philadelphia City Championship in 1919 and 1920.-Alumni:...
which was based out of Holmesburg, Pennsylvania, and were made up of former college stars from Penn State, Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, Carlisle Indian School and Lafayette
Lafayette University
Lafayette University may mean:* Lafayette College* University of Louisiana at Lafayette* Lafayette University, also known as Notre Dame de Lafayette University, a degree mill identified in Operation Dipscam...
. The Senators third game was against a team from Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, after 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 from Akron
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...
was unable to play due to having a large number of injured players.
Syracuse Pros
After playing against 3 non-AFPA opponents, the Senators defeated the Syracuse ProsSyracuse Pros
The Syracuse Pros, also sometimes referred to as the Syracuse Eleven, were a professional American football team from Syracuse, New York. It is suspected, though not known for sure, that the team joined the American Professional Football Association in 1921 and left the same year...
20-7 at home. It is unclear however if the Pros were ever apart of the AFPA. The team acknowledged that they were members of the league, however there is no record available through the AFPA or NFL documenting the team's membership. Therefore the Pros are not counted in many record books as being an AFPA or NFL franchise.
Harry Courtney
Harry CourtneyHarry Courtney
Henry Seymour Courtney , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from - for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox....
, a left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Washington Senators baseball club
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, signed with the football Senators for their November 20 against a team from Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. However Clark Griffith
Clark Griffith
Clark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner.-Biography:...
, the owner of the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
Senators, found out about his Courtney moonlighting as a football player. Griffith ordered Courtney to stop playing football or risk finding himself without a job in baseball. Indeed, Courtney gave up his football career and continued to focus only on baseball.
AFPA debut
The Senators' APFA debut finally occurred on November 27, 1921, when they faced the Canton BulldogsCanton 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...
. Canton had a reputation was one of the nation's premier clubs. The game received a relatively large amount of hype in the local papers. Many observers saw this as Washington's big chance to show that it was a force to be taken seriously nationally. While, Canton was known for its speed, Washington came into the game with a weight advantage. Washington's average offensive lineman tipped the scales at 189 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
while Canton's stood at 185 pounds, while the backs registered at 171 pounds to the Bulldogs' 168 pounds. To help his team win the game, Senators head coach Jack Hegerty signed three former Canton players in an effort to tip the odds. Former Georgia Tech star Joe Guyon
Joe Guyon
Joseph Napoleon Guyon was a professional American football player in the National Football League...
, Johnny Gilroy
Johnny Gilroy
John Roland "Johnny" Gilroy , also known as "The Great Gilroy", was an All-American football halfback for Georgetown University and a professional football player for the Canton Bulldogs , Cleveland Tigers , Washington Senators , and Boston Bulldogs .-Early years:Sources vary as to Gilroy's date of...
and 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...
. The plan was to have the men come off the bench and provide support to the already sturdy starting eleven.
With tickets priced at just one dollar, approximately 4,000 showed up to American League Field to witness the game. However Canton shutout Washington, 15-0.
Rochester forfeit controversy
Washington was originally scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Collegians after their loss to Canton, however the plans for the game fell apart. When that happened, Tim Jordan substituted the Collegians for the Rochester JeffersonsRochester Jeffersons
The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing...
.
On December 5, 1921, a game was scheduled between the Jeffersons and the Senators. Due to the field being covered with snow, Rochester's manager Leo Lyons
Leo Lyons (American football)
Leo V. Lyons was a co-founder of the National Football League. He was a player, manager,coach and owner of the Rochester Jeffersons from 1908 to 1925.-Early career:...
refused to play the game rather than risk injury to his players. It has been said by some fans and historians that Lyons forfeited the game because of snowy conditions. However according to Lyons, the Senators had a poor fan turnout due to a snowstorm and said they would only pay the Jefferson team roughly $200. That amount would not allow for the team to be paid to play the game, or travel expenses for the trip back to Rochester. The game had an NFL guarantee that the Jeffersons must be paid $800 for the game regardless of anything. Lyons refused to play the game because of Washington not paying the $800 that was in the game contract.
The contract between the two teams stated that if there was a dispute as to the condition of the field, the decision would belong to the home team. Washington was willing to play the game, not wanting to disappoint the 400 or so fans that had showed up. After forty minutes of arguing, the game was awarded to Washington, by the score of 1-0. Later, NFL commissioner Joseph 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...
ruled in favor of Lyons and the Jeffs.
Meanwhile, the Senators were required to pay an $800 guaranteed fee to the Jeffersons for showing up regardless of whether the contest happened or not. Washington never paid, as it decided to immediately leave the APFA after the season anyway. As a result of the fine remaining unpaid, the NFL did record the game as a victory, however the Elias Sports Bureau
Elias Sports Bureau
The Elias Sports Bureau is an American company that provides historical research and statistical services in the field of professional sports.In 1913, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City...
has not recognized this game as a forfeit and official NFL standings also say it was not a forfeit.
First win and rematch with Canton
The Senators recorded their first APFA victory on December 11 against the Cleveland Indians, 7-0, before a reported 5,000 spectators.On December 18, 1921, Tim Jordan landed a rematch with the Canton Bulldogs, and was determined to put up a better fight. Washington reached an agreement with Penn State All-American quarterback Glenn Killinger
Glenn Killinger
William Glenn Killinger was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He letter in three sports at Pennsylvania State University, where he was an All-American in football in 1921...
to play for the Senators, hoping that one of the premier collegiate players would be enough to tip the scales. However at the last moment, Killinger not only pulled out of his deal with the Senators, but also signed with the Bulldogs.
Washington found themselves in an early 14-0 deficit, after a long Killinger pass caught the Senators by surprise, and a poor Boynton punt gave Canton an easy chance to push in their second touchdown. However Washington evened the score at 14 after two long drives that ended with a Johnnie Hudson touchdown reception and a Boynton touchdown run. The game remained tied late into the game, with the Senators holding possession with just a few minutes left in the game. But Washington's Gene Vidal fumbled the ball, and Canton was able to march down the field to take the lead. After the kickoff, the Bulldogs intercepted a Washington pass and returned it for the final touchdown.
Before around 6,000 fans, the Senators again fell to the Bulldogs 28-14.
However the Senators would play one more game, while still members of the AFPA. On December 26, 1921, the Senators were scheduled to play a team of All-Stars at American League Park. The results of the game are unknown. The Senators finished the game with a 1-2-0 AFPA record.
| APFA Record & Standings | ||||||||
| Year | W | L | T | Pct. | PTS-OPP | PPG-OPP | Finish | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1† | 2 | 0 | .333 | 21- 53 | 7.0-17.7 | 12th | Jack Hegarty Jack Hegarty -NFL:† - Does not include the forfeit by the Rochester Jeffersons that is not officially recognized by the NFL-External links:... |
† - Does not include the forfeit by the Rochester Jeffersons that is not officially recognized by the NFL
1922
The Senators would leave the AFPA following the 1921 season. Only three of the Senators (Benny Boynton, Pete Calac and Joe Guyon) would play in the NFL following the 1921 season.Led by Bullets Watson on the field and Tim Jordan off (who appears to have doubled as coach), the club did continue to function in the 1922 season as the Washington Football Club or the Washington Pros.
Games
- Home Opener: Akron Indians 6, Pros 0
- November 5; Pros at Baltimore
If this game was in fact played, Washington came out with a victory or tie.
- November 12; Toledo Maroons 16, Pros 0 at American League Park
The game featured the return of Bennie Boynton, who left the Pros to play with Toledo. For this game, Boynton switched sides and played with the Pros. Akron recorded two touchdowns and safety to remain unbeaten. The Pros relied heavily on Boynton, but could no recover from an early blocked drop-kick, which was run back for the first Arkon score.
- November 19; Pros vs. Rochester at American League Park
- November 26; no game
- Pros vs. Chester Shipbuilding (replacement for Pennsylvania Quakers)
- Pros vs. Canton Bulldogs
The game against Canton came after nearly a month-long layoff, they hosted the APFA champion, and their old nemesis, the Canton Bulldogs. Canton was determined to keep their unbeaten record unblemished, and started their regular unit against the Washingtonians.