Rock Island Independents
[1][2][3] Pro Football Hall of Fame alumni Jimmy Conzelman (1920–1921), Joe Guyon (1924), Ed Healey (1920–1922), Duke Slater (1922–1926), and Jim Thorpe (1924–1925) played for the Independents.Rock Island lost to the Marines by a score of 7–3 in front of over 6,400 fans at Douglas Park in the first game on November 4.[7][8] However, World War I and the military draft put a temporary halt to Flanigan's plans of expanding the team into new markets.It is likely that Canton's player/coach Jim Thorpe and owner Ralph Hay felt that Flanigan could not deliver on his $5,000 guarantee.On August 20, 1920, an initial meeting was held by representatives of the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles.The meeting was held at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio and resulted in the formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC).The Buffalo All-Americans, Chicago Tigers, Columbus Panhandles, and Detroit Heralds joined the league during the year.Just nine days after the league had formed, on September 26, 1920, the Independents defeated the St. Paul Ideals 48–0 in the first contest involving a member team of the APFA.[16][17] 3,100 fans were in attendance as Arnie Wyman, former Minnesota great, made his debut for the Islanders, scoring three touchdowns.Jim Thorpe, considered "the World's Greatest Athlete", joined the Independents in 1924 and the team went 5–2–2 in league play.[9] After the 1925 season, Thorpe formed a team composed primarily of his teammates from the Rock Island Independents, that would play several games throughout Florida.In a 1926 New Year's Day football exhibition, Thorpe's "Tampa Cardinals" played against the Chicago Bears led by Red Grange.The game itself was billed as a clash of old vs. new, with Grange, the rising star, taking on Thorpe, the aging legend.During the game Grange rushed for a 70-yard touchdown as the Bears notched a 17–3 victory at Plant Field in Tampa, Florida.Founding American Football League teams for 1926 were the Boston Bulldogs, Brooklyn Horsemen, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Panthers, Los Angeles Wildcats, Newark Bears, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Quakers and the Rock Island Independents.The Independents also moved from Douglas Park in Rock Island to Browning Field in neighboring Moline, Illinois for the 1926 season.
Rock Island, IllinoisUnited StatesNational Football LeagueAmerican Football League (1926)Walter FlaniganRube UrsellaFrank CoughlinJimmy ConzelmanHerb SiesJohnny ArmstrongVince McCarthyDale Johnson AFL ChampionshipDouglas ParkBrowning FieldAmerican footballAmerican Football LeaguePro Football Hall of FameJoe GuyonEd HealeyDuke SlaterJim ThorpeMolineMinneapolis MarinesWorld War Imilitary draftplayer-coachHammond ProsGeorge HalasCanton BulldogsOhio LeagueMassillon TigersRalph HayColumbus PanhandlesAkron ProsCleveland TigersDayton TrianglesHupmobileCanton, OhioDecatur StaleysChicago CardinalsMuncie FlyersRochester JeffersonsBuffalo All-AmericansChicago TigersDetroit HeraldsMassillon, OhioChicago BearsArizona CardinalsSeptember 26, 1920first officialMinnesotaDayton, OhioDecatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bearstouchdownstacklequarterbackgeneral managerRock Island High SchoolSol Butler1925 seasonFloridaNew Year's DayTampa CardinalsRed GrangePlant FieldTampa, FloridaPhily QuakersBoston BulldogsNY YankeesNewark BearsCleveland PanthersLA WildcatsChicago BullsBrooklynHorsementraveling Los Angeles franchiseC. C. PyleNew York CityElmer LaydenFour HorsemenNotre DameBrooklyn HorsemenLos Angeles WildcatsNew York YankeesPhiladelphia QuakersMoline, Illinoistraveling teamRock Island IslandersMoline PlowboysMoline High SchoolWharton Field HouseNational Basketball AssociationTri-Cities BlackhawksAtlanta HawksAmerican Professional Football AssociationNorthwest Football LeagueHammond All-StarsDetroit TigersNormal ParkTiger StadiumGreen Bay PackersHagemeister ParkChicago StaleysCubs ParkCity StadiumDetroit PanthersComiskey ParkYankee StadiumOxford University PressPro Football Researchers AssociationProfessional Football Researchers AssociationEncyclopædia BritannicaRock IslandIllinoisPlayersUrsellaCoughlinConzelmanArmstrongNFL charter membersChicago (Racine) CardinalsDefunct NFL franchisesCleveland Tigers / IndiansAkron Pros / IndiansColumbus Panhandles / TigersDetroit Heralds / Tigers / Panthers / Wolverines