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Detroit (1920s NFL teams)

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For the current Detroit NFL franchise, see Detroit Lions.
Detroit (1920s NFL teams era)
Founded1905 (Heralds/Tigers)
1925 (Panthers)
1928 (Wolverines)
Folded1921 (Heralds/Tigers)
1926 (Panthers)
1928 (Wolverines)
Based inDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
LeagueOhio League (1911–1919)
American Professional Football Association (1920–1921)
National Football League (1925–1926, 1928)
Team historyDetroit Heralds (1905–1920)
Detroit Tigers (1921)
Detroit Panthers (1925–1926)
Detroit Wolverines (1928)
Team colorsRed, white (Heralds)
   
Orange, black, white (Tigers)
     
Blue, gold, white (Panthers)
     
Blue, white (Wolverines)
   
Home field(s)Navin Field (Heralds, Tigers, Panthers)
Dinan Field (Wolverines)

Detroit had four early teams in the National Football League before the Detroit Lions. The Heralds played in 1920, and had played as an independent as far back as 1905. The Tigers, a continuation of the Heralds, played in 1921, folding midseason and sending their players to the Buffalo All-Americans. The Panthers competed from 1925 to 1926 and the Wolverines in 1928.

Team histories

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Detroit Heralds/Tigers

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In 1905, several University of Detroit football players, led by Bill Marshall, organized the Heralds as an amateur team after the university did not field a squad.[1][2] While the university's football team resumed play in 1906, the Heralds continued to play as an amateur team.[1][2] In 1911, the team dropped its amateur status and became semi-professional.[3][4] In 1916, several out-of-town players were brought in to replace some of the older players, several of whom had been with the Heralds since 1905.[3]

Despite not being based in Ohio, the Heralds played many of their games against teams in the Ohio League.[3] In 1917, the team recorded an 8–2 record, their only losses coming at the hands of the Ohio League champion Canton Bulldogs and a military team from Battle Creek.[3][5] The Heralds were a rarity in 1918; while most teams either stopped play or reduced their schedules to only local teams because of World War I and the flu pandemic, the Heralds continued to play a full schedule and even travel to other cities, accruing a 6–2 record with both losses coming to the Ohio League champion Dayton Triangles.[3] In 1919, as the suspended teams resumed play and travel restrictions eased significantly, the Heralds went 1–4–2, including losses to the Bulldogs and the Massillon Tigers.[6]

In 1920, the American Professional Football Association, predecessor to the National Football League, was established. While the Heralds did not officially join the association, they are listed in league standings for the season.[3][4] Overall, the Heralds went 2–3–3.[7]

The Heralds were reorganized into the Detroit Tigers, after the city's Major League Baseball team, for the 1921 season.[1] However, after a tie and a win in their first two games, the Tigers lost the next five.[8] Several players complained about not getting paid and left the team during the season. As a result, the Tigers officially folded in mid-November. Its remaining players were given to the Buffalo All-Americans.[3]

Detroit Panthers

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In 1925, Detroit fielded its second NFL franchise, the Detroit Panthers. The team was organized by future Hall of Famer, Jimmy Conzelman.[9][10] Conzelman was a quarterback who had recently played with the Decatur Staleys, Rock Island Independents and the Milwaukee Badgers.[10] Conzelman served as the team's owner, coach, and starting quarterback.[9] The Panthers started the season 8–1. However, a 6–3 upset loss to the Independents on Thanksgiving Day knocked them out of first place and they ended the season in third with a 8–2–2 record.[11][12][13]

The Panthers hoped to build on their 1925 season, but they opened the 1926 season with an 0–3 record. After rallying to a 4–0–2 record in their next six games, they lost their last three.[14] Conzelman gave up the franchise and joined the Providence Steam Rollers as player-coach.[9][10]

Detroit Wolverines

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Benny Friedman

Following the 1927 season, the Cleveland Bulldogs were sold to a group of investors, who moved the team to Detroit.[9] Coached by LeRoy Andrews, the team was renamed the Detroit Wolverines. They were named after quarterback Benny Friedman's alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines.[9] The Wolverines finished their 1928 season in third place with a 7–2–1 record, losing only to the Providence Steam Rollers and the Frankford Yellow Jackets, the NFL's first and second place teams.[15][16]

During the offseason, Tim Mara, the owner of the New York Giants, was interested in acquiring Friedman. Rather than simply trade for Friedman, Mara bought the entire Wolverines franchise and promptly deactivated it, delivering Friedman and other star Wolverines players to New York.[3][9][17] The NFL would not return to the Motor City for six years, until the Portsmouth Spartans became the Detroit Lions in 1934.[18]

Past Thanksgiving Day games

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While the Lions are well known for playing on Thanksgiving Day, the other Detroit teams had a history of playing on Thanksgiving Day as well:

Pro Football Hall of Famers

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Main article: Pro Football Hall of Fame
Detroit Heralds / Tigers / Panthers / Wolverines Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
— Jimmy Conzelman HB/QB
Coach		 1925–1926 1964[21]
— Benny Friedman QB 1928 2005[22]

Season-by-season

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Year W L T Finish Coach
Heralds 1920 2 3 3 9th Bill Marshall
Tigers 1921 1 5 1 16th
Panthers 1925 8 2 2 3rd Jimmy Conzelman
1926 4 6 2 12th
Wolverines 1928 7 2 1 3rd LeRoy Andrews

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bak, Richard (January 6, 2012). "Pro football struggled in Detroit during the Roaring '20s". Vintage Detroit. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Detroit Titans Year by Year Football History" (PDF). Detroit Titans. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Griffith, R. D. (2012). To the NFL: You Sure Started Somethin' A Historical Guide of All 32 NFL Teams and the Cities They've Played In. Dorrance Publishing Company, Inc. p. 138. ISBN 978-1434916815.
  4. ^ a b Maxymuk, John (2012). NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920-2011. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 383. ISBN 978-0786465576.
  5. ^ "'Pro' Champs Are Beaten by Officers". Detroit Free Press. November 12, 1917. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  6. ^ "1919 Detroit Heralds". The Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  7. ^ "Detroit Heralds 1920 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  8. ^ "Detroit Tigers 1921 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Bak, Richard (January 7, 2012). "Pro football struggled in Detroit during the Roaring 20s (Part II)". Vintage Detroit. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Schubert, Bill (1997). "JIMMY CONZELMAN" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Rozendaal, Neal (2012). Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 100. ISBN 978-0786469574.
  12. ^ "Detroit Panthers 1925 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  13. ^ "1925 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  14. ^ "Detroit Panthers 1926 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  15. ^ "Detroit Wolverines 1928 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "1928 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  17. ^ "Benny Friedman To Lead Giants". Detroit Free Press. July 18, 1929. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  18. ^ Barnett, C. Robert (1980). "THE PORTSMOUTH SPARTANS" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  19. ^ Cook, William A. (2011). Jim Thorpe: A Biography. McFarland & Company Inc. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-0786463558.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Thanksgiving Day Games". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  21. ^ "Jimmy Conzelman". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  22. ^ "Benny Friedman". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
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