American Football Leagues Era Timeline 1920-1959

All-America Football Conference Logo [Ref: 8]

National Football League Teams 1920-1959

NumberTeamsYears Active
Ohio League founding members of APFA
AAkron Pros1920-1922
BCanton Bulldogs1920-1926
CRock Island Independents1920-1925
DDayton Triangles1920-1929
American Pro Football Association 1920-1921
1Decatur Staleys1920
2Buffalo All-Americans1920-1923
3Chicago Cardinals1920-1959
4Rochester Jeffersons1920-1925
5Cleveland Tigers1920
6Chicago Tigers1920
7Muncie Flyers1920
8Chicago Staleys1921
9Cleveland indians1921
10Evansville Crimson Giants1921-1922
11Green Bay Packers1921-present
12Washington Senators1921
13Minneapolis Marines1921-1924
14Tonawanda Kardex1921
15Louisville Brecks1921-1923
16New York Giants1921; 1924-present
17Chicago Bears1922-present
National Football League 1922-1925
18Racine Legion1922-1924
19Milwaukee Badgers1922-1926
20Oorang Indians1922-1923
21Duluth Kelleys1923-1925
22Columbus Tigers1923-1926
23St. Louis All-Stars1923
24Cleveland Bulldogs1924-1925
25Frankford Yellowjackets1924-1931
26Buffalo Bisons1924-1925
27Kansas City Blues1924
28Kenosha Maroons1924
29Pottsville Maroons1925
30Detroit Panthers1925-1926
31Providence Steam Roller1925-1931
32Kansas City Cowboys1925-1926
NFL Consolidation Era 1926-1932
33Los Angeles Buccaneers1926
34Duluth Eskimoes1926-1927
35Buffalo Rangers1926
36Detroit Panthers1926
37Hartford Blues1926
38Brooklyn Lions1926
39Racine Tornadoes1926
40Louisville Colonels1926
41Detroit Wolverines1926
42Staten Island Stapletons1929-1932
43Orange Tornadoes1929
44Minneapolis Red Jackets1929-1930
45Brooklyn Dodgers1930-1944
46Portsmouth Spartans1930-1933
47Newark Tornadoes1930
48Boston Braves1932
NFL Championship Era 1933-1959
49Philadelphia Eagles1933-present
50Pittsburgh Pirates1933-1939
51Cincinnati Reds1933-1934
52Boston Redskins1933-1936
53Detroit Lions1934-present
54St. Louis Gunners1934
55Cleveland Rams1937-1944
56Washington Redskins1937-present
57Pittsburgh Steelers1940
58Phil-Pitt Steagles1943
59Boston Yanks1944-1948
60Brooklyn Tigers1944
61Card-Pitt1944
62Los Angeles Rams1946-1994; 2019-present
62New York Bulldogs1949
64The Yanks (Boston-Brooklyn)1951
National Football League teams 1920-1959 [Ref: 1]

American Football Leagues Timeline 1926-1959

NumberTeamsYears Active
American Football League I 1926
1Philadelphia Quakers1926
2New York Yankees1926
3Cleveland Panthers1926
4Los Angeles Wildcats1926
5Chicago Bulls1926
6Boston Bulldogs1926
7Brooklyn Horsemen1926
8Newark Bears1926
American Football League II 1934
9St. Louis Blues1934
10Kansas City Blues1934
11Louisville Bourbons1934
12Dallas Rams1934
13Charlotte Bantams1934
14Tulsa Oilers1934
15Memphis Tigers1934
American Football League III 1936-1937
16Boston Shamrocks1936-1937
17Pittsburgh Americans1936-1937
18Rochester Tigers1936-1937
19Brooklyn Tigers1936-1937
20Los Angeles Bulldogs1936-1937
21Cincinnati Bengals1936-1937
American Football League IV 1938-1939
22East Chicago Indians1938-1939
23Louisville Tanks1938-1939
24Nashville Rebels1938-1939
25Cincinnati Blades1938-1939
26Dayton Rosies1938-1939
27Columbus Bullies1938-1939
28Dayton Bombers1938-1939
29Kenosha Cardinals1938-1939
American Football League V 1940-1941
30Milwaukee Chiefs1940-1941
31Boston Bears1940-1941
32Buffalo Indians1940-1941
Pacific Coast Pro Football League 1940-1948
33Hollywood Bears1940-1942; 1948
34Oakland Giants1940
35Phoenix Panthers1940
36San Diego Bombers1940-1946
37San Francisco Bay Packers1941-1944
38Los Angeles Mustangs1942-1943
39Richmond Boilermakers1943
40Alameda Mustangs1943
41San Jose Mustangs1944-1945
42Hollywood Wolves1944
43San Francisco Clippers1945-1948
44Tacoma Indians1946
45Sacramento Nuggets1946-1947
46Salt Lake City Seagulls1946-1947
47Hawaiian Warriors1946-1948
48Long Beach Bulldogs1948
American Football League VI 1944
49Hollywood Rangers1944
50Seattle Bombers1944
51Portland Rockets1944
52San Diego Gunners1944
53Oakland Hornets1944
All-America Football Conference 1946-1949
54Miami Seahawks1946
55Cleveland Browns1946-present
56San Francisco 49’ers1946-present
57Los Angeles Dons1946-1949
58Chicago Rockets1946-1948
59Brooklyn-New York Yankees1949
60Buffalo Bills1947-1949
61Chicago Hornets1949
62Baltimore Colts1947-1951
National-American Football League 1950-1954
63New York Yanks1950-1951
64Dallas Texans1952
American Football League 1926-1959 [Ref: 1-7]

Irish Born NFL & AFL players 1920-1959

Bertie Maher, DE, who was born in Co. Mayo, played Defensive End for the Detroit Heralds in 1920. [2][3]

Bob Nash, DE/OT, who was born in Collinstown, Ireland, Played Defensive End & Offensive Tackle for the Akron Pros in 1920 , Buffalo All-Americans in 1921-1923, Rochester Jeffersons 1924 , New York Giants 1925 [2][7]

Tom McGlaughlin, FB, who was born in Ireland, played Fullback for the Tonawanda Kardex in 1921.[2][4]

Con O’Brien, OT, who was born in Ireland, Played Offensive Tackle for the New York Giants in 1921 [2][8]

Brian McGrath, OG, who was born in Ireland, played Offensive Guard for the Louisville Brecks in 1922. [2][5]

Francis Fitzgerald, BB-DB, who was born in Co. Kerry, played Defensive Back for the Toledo Maroons in 1923 [2][6]

Note:

[1] New York Yankees moved from AFL to NFL in 1927.

[2] Cleveland Rams moved from AFL to NFL in 1937.

[3] Cincinnati Bengals and a number of other teams were in numerous AFL’s.

[4] Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49’ers and Baltimore Colts moved from AAFC to NFL in 1950.

[5] Buffalo Bills & Cincinnati Bengals not same teams as current NFL teams. NFL reused the names.

[6] National Football League known as National-American Football League from 1950-1952 following merger of National Football League and All-America Football Conference, with two Conferences (National & American) replacing Eastern & Western Division . Reverted to NFL name in 1953.

[7] Four teams – the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Rock Island Independents and Dayton Triangles were members of the Ohio League (1901-1919) and became founder members of the American Professional Football Association in 1920.

[8] The American Professional Football Association (1920-1921) changed its name to the National Football League in 1922.

[9] The National Football League operated as the only Pro Football League from 1922-1925, and in 1926 made the decision to consolidate its players on a smaller number of financially successful teams.

[10] The American Football League of 1926 was the first Major Rival to the NFL to use the AFL name.

[11] The first scheduled National Football League Championship Game took place in 1933.

References

Bibliography

[1] National Football League (2014) “Past Standings” 2014 Official NFL Record & Factbook” pg. 350-399. National football League, Time Home Entertainment. 2014.

Websites

[2] Pro Football Hall of Fame (2005) American Football League Standings (1936-37) [Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballhof.com/news/american-football-league-standings-1936-37/ [Accessed 5 June 2017]

[3] Bob Gill, The Coffin Corner, Pro Football Researchers Association (1989) Back Before Bengalmania – Cincinnati’s First Brush with the Big Time – [Internet] Available from: http://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/11-05-379.pdf [Accessed 9 October 2018]

[4] Pro Football Archives (2019) 1938 | American Football League [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1938.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[5] Pro Football Archives (2019) 1939 | American Football League [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1939.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[6] Pro Football Hall of Fame (2005) American Football League (1940-1941) [Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballhof.com/news/american-football-league-1940-1941/ [Accessed 5 June 2017]

[7] Pro Football Hall of Fame (2005) All-America Football Conference (AAFC) Standings (1946-1949) [Internet] Available from: http://www.profootballhof.com/news/all-america-football-conference-aafc-standings-1946-1949/ [Accessed 5 June 2017]

Images

[8] Wikipedia (2018) All-America Football Conference Logo [Internet] Available from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/All-America_Football_Conference_%28logo%29.png [Accessed 8 October 2018]

Websites

[9] The Growth of a Game (2015) The Complete List of European NFL Players [Internet] Available from: https://www.growthofagame.com/2015/03/the-complete-list-of-european-nfl-players/ [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[10] Pro Football Archives (2019) Detroit Heralds 1920 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1920apfadet.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[11] Pro Football Archives (2019) Tonawanda Kardex 1921 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1921apfaton.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[12] Pro Football Archives (2019) Louisville Brecks 1922 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1922nfllou.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[13] Pro Football Archives (2019) Toledo Maroons 1923 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1923nfltol.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[14] Pro Football Archives (2019) Bob Nash [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/playern/nash00200.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[15] Pro Football Archives (2019) New York Giants 1921 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1921apfany.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[16] Pro Football Archives (2019) Bert Maher [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerm/mahe00200.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

[17] Pro Football Archives (2019) Brian McGrath [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerm/mcgr00400.html [Accessed 11 October 2019]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Decy Maher and John Kane.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish, North American & World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 7 March 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.Advertisements

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