The Brooklyn Dodgers were an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
team that played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five pro ...
of the baseball
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
's team, the
Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1945, because of financial difficulties and the increasing scarcity of major league-level players because of the war-time defense requirements at the height of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the team was merged with the
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...
and were known as the Yanks for that season.
This old NFL franchise was not related to the earlier (second incarnation)
American Football League II with a franchise that played as the
Brooklyn Tigers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field of the baseball National League's team, the Broo ...
for the first half of the 1936 season before moving to
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
and playing as the Rochester Tigers. Another NFL team that played in the Brooklyn borough was the Brooklyn Lions (which became the
Brooklyn Horsemen after merging with a team from an earlier first incarnation
AFL of the same name) in 1926.
In 1946, co-owner and partner
Dan Topping
Daniel Reid Topping (June 11, 1912 – May 18, 1974) was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to 1964. During Topping's tenure as chief executive of the Yankees, the team won 14 American League pennants and ...
(1912–1974) pulled the Tigers team out of the old NFL and placed it in the newly established rival professional league – the
All-America Football Conference, which shortly lasted until 1949, until several stronger teams from the AAFC merged with and entered a reorganized NFL in 1950.
History
Early years
The team began play in 1930 after two Brooklyn businessmen bought the
Dayton Triangles for $2,500 and moved the NFL franchise to Ebbets Field. These two individuals were
Bill Dwyer, a past owner of the
New York Americans
The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...
and
Pittsburgh Pirates of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, and
Jack Depler, a player-coach for the NFL's
Orange Tornadoes
The Orange Tornadoes and Newark Tornadoes were two manifestations of a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1941 and from 1958 to 1970, having played in the American Amateur Football Union from ...
. Dwyer and Depler then renamed the Triangles the Brooklyn Dodgers, borrowing the name of
Brooklyn's then major league baseball team.
The 1930 Dodgers were merged with and built largely from the roster of the 1929 Tornadoes, with the Triangles' players likely being on the bench and many not being able to relocate their families during the Great Depression. The Dodgers finished fourth in the NFL with a 7–4–1 record, a massive improvement upon the Triangles' disastrous final seasons in Dayton. The high point of their season consisted of a 7–6 upset over the
New York Giants at the end of November. The Dodgers star back was
Jack McBride
John F. McBride (November 30, 1901–October 11, 1966) was an American football player who played the positions of halfback, fullback, and quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. McBride pla ...
, a former Giant. He led the league in scoring with a total of 56 points in 1930. However, the 1931 season saw the Dodgers post a 2–12 record. Once the season ended,
Benny Friedman was brought in as the team's new
player-coach
A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...
.
The 1932 season started off promising with wins over the
Staten Island Stapletons
The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1932. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten ...
and the new
Boston Braves (later renamed the Redskins). However, the team soon hit a five-game losing streak. The streak ended with a 3–0 win over the
Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ...
, however that win was followed by four more losses. The Dodgers ended their season 3–9.
Post-Dwyer era
At the end of the 1932 season, Bill Dwyer had enough of professional football. His three years with the Dodgers had cost him an estimated $30,000. The Dodgers were then purchased by two former New York Giants players,
Chris Cagle
Christopher Norris Cagle (born November 10, 1968) is an American country music artist. He was first known for writing songs for David Kersh before signing to Virgin Records Nashville in 2000. Cagle made his debut on ''Billboard'' Hot Country Si ...
and
John Simms Kelly for $25,000.
Cap McEwen
John James "Cap" McEwan (February 18, 1893 – August 9, 1970) was an American football player and coach. He played from 1913 to 1916 as a center at the United States Military Academy, where he was a three-time All-American and captain of the ...
, a successful college football coach, was then brought in to replace Friedman, who would continue to play
tailback for the Dodgers through half of the upcoming season. The 1933 season also saw the NFL split into two divisions. The Dodgers were placed in the Eastern Division. Dodgers had a chance for first place, by posting a 5–2–1 record, however a 10–0 loss to the Giants in front of 28,000 Brooklyn fans at Ebbets Field ended that chance in November.
The following season,
Dan Topping
Daniel Reid Topping (June 11, 1912 – May 18, 1974) was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to 1964. During Topping's tenure as chief executive of the Yankees, the team won 14 American League pennants and ...
bought Chris Cagle's half of the team. Topping would later become an owner and president of baseball's
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
. Meanwhile, Cagle continued to play in the Brooklyn backfield. However, the only positive story to come out of the season for Brooklyn was the signing of
Ralph Kercheval. Kercheval would go on to become one of the great NFL kickers. He returned to play for Brooklyn for the next seven seasons. He also scored every point for the Dodgers in their last six games as they finished with a 4–7 record.
In 1935,
Paul Schissler. the former coach of the
Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ...
, took over as the Dodgers coach. However, the team's stars Cagle, Friedman, and Kelly all retired. As a result, the Dodgers line-up consisted of 15 rookies. The 1935 season did show the team posting a 5–6–1 record and second place in the Eastern Division. Over the next four seasons, the Dodgers placed either in the fourth or third place in the Eastern standings. Several of the star players to wear a Dodgers uniform during this time included
Harold "Bunker" Hill,
Bob Wilson, and
Bill Lee. The roster also included future
Hall of Famers,
Red Badgro
Morris Hiram "Red" Badgro (December 1, 1902 – July 13, 1998) was an American football player and football coach who also played professional baseball. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
A native of Orillia, Washington ...
and
Ace Parker
Clarence McKay "Ace" Parker (May 17, 1912 – November 6, 2013) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played professional football as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–1941 ...
. Both men had played professional baseball in the
majors. Badgro played for the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
before playing in the NFL for the Giants and
Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
. Meanwhile, Parker played under
Connie Mack
Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...
, while as a member of the
Philadelphia Athletics. He is best known for hitting a
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
his first time at bat as a pinch hitter, becoming the first player in
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
history to do so. Another future Hall of Famer joined the team in 1938,
Frank Kinard. Kinard would play for Brooklyn for the rest of the franchise's history.
The Dodgers made NFL history on October 22, 1939. That day, at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers played the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in the first NFL game shown on television. The Dodgers won the game 23–14.
Jock Sutherland era
In 1940, the Dodgers chose
Jock Sutherland
John Bain Sutherland (March 21, 1889 – April 11, 1948) was an American football player and coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College (1919–1923) and the University of Pittsburgh (1924–1938) and professional football for the ...
as their team's next coach. Sutherland brought to Brooklyn the
Single-wing formation
In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation was a precursor to the modern spread or shotgun formation. The term usually connotes formations in which the snap is tossed rather than handed—formations with one wingback and a h ...
, which
he had used at
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
and
Pitt. Under Sutherland, Brooklyn finished in second place in the Eastern standings behind the Redskins. Meanwhile, Parker was awarded the
Joseph Carr Trophy as the league's Official Most Valuable Player. During this time, Dodger staples
Mike Gussie All American from West Virginia University,
Dick Cassiano and
Ben Kish, who played for Sutherland at Pitt;
George Cafego and
Banks McFadden were signed by the team.
In 1941, the team again landed in second place of the Eastern Division, behind only the Giants. Dodger
Clarence "Pug" Manders won the NFL rushing title that season with 486 yards. His title still represents the smallest number of yards carried to ever win this title.
Warren Alfson
Warren Frank Alfson (May 10, 1915June 4, 2001) was an American football guard and linebacker for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as well as the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League.
Early years
He was born and raised in Wisner, Nebraska ...
and
Merlyn Condit joined the team that season. Sutherland's 1940 and 1941 campaigns would be the most successful during the franchise's history.
Decline
Beginning in 1942, the team went into a steep decline, as World War II caused a shortage of players and fans. Coach Sutherland, along with Ace Parker and several other players left the team to join the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. Mike Getto took over the coaching duties; however, with the core of the team gone, the Dodgers sank to a 3–8–0 record. A year later, the team ended up winning only two games.
In 1944, the team was renamed the Tigers, but suffered an 0–10 regular season record. In a desperate attempt for survival, the team merged with the
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...
for the 1945 season. The merged team played four home games in Boston and one in New York, but fans from neither city cared as they finished with a 3–6–1 record. The merger occurred on April 10, 1945 after the
1945 NFL Draft
The 1945 National Football League Draft was held on April 8, 1945, at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected halfback Charley Trippi.
Player selections
Round o ...
.
Topping, the Dodgers and the AAFC
In December 1945, Topping announced his intentions to accept the
All-America Football Conference's
New York franchise. In response to this defection, the NFL immediately cancelled his NFL team franchise, and all of its players were assigned to Boston.
Meanwhile, the AAFC planted another team in Brooklyn called the
Dodgers, and the two teams would merge in 1949. Topping's Yankees employed several former Dodgers players in 1946 and 1947 such as Parker, Kinard and Manders, and the Yankees reached the AAFC Championship Game in both years (being beaten by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
in both Games).
Indirect ties to the Indianapolis Colts
The sequence of events begun by the demise of the Brooklyn Dodgers NFL team eventually resulted in the creation of what is now the
Indianapolis Colts.
The Boston Yanks moved to New York as the Bulldogs in 1949. After the 1949 season the NFL added three teams from the AAFC. The AAFC Yankees players were split between the Giants and Bulldogs. The Bulldogs renamed themselves the
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons.
Season by season overview 1949
The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's manag ...
in the same season.
After the 1951 season, Yanks owner Ted Collins sold the franchise back to the league. The NFL then sold it to a new owner, Giles Miller, who moved the team to Dallas and renamed it the
Dallas Texans. Miller returned his franchise to the league in the middle of the 1952 season, and the NFL operated it as a traveling team before folding it at the end of the season. In 1953, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to a
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
-based group and awarded it the remains of the Texans organization. The team, named the Colts, relocated to Indianapolis in 1984. However, the NFL currently does not consider the Colts to be a continuation of the franchise once known as the Brooklyn Dodgers.
First-round draft selections
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Multi-time Pro Bowlers
The Dodgers are the only defunct franchise to send a player to the Pro Bowl/All-Star Game multiple times apart from the
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons.
Season by season overview 1949
The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's manag ...
'
Brad Ecklund.
Multi-time Pro Bowlers, 1938–1951. Pro-Football-Reference.
/ref>
* Frank "Bruiser" Kinard (5 times)
*Perry Schwartz
Perry Schwartz (April 27, 1915 – January 4, 2001)
Son of Henry & Maude (nee Perry) Swartz, was a professional American football end. He played five seasons with the National Football League's Brooklyn Dodgers (1938–1942) and the All-America F ...
(4 times)
* Clarence "Pug" Manders (3 times)
Season-by-season
References
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooklyn Dodgers (Nfl)
American football teams established in 1930
American football teams disestablished in 1945
Defunct National Football League teams
Defunct American football teams in New York City
1930 establishments in New York City
1945 disestablishments in New York (state)