Who is Art Folz, and why is he one of the most notorious villains in NFL history that you never heard about?
On this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll introduce you to Mr. Folz who was banned from the NFL for his unwitting attempt to be helpful, but then became the godfather of stock car racing in Chicago, and later a successful newspaper publisher. It’s a complicated story, but one that demonstrates the importance of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time!
During his NFL career, Mr. Folz, unfortunately, was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was banned for life. What the heck did he do?
Let's Start at the Beginning...
Art Folz was born on March 31,1903 on the south side of Chicago. As a kid, Folz loved all sports, especially track and field. In those days, individual parks in the city would sponsor teams in several sports that would compete against each other.
Art Folz first began to appear in the sports pages while in elementary school when he represented Hamilton Park on the south side as a star on the track team. While in eighth grade in 1918, Folz sparked the winning Hamilton track club in a nine-park competition by tallying ten of Hamilton’s 19 points when he captured the 440 and took third in the high jump.
Folz Scored On 70-Yard Run
In September of 1918, Folz entered Englewood High School, an athletic powerhouse in Chicago, where he quickly exhibited his football talents as a freshman.
He was the back-up quarterback for the champions of the Public High School League and played a key role in what might be termed a “post-season” battle with the suburban champions from Oak Park High School. Although Englewood dropped the battle 13-6, Folz scored on a fourth quarter 70-yard run for the only touchdown of the day for Englewood.
He then was a starter at left guard for the defending city champion Englewood basketball team where local newspapers praised Folz for his defense. By the time the 1919 football season arrived, Folz was ready to fully embrace his stardom on the gridiron and his sophomore season was nothing short of spectacular.
Englewood High School would play anyone, anywhere, so it was no surprise when the Chicago club swamped Ottawa (IL) 28-6 early in the season. Folz, now the starting quarterback, dominated the action as he scored on a 40-yard run, and then tossed a scoring pass, also from 40 yards.
A Few Fistic Encounters
In a 93-0 pasting over Lake View High School, Folz scored twice and “returned punts cleverly,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The Englewood juggernaut eventually clinched the Chicago city prep title by defeating Hyde Park 16-0 before 6,000 fans on November 1, 1919. Folz drop kicked a 35-yard field goal to aid in the scoring, but his leadership on both sides of the ball was evident throughout the contest.
The Chicago Tribune provided a glimpse into the atmosphere of this highly anticipated prep game: “Both schools were backed to the limit by their respective student bodies and the cheering and songs rivaled those at Big Ten conference games. Money, as well as a few fistic encounters, also were in evidence, as backing the teams.”
Once again on November 29, Englewood met suburban power Oak Park for the post-season Cook County crown. Despite a 72-yard scoring run in the second quarter by Folz, Englewood fell to Oak Park 33-14. But for the ever-competitive Englewood eleven, the season was not yet over! The school accepted an invitation to play Haverhill High School of Boston on December 6, 1919.
After a long, long train ride, Englewood established its headquarters at the local YMCA before heading over to Haverhill in front of a packed house exceeding 8,000 spectators. After battling to a 14-14 draw at the half, Haverhill managed to turn things up a notch in the third quarter and emerged with a 33-14 victory. Folz tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass for Englewood’s second score, but it was not enough to fend off the talented Boston crew.
The following week, the Tribune announced its All-Star team for the Chicago public schools and selected the soph quarterback as its first-team honoree. Folz is “about the best pilot in the county,” noted reporter George Shaffer. Then, in 1920, Englewood finished with an undefeated record and grabbed its third straight city title under Folz, who continued to be showered with accolades. In the post-season, James Crusinberry of the Tribune wrote:
“The most brilliant performer in the Chicago league was Art Folz, Englewood’s quarterback, and he is made captain of the [1920] All-Stars. Not in years has a prep lad come forth with such speed in open field running and such cleverness in handling and running back punts. Folz showed his generalship in running the champions in all their battles. He is 5-7 and weighs about 152, and still is growing.”
One Of The Best Quarterbacks In History!
Folz, a southpaw quarterback, continued to dominate the local prep scene in 1921 as a senior, although Englewood’s three-year grip on the city title was snapped. His masterly play on the gridiron earned him a third straight spot on the Chicago All-Star team selected by the Chicago Tribune which stated:
“Art Folz, Englewood quarterback, is awarded the position of quarterback and captain of the first team. Folz is one of the best quarters in local prep history. He is a sure passer, consistent punter, and a dangerous runner.”
So where does a player with enormous talent on the football field continue his educational career? Apparently, Folz enrolled at the nearby University of Chicago in the fall of 1922, but as a freshman, he was not on the 1922 varsity roster. Instead, Folz meandered north to Keewatin Academy in Wisconsin, a noted prep school at the time.
It was not unusual for Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg of Chicago to “stash” promising freshmen in prep schools (most notably Morgan Park Military Academy in Chicago) where these talented players could add some solid playing experience before joining the varsity squad. On November 18, 1922, the Chicago Tribune previewed an upcoming match between Keewatin and the Centre College freshman team, reporting that Keewatin would be “headed by Art Folz, shining star at Englewood.”
In April of 1923, Folz was mentioned as participating in the first spring football practice at the University of Chicago, but by the next fall, Folz was a member of–-you guessed it—the Chicago Cardinals! Folz was the starting quarterback in the season-opening exhibition as the Cards defeated the local Opals 13-0 with Folz contributing an extra point.
Whenever the Hall of Famer Paddy Driscoll was injured or absent, Folz picked up the starting QB duties, and also played halfback throughout the season. With Driscoll out with an illness against the Oorang Indians on December 2, 1923, Folz scored on a two-yard plunge and added an extra point as the Cardinals won 22-19.
Two Days Per Season
In all, Folz played for three seasons with the Cardinals from 1923-1925, and was a steady and reliable member of the squad during that time period. In 1952, Folz reflected on his NFL career in a Chicago Tribune interview and provided some insightful information on the salary structure for the pros in the 1920s:
“What I most remember is that we usually had two pay days a season. The first one was after the first game against the Bears, the next one after the return match. But Chris O’Brien, the Cards’ owner, always came up with the checks. My first one was for $50 [per game], but later I made $75. Par for an All-American lineman in my years with the Cards, 1922 through 1925, was $125.”
It was near the end of the 1925 campaign that the NFL career of Folz came screeching to a sudden halt. Here’s the quick background (which is covered in considerably more depth in my book Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL’s Oldest Rivalry)…
On December 6, 1925 the Chicago Cardinals and the Pottsville Maroons met at Comiskey Park in Chicago in a battle for first place in the NFL. Some called it the league championship game, although the season would not officially conclude until December 20, 1925. Pottsville prevailed 21-7 leaving the Maroons in first place with a 10-2 record, while the Cardinals fell to 9-2-1.
With two weeks left in the season, Cardinals’ manager Chris O’Brien quickly scheduled two home games hoping to edge past the Maroons in the league standings. The Cardinals blasted the Milwaukee Badgers 58-0 on December 10 and then the Hammond Pros 13-0 on December 12. While each of these clubs were NFL members, both had apparently concluded their seasons well before these match-ups. Hammond had not played since November 1 while Milwaukee had been idle since November 22.
Milwaukee Was Short of Players
Nevertheless, both accepted the invitation to play the Cardinals, and as expected, both fell to the Cards. The Cardinals were now 11-2-1, a step ahead of Pottsville (10-2) in the standings. But then, rumors began to flourish regarding the roster of the Milwaukee team. Apparently, the Badgers would arrive in Chicago without a full complement of players.
Art Folz, who was so well known in Chicago football circles, was asked to find some additional semi-pro players to fill out the Milwaukee roster as needed. Always willing to help, Folz accepted the responsibility and did find four players and they played in the December 10 clash under assumed names.
Unfortunately, Folz recruited four high school players from Englewood High School leading to a mountain of adverse criticism against the Badgers, the Cardinals, and the National Football League when the identities (and ages) of the players were revealed. Folz was not shy about his role in the scandal during a forthcoming hearing:
“It was my fault that this mix-up occurred and I don’t want the Englewood boys or Mr. Chris O’Brien to suffer the consequences. The thing came about in this way: Mr. O’Brien told me that we were to play the Milwaukee Badgers, but expressed fear that they might not be able to assemble a whole team on such short notice.
I told him I knew several semi-pro players who would be willing to fill in. However, I was unable to find them. When the Milwaukee men came to town they were shorthanded, as we had expected. I was wondering where I could dig up a couple of men when I thought of Englewood. Because it had been announced that the game would be behind closed gates and without spectators, I never thought it would jeopardize the standing of the preps.
I want to take all the blame and do anything in my power to have the boys restored to their amateur standings. It was not their fault.”
Folz Banned For Life
For their roles in this debacle, NFL president Joe Carr ordered the sale of the Milwaukee club, fined Chris O’Brien $1,000 and banned Art Folz from the league. However, O’Brien’s fine was later rescinded and on September 7, 1926, Folz received a letter from Joe Carr informing him that he was reinstated as a player in the league.
For whatever reason, Folz never did return to the NFL. He did make periodic appearances with local semi-pro teams such as the Pullman-Roseland Panthers. His field goal for the Panthers defeated the Opal Athletic Club 3-0 on November 7, 1926.
So what did Art Folz do after his NFL career ended? In the 1930 census, he listed his occupation as a street paving engineer. By 1940, his occupation was noted as a “timekeeper” in a government position. And then, in 1950, Folz described his occupation as a promoter in the auto racing industry.
It was back in 1939 that Folz was named as the president of the Chicago Bowl Corporation which organized numerous auto racing competitions, including the world’s midget automobile championship in June of 1939.
Folz Is Chicago's Leading Racing Entrepreneur
Eventually, Folz became a dominant player in the world of speed, both with midgets and stock cars. In 1952, Arch Ward, sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote: “Mr. Folz, who played with the Cardinals in the early 1920s…is Chicago’s leading entrepreneur of automobile racing, not only the stocks but the stripped-down hot rods, and the midgets.
Soldier Field, where Art Folz operates, as president of the Chicago Racing Association, is the largest stock car track in the country in attendance and purses. In the past few years, an average of 32 shows in Soldier Field have attracted 750,000 spectators annually.” Many of his racing events were designated as fundraisers for the widows and children of the Chicago Police Department, as well as for other charitable organizations.
Folz became incredibly successful in the promotion of auto racing, and in 1950, he was selected as the local “Promoter of the Year” by various members from the Chicago media. Branching out across the country, Folz became an owner of the San Fernando Sun newspaper and moved to California in 1953. Later he added ownership responsibilities for the Antelope Valley Press, also in California, and continued his philanthropic work by raising money for the Boy Scouts and other service organizations…
Folz passed away on August 18, 1965 in Los Angeles at the age of 62. His obituary carefully listed his prominent business experience and his generosity. Nowhere, however, did the fact appear that he was once the most reviled football player in the country…at least for a brief moment in time.
Instead, this ultra successful business man should be remembered for his fundraisers, his charitable donations, and his willingness to help others, which is what Mr. Folz thought he was doing way back in December of 1925.
Author and Host - Joe Ziemba
Joe Ziemba is the host of this show, and he is an author of early football history in the city of Chicago. Here, you can learn more about Joe and When Football Was Football, including all of the episodes of the podcast.
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