The National Football League’s journey began modestly in an Ohio car dealership. A group of 14 men gathered at Ralph Hay’s auto showroom in Canton, Ohio, on September 17, 1920. Their goal was not to buy cars but to create a new professional football league.
During that time, professional football was not nearly as popular as college football and was mostly played in small industrial towns. The team owners faced financial difficulties due to high player salaries and competition for players. They hoped that forming a strong league, like major league baseball, would bring stability and control to the sport, as well as improve their financial situations.
Formation of the American Professional Football Association (APFA)
On a steamy night in 1920, representatives from 11 professional football teams met to try and hammer out a way to form a new professional league. These teams included the Cleveland Indians, Dayton Triangles, Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, and several others from Illinois, Ohio, New York, and Indiana.
The aim was to elevate the quality of professional football, eliminate bidding wars for players, and establish cooperative schedules. The cramped space forced the attendees, including legends like Jim Thorpe and George Halas, to sit on the running boards of cars and refresh themselves with cold beer as they deliberated.
After some initial setbacks, such as the withdrawal of the Massillon Tigers, the men agreed to form the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The group quickly chose Jim Thorpe, hailed as one of the greatest athletes of his time, as the league’s first president.
The First APFA Game: A Historical Milestone
The inaugural game with an APFA team took place at Douglas Park in Rock Island, Illinois, on Sept. 26, 1920. The local Rock Island Independents triumphed over the St. Paul Ideals with an impressive score of 48-0. One week later, the first league matchups saw the Dayton squad beating Columbus 14-0 and Rock Island crushing Muncie 45-0.
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Football in 1920 was very different from today’s game. Forward passes were not common, coaching from the sidelines was banned, and players had to play both offense and defense. George Halas, who was involved with the Decatur team, took on multiple roles, from selling tickets to coaching and even playing. Back then, teams had the freedom to schedule their games, which could include non-league and college teams, and there were no official standings.
More teams like the Buffalo All-Americans and Chicago Tigers joined mid-season, but it was still tough going. The games didn’t draw much attention from fans or the media, and crowds were small, averaging just over 4,000 people. Despite the humble beginnings, today’s fans have plenty of opportunities to bet on NFL teams and enjoy the games’ excitement.
The First NFL Championship
At the end of the first season, there were no playoffs or a Super Bowl. The league took over four months to declare a champion. Similar to how college football used to choose champions, the APFA decided theirs by vote. On April 30, 1921, representatives from the teams voted the Akron Pros as the champions.
Akron finished the season unbeaten with eight wins and three draws, allowing only seven points throughout their games. However, teams like Decatur and Buffalo protested since they had more wins and tied with Akron.
The winners got a silver cup donated by a sporting goods company. Though they didn’t receive flashy rings, they did get gold fobs shaped like footballs that read “World Champions.” Realizing the need for better leadership, the team owners replaced Jim Thorpe with Joe Carr, the owner of the Columbus Panhandles.
In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). Despite the roaring ’20s, the NFL struggled to gain popularity and faced competition from college football, which attracted huge crowds.
The NFL started gaining traction only after signing Red Grange, a famous college player, in 1925. The first season of the NFL was forgotten so much that the 1920 championship was listed as undecided until the 1970s. The silver cup awarded to the first champions has been lost to history.
The legacy of the early teams lives on, with the Racine Cardinals becoming the St. Louis, and eventually, the Arizona Cardinals and the Decatur Staleys turning into the Chicago Bears. Ten players from the APFA era, along with Joe Carr, are honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, located near the Canton dealership where it all started.