1929 American Football Season

The 1929 American football season was a historic year of unprecedented milestones and dominant performances. Played against the backdrop of the Wall Street crash in the autumn of 1929, the season witnessed the rise of a modern professional dynasty and a masterpiece of coaching resilience in the college ranks.

1929 College Football: Rockne’s “Homeless” Champions

College football in 1929 belonged to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who put together one of the most remarkable seasons in sports history under legendary coach Knute Rockne.

• The Nomad National Champions: With their new stadium under construction, Notre Dame did not play a single true home game, playing their “home” slate at Soldier Field in Chicago and traveling across the country for the rest. Despite the grueling travel and Rockne battling severe illness (coaching several games from a wheelchair), the Fighting Irish finished a perfect 9–0 to claim the consensus national championship.
• The Star Power: Led by All-American quarterback Frank Carideo and halfback Jack Elder, Notre Dame’s disciplined “Notre Dame Box” offense and ferocious defense outscored opponents 145 to 38.
• The Rose Bowl Statement: While Notre Dame skipped the postseason, the Pittsburgh Panthers (who claimed a separate version of the title) went to the Rose Bowl, where they were thoroughly dismantled 47–14 by a powerful USC Trojans squad.

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1929 Professional Football: The Packers’ First Title

The 1929 NFL season marked a massive shift in power away from the early Ohio and Pennsylvania strongholds toward a small town in Wisconsin.

• Green Bay’s Undefeated Reign: Head coach Curly Lambeau led the Green Bay Packers to an undefeated 12–0–1 record, securing the first NFL championship in franchise history based on the league’s win-percentage standings.
• A Hall of Fame Roster: Prior to the season, Lambeau signed three future Hall of Famers: Johnny “Blood” McNally, Cal Hubbard, and Mike Michalske. This star-studded roster proved unstoppable, giving up just 22 points the entire season.
• The Thanksgiving Showdown: The title was essentially decided on late-season road trips. The Packers shut out the powerhouse New York Giants 20–6 at the Polo Grounds, surviving a scoreless tie against the Frankford Yellow Jackets on Thanksgiving to keep their unblemished record intact.

A Deep Dive into 1929 Football History and Highlights

• January 1, 1929 – The Annual Rose Bowl contest saw history in the making. In a dramatic 8–7 victory, the Georgia Tech Yellow Tornado defeated the California Golden Bears—a matchup forever remembered for one of the most infamous blunders in college football history. After scooping up a Georgia Tech fumble, Cal’s All-American center, Roy Riegels, mistakenly bolted in the wrong direction toward his own goal line, a historic misstep that permanently earned him the nickname “Wrong Way.”
• July 27, 1929 – According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chris O’Brien sold the Chicago Cardinals to David Jones on this day. Our friend Josie Emba, in his book When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals in the Birth of the NFL. He says that the 1928 season had been a debacle for the Cardinals as they finished the season with a one-in-five record, being outscored 107 points to just seven. O’Brien had secretly been trying to find a buyer for his team for about three years. The first announcement of the sale, according to Joe, took place on July 18, 1929. And Bears owner George Hallis was involved in it.
• July 27, 1929 – Orange/Newark Tornadoes franchise joins the NFL and is a league member from 1929 through the 1930 season. The team was the remnant of the Duluth Eskimos franchise, which was sold to Orange and then, one year later, to Newark. According to the American football fandom website, the franchise existed in some form or fashion from 1887 all the way to 1971. Their history, besides their time in the National Football League in 1929-1930, included membership in the American Association from 1936 to 1941, the Atlantic Coast Football League from 1963 to 1964, and the Continental Football League from 1965 to 1969. And back to the ACFL for the 1970s and 71 seasons before disbanding.
• July 27, 1929 – The Staten Island Staples and Stapes franchise is formed as a Brooklyn franchise and then transferred to Staten Island. According to an article in the Professional Football Research Association publication, the Coffin Corner in a 1985 article by Joe Horrigan, the Stapletons started their gridiron existence in 1915, a full five years before the NFL was created as the APFA, a talented halfback and native a working class neighborhood notice Stapleton Dan Blaine, along with three other players formed a team to play other semi pro squads from New York and New Jersey. It wasn’t a career by any means for the players, as the Stapes played more for fun than for money. The crowds were small according to Horrigan, as salaries averaged $10 per game. The team acquired better and better players through a variety of means, and eventually, in 1929, as an independent team, they achieved a record of 10-1-1. The next year, they were permitted to join the National Football League. The Stapletons would never have a winning season in the NFL and would eventually fade into obscurity. I encourage you to read more on the Stapletons in that 1985 Coffin Corner article. We have a link on pigskindispatch.com for this July 27 edition, which includes how Tim Mara, owner and founder of the New York Giants, helped the Staples coexist with his team in the Big Apple. Very interesting indeed. Make sure you check out that 1985 Coffin Corner article.
• July 28, 1929 – The NFL officially announces the addition of a fourth official—likely the line judge—to the field for regular season games.
• July 31, 1929 – The Green Bay Packers signed future Hall of Famer Cal Hubbard to a contract per Packers.com.
• August 27, 1929 – The Green Bay Packers signed future Hall of Famer Johnny Blood McNally to a contract per Packers.com.
• September 4, 1929 – The Green Bay Packers signed future Hall of Famer Mike Michalske to a contract per Packers.com.
• November 6, 1929 –Providence, Rhode Island – Just days after the 1929 Stock Market crash, signaling the start of the Great Depression, the Providence Steam Roller became the first NFL team granted permission by the NFL to host a game at night under floodlights, and they scheduled it at the Cycledrome in Providence. 
• November 16, 1929 – A massive crowd of 123,000 gathered at Soldier Field as Notre Dame (6–0–0) faced off against USC (6–1–0). Despite being hospitalized with an infected leg, Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne managed his team from a cot behind the bench. The Irish broke the deadlock in the third quarter to lead 13–6, following a touchdown plunge by Savoldi and Frank Carideo’s extra point. USC responded instantly on the next kickoff when Saunders returned the ball 95 yards for a touchdown. However, the Trojans missed the extra point, allowing Notre Dame to hold on for a narrow 13–12 win.
• November 28, 1929 – Comiskey Park, Chicago – According to a story on the website goldenrankings.com, Ernie Nevers of the Chicago Cardinals became the first professional football player to score six touchdowns in a single game.  
• November 30, 1929 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton – On this day, the Hamilton Tigers won their 4th title, outscoring the Regina Roughriders 14-3 in the 17th edition of the Canadian Grey Cup.
• December 15, 1929 – Memphis, Tennessee – The National Football League Champion Green Bay Packers, boasting a perfect 12-0-1 record, played an exhibition game against the Memphis Tigers. PackersHistory.net reports that the Tigers, an independent team owned by Clarence Saunders—who later founded Piggly Wiggly—pulled off a 20-6 upset over the champs with scoring from Austin Applewhite, Bucky Moore, and Tiny Drouilhet. At the time, the NFL champion was simply the team with the best record, as there were no playoffs. Without game revenue, the Green Bay Press-Gazette raised over $5,000 for the players, each receiving $220 and a watch. This may help explain why the Packers, with little to gain but something to earn, risked their reputation on a barnstorming tour: the players were trying to make a living.