This time of year is a great time to reflect on the early teams of Professional football. Back in 2021, we sat down with historian Larry Schmitt, and he gave us this overview of the Canton Bulldogs’ history.
So now let’s get the scoop on Canton and Cleveland’s early teams.
The Canton Bulldogs and early Cleveland teams have an extremely interesting history. Our good friend and site expert historian, Larry Schmitt of the Gridiron Uniform Database, has shared some great information on the early Canton and Cleveland teams. And since he explained it so eloquently, I’ll let his words tell the story to you as well.
And the Canton and Cleveland teams were among those whose history gets confused. It has to do with some name changes and taking a year off here and there. The Canton Bulldogs were obviously one of the legendary teams of pre-day NFL.
They were the powerhouse of the 1910s with Jim Thorpe as their first pro football star. They were charter members of the APFA in 1920, and Thorpe was the league’s first commissioner. In reality, he was only a title to get his name out to the public and give the league a little credibility.
And there were the Cleveland Tigers. In 1922, the Tigers renamed the Indians, then disbanded at the end of the season. Meanwhile, the Canton Bulldogs, led by the great player-coach Guy Chamberlain, were the first back-to-back champions in NFL history, dominating the competition with an aggregate record of 18 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie from 1922 through the 1923 season.
And here’s where things get a little confusing. Despite their on-field success, Canton struggled financially and had trouble meeting payroll, so they suspended operations in 1924. In 1923, a new Cleveland Indians team was started.
This was not the same franchise from 1920 and 21. Seeing an opportunity to cash in on some notoriety, the Cleveland team signed several Canton players and renamed itself the Bulldogs. Some people confuse this with the Canton team relocating, but it’s not the case.
The Cleveland Bulldogs, with their bolstered roster, won the NFL title in 1924. But this should not be thought of as a threepeat. Although some of the players were on the 1922 and 1923 teams, this was their third title in a row.
It was not the same franchise. Cleveland was a unique franchise from Canton of 1922 and 1923. A well-known addition to the confusion further muddied this point.
The Canton Bulldogs rejoined the NFL in 1925, but the Cleveland team refused to change their name back to the Indians, even though many of the players they had signed in 1924 went back to Canton. So there were two Bulldog teams in the league in 1925, and both finished in the middle of the pack in the standings. Cleveland suspended operations for 1926, while Canton played out the season and then folded for good.
The Cleveland Bulldogs came back for one more try in 1927 before they folded as well. All straight now?
