Hap Moran: An Early NFL Star

One name that comes up constantly in researching early pro football is that of Hap Moran. Hap was a star for four different top tier franchises in the late 1920's and early 1930's and his son Mike Moran visits the Pigpen to share his Dad's fantastic story. So sit back, adjust your headsets and buckle up because this is a ride through history you will thoroughly enjoy!

Francis Dayle "Hap" Moran grew up in Iowa. He was born on July 31, 1901. Although is now most well known in griidiron lore, in high school he was the basketball super star of Boone High School. In fact his school won the Iowa state championship and Hap was invoted to play as an All-American in Almos Alonzo Stagg's University of Chicago basketball tournament, which was an extreme honor at the time. His son Mike Moran tells us that at one point druing the hoops tourney they stopped the game and measured a remarlably long shot that his father sunk, and it turned out to be a tournament record!

This spotlight tourney on the hardwoods gave Hap recognition to the sporting world. Moran played football for small Grinnell College in Iowa but Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh noticed him and persuaded him to tranfer to their school for his sophomore season primarily for basketball. Unfortunately he was injured in a Carngie Tech football game and eventually transferred back to Grinnell. That next season Hap dashed for a couple of 85 yard kick return scores against Coe and Minnesota. Those runs promted a letter of recomendation to be handed to a representative of the NFL's Frankford Yellow Jackets.

The Jackets were please to have signed Hap Moran to their squad. Moran was quick but he also packed 190 pounds on a 6 foot - 1 inch frame, he liked to block and tackle and he could also punt and kick. These were trmendous attributes to have in the era of small rosters and two-way players. Moran ended up scoring the second most points for Frankford in the 1926 season as the Yellow Jackets captured the NFL title that season. The Yellow Jackets were a community owned team run by the Frankford Athletic Association and after winning the title they had to shed some salaries to stay afloat so they cut player/coach Guy Chamberlin as well as others at the conclusion of the 1926 season. Chamberlin was the prmier coach of the early APFA and NFL taking the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Bulldogs and this Frankford team the League titles in the first 7 seasons of its existence.

02 Oct 1927, Sun Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut) Newspapers.com

Hap was on the roster of Frankford to start the 1927 season for six games but for some unknown reason, they traded him to the Chicago Cardinals where Chamberlin ended up. Probably because Guy recognized the talent level of his former teammate.

Moran excelled for the Cards too scoring a touchdown and a handfull of fieldgoals and extra points. After the season though the Pottsville Maroons, a couple of years removed from their great 1925 squad signed Hap to their roster for the 1928 season. This Maroons roster was filled with star power as it featured future Hall of Famers Walt Kiesling, Johnny Blood McNally and Fats Henry. Unfortunately the great players did not transfer to a great record on the gridiron. Pottsville finished the season third from the bottom in the NFL with a 2-8 record. He played all 10 games for the Maroons and at the conclusion of the season the New York Giants asked him to sign on with them for one final exhibition game that year. With the Giants he found a home for the next six seasons as a fixture on the field.

16 Oct 1933, Mon The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa) Newspapers.com

New York is where Hap Moran really thrived in his NFL career. In fact in a November game during the 1930 season Hap dashed for a 91 yard touchdown at the Polo Grounds against the tough Green Bay Packers. This Giants record run from scrimmage stood until Tiki Barber broke of a 95 yarder in 2005. In fact it was the longest run in the NFL as far as anyone can tell until in 1939 when Packers runner Andy Urum scampered 97 yards against the Cardinals.

Again it was Moran's blocking and jarring tackling on defense along with his toe that made him a fan favorite at the Polo Grounds. Mike Moran has some more great info on his website Hap Moran .org including some awesome videos of his father playing for the Giants and some interviews years later.