1924 NFL Champs The Cleveland Bulldogs

The fifth season of the National Football League was filled with change and some familiar faces. The League went into the season with 18 teams (down from 20 participating in the 1923 season). The Cleveland Indians, Toledo Maroons, Oorang Indians, Louisville Brecks, and the St Louis All-Stars all folded shop, but some new blood was instilled into the fray to make it a net loss of only two teams. The Kansas City Blues, Kenosha Maroons and the Frankford Yellow Jackets all debuted as new franchises for the 1924 season.

Want to catch up on our series of posts and podcasts on Pre-Super Bowl NFL Champions? Check it out here NFL Champions.

The Cleveland Indians are an interesting story, though. The owner of the Cleveland Indians pro football team, a Cleveland area jeweler named Sam Deutsch, agreed on August 4, 1924, to buy the Canton Bulldogs franchise, players, equipment... yes, the whole kit and kaboodle. Yes, the same Canton Bulldogs that were the two-time defending NFL Champions after the 1923 season. The sale was a win for both teams as Canton’s owners had great teams with good game attendance but struggled to make a profit.

At the same time, Cleveland had cash flow but lacked the firepower to put fannies in the stands. So before the 1924 season started, Deutsch named his coach Guy Chamberlin, the player-coach and stud player from the University of Nebraska who led the Bulldogs to their 1922 and 1923 NFL championships in Canton through his strategy and coaching. Deutsch demanded that some of the core players of his former Indians team still be in the lineup, especially quarterback Hoge Workman, an All-American from nearby Ohio State.

The Cleveland Bulldogs was a powerhouse as the combined rosters of the Indians, and the Bulldogs were what, in essence, was an All-star team of the two clubs. He promoted them as the Cleveland Bulldogs, and the team continued the Canton Bulldogs' unbeaten streak by dispatching the Chicago Bears in their opener 16-14, tying Frankford’s Yellow Jackets the next week, then rattling off a string of victories over the likes of the Akron Pros twice, Rochester Jeffersons and the Dayton Triangles. On November 16, though, riding a 31-game unbeaten streak dating back to Canton, the Bulldogs were finally defeated on the gridiron. The second meeting with the Frankford Yellow Jackets ended the streak as the Jackets knocked off the Dogs 12-7 in Cleveland.

✦ A Unique Twist:

✦ One of the key factors in the Bulldogs' success was a rather unusual situation involving the Canton Bulldogs.

✦ The Canton Bulldogs were a successful team on the field, but they struggled financially.

✦ The owner of the Cleveland franchise purchased the Canton franchise and essentially merged the two teams, taking the best players from Canton and adding them to his Cleveland roster.

✦ This infusion of talent undoubtedly strengthened the Cleveland Bulldogs and contributed to their championship run.

✦ No Playoffs, Just a Crown:

As mentioned earlier, there were no playoffs in 1924. So, the Cleveland Bulldogs, with their league-best record, were simply declared the NFL champions.  
This was a different era of professional football, and how championships were determined differed from today's system.

✦ A Legacy Forged:

✦ The 1924 championship was a significant moment in the history of the Cleveland Bulldogs (who would later become the Cleveland Rams and then move to Los Angeles).

✦ It marked their first NFL title and solidified their place among the league's top teams.

✦ While the circumstances surrounding their championship were unique, there's no denying that the Bulldogs earned their victory with a strong and consistent season.

The 1924 NFL season serves as a reminder of the league's early days, a time of change, adaptation, and some rather unusual twists and turns. The Cleveland Bulldogs' championship story is a perfect example of this intriguing era in professional football history.