Football History Rewind Part 57

Here is what happened in NFL history during the 1925 season. In Football History Rewind we summarize football history one year at a time

The 1925 professional football story is a pretty interesting one. There was a deep interest of the National Football League brass to get franchises in larger markets, for means of survival. Regions with larger populations would mean laregr takes at the gate as there should be more football fans to support the teams. With this in mind five new franchises were awarded. The New York Giants, with Tim Mara and Billy Gibson; the Detroit Panthers with Jimmy Conzelman as its head; the Pottsville Maroons; the Providence Steam Roller; and a new version of the Canton Bulldogs eleven.

Returning franchises were the Akron Pros, Buffalo Bisons, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals, Cleveland Bulldogs, Columbus Tigers, Dayton Triangles, Duluth Kelleys, Frankford Yellow Jackets, Green Bay Packers, Hammond Pros, Kansas City Cowboys, Milwaukee Badgers, Rochester Jeffersons, and the Rock Island Independents.

The league wanted to level the playing field a bit too as roster sizes were put inplace for the first time in  NFL history. Each franchise could have 16 players on their roster in this era of single platoon football. 

Of course the big news items were the Bears pulling somewhat of a fast one and putting University of Illinois star halfback Red Grange on the field less than a week after he played his last collegiate game. The Bears and Grange would famously go on their barnstorming tour that really gave professional football the shot in the arm in needed. More on that story on our previous episode Red Grange story with NFL Films' Chris Willis.

The other story of the 1925 season was of course controversy of who was the true champion of the NFL for the season. Famously the Pottsville Maroons had the best record in the League which at the time would give them the crown, however they violated the territorial rights of the Frankford Yellow Jackets on a game day by hosting a team of former Notre Dame stars in an exhibition contest near Philadelphia. NFL boss Joe Carr forewarned them not to but yet they violated his request and the title was stripped from the Maroons and given to the Chicago Cardinals. More on the story at our previous post and posdcast Pottsville Maroons

The banner photo is of Georgia Tech football player Doug Wycoff with the ball, rushing against the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels during their 1925 football game.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com