Football History

July 28, 1923 - Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos franchise forms and plays in the League from 1923 through 1927 when they were sold and moved to Orange, New Jersey. (See July 27 entries of this series). They were originally called the Kelley Duluths named after the Kelley-Duluth Hardware Store as the team was put together with the help of the store's owner M. C. Gebert. Three years later they changed their name to the Duluth Eskimos. The teams played very few home games due mainly to fact of the harsh early winters that settle in upper Minnesota. As a matter of fact the team played only one home game over their final two seasons. The Duluth franchise was one of the first ever NFL teams to use a logo. As we talked about briefly in yesterday's July 27 History Headlines, the Eskimos mostly road schedule eventually caught up to them financially and their rights and roster were given to the new Orange Tornadoes franchise in 1929.

Born June 11, 1902, in Willow River, Minnesota, was Ernie "Big Dog" Nevers the Stanford University fullback from 1923 to 1925. He was an All-American according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and excelled at basketball and baseball as well as football. Nevers gained national attention on New Year's Day 1925 at the Rose Bowl.

Ernie and his Cardinal teammates were matched against the powerful Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad that featured the 7 Mules, the Four Horsemen backfield and a legendary coach in Knute Rockne. Ernie’s performance was memorable and courageous as he was only five days removed from having a cast removed on a broken ankle, and with his foot bound tightly in a brace, Nevers dominated the game. Nevers established a Rose Bowl record with 34 carries as he gained 114 yards, only 13 less than the combined total for Notre Dame's legendary backfield. His brilliance in the contest did not stop there as Nevers averaged 42 yards punting as a bonus.

Unfortunately for the Cardinal faithful, the Irish were just a bit too much as Stanford fell 27-10. The FootballFoundation.org bio of Nevers goes on to say that Hall of Fame coach Glenn "Pop" Warner, who coached Nevers and the legendary Jim Thorpe picked Nevers over Thorpe as his personal choice as the "greatest football player of all time." In 1969, Nevers was named to Football's All-Time Team, which was part of college football's Centennial celebration. Big Dog was Stanford's captain in 1925 when he led a 24-17 upset of arch rival California. He handled the ball on all but three offensive plays as Stanford posted its first win over Cal in eight seasons.

Ernie Nevers received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. His bio on the ProFootballHOF.com explains that after college Nevers signed pro basketball and baseball contracts and, in fact, was destined to throw two homerun pitches to Babe Ruth in his historic 60-home run season in 1927. But pro football also beckoned. In 1926, the Duluth Eskimos convinced Nevers to join their ranks over lucrative offers of the other sports. The Eskimos had a unique existence as they played all but one of their games on the road during Never’s time there. Ernie reportedly played all but 29 of a possible 1,740 minutes in 29 games as a running back, kicker & quarterback. He got hurt and that fact forced him to miss the 1928 season but he came back with a vengeance in 1929 with a new team the Chicago Cardinals. He stayed with the Cards for a few seasons and was even coaching the squad during the 1930 and 1931 seasons. His biggest pro game was with Chicago in 1929 against their cross town rivals the Bears on Thanksgiving Day when Nevers scored all 40 of the Cardinals points in a Red Bird romp 40-7. Check out more on Ernie Nevers with our friend Joe Ziemba on the Sports History Network and in his great book, When Football Was Football. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined the Big Dog Ernie Nevers in 1963.

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College football jerseys are more than just fabric; they symbolize school pride, individual achievement, and moments etched in memory. But did you know some jerseys transcend even that, becoming so iconic they're permanently retired, hanging, and preserved for all to honor, forever out of reach?

Join us in this visit with FootballArchaeology.com's Timothy Brown as we delve into the fascinating stories behind the first three college football jerseys ever retired, uncovering the legends who wore them, the moments they immortalized, and the legacy they left behind.

Prepare to be transported back to a time when gridiron giants walked the Earth, their jerseys becoming more than just numbers but testaments to their enduring impact on the game we love. Buckle up, college football fans, and let's embark on a journey through history, one retired jersey at a time!

-Transcribed Conversation with Timothy Brown on the 1st 3 retired jersey numbers

Hello, my football friends; this is Darin Hayes of PigskinDispatch.com. Welcome again to The Pig Pen, your portal to positive football history. And welcome to Tuesday. And it's FootballArcheology.com day with Timothy P. Brown, the founder and host of that website.

Tim, welcome back to The Pig Pen.

Hey, Darin. Good to see you.

I was trying to adjust my little white light here. I've tried a bunch of things to brighten up this room, but I'm down in, you know, I've got a basement office, and it's always kind of yellow. But you're not here to look at me.

You're here to listen to that. That's right. And nobody wants to look at me either.

And I have too much light, and it washes me out. And I look like I'm, you know, a marshmallow man or something. So, hey, that's the way it goes.

But, you know, we're not technology people. We're football people. And we're here to talk a little bit about football and some football of ancient times here for at least, you know, a while back.

And you have a really interesting tidbit I'd love to discuss today. You talk about the first three retired jersey numbers in a recent tidbit. And gosh, that piques the interest.

Just hearing that. Maybe you could tell us about that story, who these three jerseys were, and who wore them. Yeah, so, you know, so first of all, before numbers could get retired, people had to wear numbers and, you know, when football was first when numbers were first being used to identify players, it they were like on the scorecards.

The players didn't wear them, but they wouldn't wear a number necessarily. But the school would publish a scorecard that, if somebody did a certain thing, they made a tackle, scored a touchdown, or came into the game as a substitute, they would post that player's number on the scoreboard in a particular spot. And then that is what, you know, you'd have to OK, number five.

And then that was, you'd find the corresponding number on the scorecard. So then, you know who the player was. But that was kind of a thing people don't realize, and it is a goofy little thing that occurred.

But one of the other things when that process was going on was that, you know, the numbers could change from week to week. I mean, normally, it came up with one order at the beginning of the year, and then they just numbered the guys one through twenty-five. Right?

And then whoever the visiting team was, they'd number them to, you know, assign them a number. So, you know, the numbers didn't mean it to the players. But then they, you know, so starting 1905 is the first time, numbers were in a football game.

But it didn't really until mid-teens when, you know, a lot more teams started wearing them. And so it wasn't until, you know, 1925, there's this fellow named Red Grange, who turned out to be a pretty good running back at Illinois. And he happened to wear number 77, you know, not a number we associate with running backs nowadays, but, you know, that's what he wore.

And he had such a fabulous career that Illinois decided, you know, once he, you know, played his last game, that they would never allow anyone else to wear number 77 for the Illinois football team. So he became the first player to have a number retired, as far as I know, that's across all sports. And so, so, you know, range number 77, boom.

So he's the first guy. Then the next guy was a similarly talented running back out at Stanford, Ernie Nevers. And so the funny thing about his story is that he wore number one.

And when they retired, you know, this at the time, on the Pacific Coast, a lot of the student organizations kind of ran sports much more than they, I mean, eventually that got professionalized. But the student organization voted and said, we won't allow anybody else to wear number one at Stanford. And so, somehow, they slipped up in the next year, and a running back got issued the number one for one of the games.

And what's just kind of kind of cool about it? It's just that, you know, it was kind of a big thing. It got caught, you know, in the newspapers and everything.

But then there's a picture in Stanford yearbook for that year that shows this guy wearing number one in a game, you know, and, you know, it's just at that time, they didn't have a lot of pictures in the yearbook. But anyway, that's what, and then I've got that in the tidbit that we're talking about, you know. Nevers was probably a little bit ticked.

He was playing pro ball next year for the Duluth program. I'm assuming that point, but he's probably, hey, I thought you retired my number. Why is this guy wearing it? What the hell? Yeah, well, I tell you, he wasn't and didn't see it on TV.

So he wouldn't have seen it at the time. But yeah, it's kind of a story. And then, you know, they stopped it after that first time.

So then the third guy should have his number retired. That came in 1927, so two years later. And it's a guy that kind of everybody, you know, it's like today, you know, there's certain players that everybody knows.

And so, at the time, he would have been, you know, certainly known by anybody on the West Coast, probably, you know, other parts of the country because he was all American. But he was the captain of St. Mary's football team in 1927, named Larry Betancourt. And unlike the first two guys who were running backs, Betancourt was a center.

So, you know, apparently he was talented enough and just an honorable guy, all that kind of stuff. So then they ended up retiring his name. And then he ended up instead of signing with the.

He signed a major league contract with the NFL and played for three years with the St. Louis Browns, the same organization Ernie Nevers played baseball for. He played for parts of three seasons in the majors and then retired at age 32.

And then he played for the Packers in 1933. So, six years after getting out of college, he went and picked up one season anyway with the Packers. So anyway, Larry Betancourt.

Interesting trivia answer to a trivia question for you. Yeah, it is. Now, Tim, maybe you can answer this question.

Now we know today, when players' numbers get retired, you know, it is definitely in a professional sport. Even college football is usually like at their final home game. I've seen it happen many times, or they'll say, hey, this is the last time this number will be worn on a field.

So people appreciate that player a little bit more. In the 1920s, when Grange and Betancourt and Ernie Nevers were together, was it the same kind of thing at their last game, or did they have a separate photo shoot or ceremony or something? Yeah, I don't think it was all that formalized. To my knowledge, certainly, nothing occurred at a game.

So, like Illinois, a picture was taken at the time with Grange holding his jersey and his hands after a game. So, I mean, it was it was a staged photo. So, you know, they knew they were doing this, but to my knowledge, I don't think they did any kind of ceremony, you know, as part of his last game.

And then, you know, the others, Nevers and Betancourt, I think with Nevers, they kind of heard, hey, this is what happened with Grange, we should do the same thing with Nevers. So, I think that came a little bit after the fact. And then Betancourt, too, I mean, as far as I could tell, you know, looking at their yearbooks and things like that, I didn't see anything about this happening to him during the time he was, you know, still playing for them.

And then, you know, he played baseball for them the following spring, too. I'm trying to think that was Nevers, like a year ahead of Grange, because I know Nevers played, and Stanford played Notre Dame in that 1925 Rose Bowl. And Grange, I think, was a junior in the 1925 or 1924 season.

So 1925 would have been his final season with Thanksgiving. I think they were both seniors in their 25s. OK, OK.

If I'm not mistaken, Nevers was a junior when he played in that Rose Bowl. OK, that's why I was a little bit confused.

And I thought the Rose Bowl was his last game. OK, that makes sense. Yeah.

So yeah, anyway, I mean, it's just one of those things that we take for granted now, but, you know, it's like everything else. Somebody had to think this up. Right.

Somebody thought, hey, we're going to not let anybody else wear Red Green's number. I think it's lost the time, you know, who that was. But it's, yeah, it's just one of those things.

Somebody made it up, and now it's a tradition and a tremendous honor, regardless of sport and whether it's your high school or anything. You must have done some pretty good things if they return your number. Right.

It's also caused some interesting situations. I said to him that a couple of years ago when J.J. Watt went to the Cardinals, he wanted to wear 99 like he wore at Houston. But that was Marshall Goldberg's number for the Chicago Cardinals.

He also had to ask permission from the Marshall Goldberg family. They, of course, allowed it. I think about Joe Montana, you know, when he was 16 with the 49ers, when he went to the Chiefs, of course, 16 was retired from Len Dawson.

So he had ended up wearing, I think, 15 when he was with the Chiefs. But just some interesting things with these legends going to another team. And, hey, you can't have your old team number because we have our own legend here by that number.

It's kind of a neat thing there, too. Well, and it's just, you know, like at the professional level, you get into merchandising and all that kind of stuff. But it's just kind of funny how attached people become to a number, you know, that is often just randomly assigned somewhere along the line.

They got that number, and then, you know, it becomes part of their identity. And so, anyway, I think the whole thing is amusing in some respects. Yeah, it is.

And it's amazing how we do become attached to the numbers. I know I was a being a Steelers fan even to this day. When I think of number 10, I think of Roy Jarella, the kicker from the 70s, because that's who I grew up number 10.

And, you know, you have Santonio Holmes catching, you know, Super Bowl-winning catches wearing that number. And you've had many other players wearing that number 10, not Roy Jarella, the kicker. They're much more athletic and doing some better things than kick and field goals and things like that, too.

It's just amazing how we associate that. It was a good chat and a great discussion. You point out some really cool aspects of football that are sometimes so obvious and staring us right in the face.

But you bring up some history and some stories to it. Maybe you could share with the listeners how they can read you. Yeah.

So, the best way is to just go to football archaeology dot com and subscribe. It's free. And otherwise, if you don't want to do that, then you can follow me on Twitter on threads or subscribe to the Substack app, and you can follow me there and not necessarily get emails, you know, kind of whatever works for you.

Yeah, most definitely. And Tim, we appreciate you coming on here, folks. The link to the tidbit Tim spoke about today is in the podcast show notes.

It'll also take you to football archaeology dot com. Once you're there, you can check out some of these great tidbits he has there. And, you know, hit him up on Twitter and some of these other social media as he's on and message him on threads.

I or on Substack, I'm sorry, as I quite often do reading these and putting my two cents worth. We have a little banter a couple of times a week on this, along with some others. And it's good, good fun reading a tidbit.

The comments section is good fun, too. So, Tim, we appreciate you. We would love to talk to you again next week about some more great football.

Very good. I'm sure we'll find something to chat about.

Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.

Love the football jersey designs and evolution wait till you check out the History of American Football Jersey.

-Football Jersey Frequently Asked Questions

-What are American football jerseys made of? Modern jerseys are a mix of synthetic fibers such as polyester or a blend of different materials such asspandex, for more check out our in-depth study ofThe Make up and Materials of Football Jerseys.

-What are some of the unique football jerseys in history? Gridiron jerseys with logos on the front were some what of fad once upon a time. Check this story titled Football Jerseys with Emblems.

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Hinkey Haines was different from your typical athlete. He carved a unique path in the early 20th century, excelling in football and baseball at the highest levels. This study explores his journey across two sports, highlighting his achievements and impact on the gridiron and the diamond.

Only one athlete has played on a team that won the World Series and the NFL championship. The legendary Hinkey Haines is a talented athlete who contributed significantly to both pro sports titles.

-Early Promise: A Star is Born

Henry Luther "Hinkey" Haines was born in Red Lion on December 23, 1898, the oldest of five children of Harry and Cora Ness Haines. Hinkey's father, Harry, was a successful businessman in Red Lion. He started his career in the thriving local cigar industry, working his Way up from factory helper to salesman and eventually owning his factory. Harry's civic involvement was just as impressive. He served as Red Lion's chief burgess, or mayor, for most of the 1920s and later went on to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Congress for five terms, from 1931 to 1939 and again from 1941 to 1943.

A big question is how he earned the moniker he is most well known by. Hinkey is a silly boyhood creation by boarding school buddies.

Young Henry displayed athletic prowess from a young age. He starred in football and baseball at Red Lion High School, showcasing his versatility and talent. He then continued his athletic pursuits at Lebanon Valley College, where he significantly contributed to the development of the football program. However, his collegiate career was interrupted by World War I, during which time he served his country.

-Gridiron Heroics: Halfback Havoc with the Giants

After serving in World War I, he enrolled at Penn State University in 1919. He earned varsity letters in baseball, football, and basketball. The Nittany Lions could find outstanding rushers even a century ago. They unleashed Harry Robb, Pia Way, Glenn Killinger, Joe Lightner, "Light Horse Harry" Wilson, and Haines in just three seasons. Killinger and Way made Walter Camp All­-American teams and various qualified selectors all prominently recognized the others. They all had legendary plays long remembered by State College faithful, but by far, the most spectacular was by Haines. On October 30, 1920, Hinkey broke loose for two 90-yard touchdown runs against arch-rival Penn in a 28-7 State victory.

Hinkey's resume boasts a unique double championship in professional sports. However, some might argue it could be even more impressive if we could credit him with a collegiate national championship. While Penn State's 1920 team went undefeated, two ties blemish their perfect record. Since there was no official system to crown a national champion in college football before 1936, the University of California (with their perfect 10-0 record and Rose Bowl victory) and their star player, Brick Muller, are more frequently recognized as the unofficial "1920 national champions."

Despite all that, Hinkey was considered an even more promising baseball prospect, being recognized as a two-time college All-American on the diamond.

-Baseball Brilliance: A Diamond Gem

Hinkey was a gifted baseball player, and in his youth, the concentration on hardball was more prevalent. However, Haines' talents were more impressive on the gridiron. While football was his primary focus, he carved out a successful career in the minor leagues for teams like the Harrisburg Senators and the Newark Bears after the War. He consistently displayed impressive batting averages and showcased his well-rounded skills, including strong defense and base-stealing prowess. Eventually, he reached the major leagues briefly in the Sun as his minor accomplishments solidified his reputation as a multi-sport athlete of exceptional ability.

In 1923, Haines was on the New York Yankees roster alongside Babe Ruth, Wally Pippin, Waite Hoyt, Bob Meusel, and another rookie named Lou Gehrig. Hinkey played in 28 games that season, mainly as a pinch hitter for the Yanks. His MLB career stands officially at four hits on 25 at-bats for a .276 On-Base percentage, 3 RBIs, and three stolen bases.

The Yankees faced the cross-town New York Giants of baseball in the 1923 World Series. In game 2, Haines scored a run in his one at-bat to help the Yanks win 4-2 and even the Series. The Bronx Nine took the World Series 4-2 over their rivals.

- Football Glory Calls

After baseball, he took off again on the Eastern PA gridiron. In late 1921, Haines played at least six games for the Philadelphia Quakers, scoring two touchdowns against the visiting Canton Bulldogs in a December exhibition. In 1923, he helped the Frankford Yellow Jackets win several games, and in 1924, he played regularly with Shenandoah in the Anthracite League.

The brand of football on that side of the Keystone State during that era is considered to be superior to the NFL play of the same time. This competition was a brilliant training ground for Hinkey, as his speed and agility in the open field were lethal for opponents.

-New York Comes Calling for a Leader

When Tim Mara had Harry March assemble a roster of players to compete in the Giant's inaugural season of 1925, Hinkey signed on and quickly established himself as a star halfback.

The early season was rough on the first-year team, but on November 1, the Giants won their first NFL game, a 19-0 victory over Cleveland. Haines scored twice, once on a rare pass-receiving play. They lost only twice more that year, both to the Chicago Bears and their new toy Red Grange.

One of the victories was due to intelligent football played by Hinkey. New York's win over the Providence Steamroller was primarily due to Haines deliberately taking a safety and setting up a free kick to preserve a Giant narrow lead.

Hinkey Haines was a legendary running back for the New York Giants, renowned for his blazing speed. His coach, Bob Folwell, considered him the fastest player he had ever seen in his two decades of coaching. Haines' talents would be even more appreciated in the modern pass-heavy NFL, where his speed would likely make him a star wide receiver. Even in his era, Haines excelled at receiving touchdowns and was a dangerous threat on punt and kickoff returns.

-Haines 1926 Giants Campaign

1926 was a breakout year for Haines. He led the Giants to several critical victories with impressive passing and rushing performances. Despite his efforts, the Giants fell short of the championship due to a rough start to the season.

-He passed for the winning touchdown in one game and was responsible for three touchdowns in another versus Providence.

-Against the Duluth Eskimos, Ernie Nevers' two T.D.s against the Giants were canceled out by Haines' 30-yard dash for the end zone, which gave New York the game.

-Against the Chicago Cardinals, scampered 75 yards out running defenders in a race for the goal line and later 40 yards with a pass to give the Giants a pair of scores to lead them to victory.

Despite these fears by Haines, New York fell short of the best NFL record and the title that went with it.

-Road to the Title

1927 was the year everything came together, with the climax being a critical November game against the Chicago Bears. It was a scoreless tie at the Intermission, but the Bears were pressing and had momentum. The following excerpt comes from the PFRA Coffin Corner post in 1982 titled Hinkey Haines by C.C. Staph.

Steve Owen described it thus: "Haines called one of the most brilliant plays I ever seen to win for us. He stage-managed it perfectly.

"The Bears had plodded downfield to our one-yard line, where we held them. Haines signaled for punt formation. The Bears dropped two men back to mid-field and jammed nine on the line.

"We called signals in the open in those days, and Haines yelled to Mule Wilson, our punter, to be careful not to step beyond the end line for safety. He asked that a towel be brought out to wipe the ball because there was a patch of mud here and there on the field.

Haines completely fooled the Bears. When the ball was snapped, he dropped back a few yards to receive it. He threw over the line to Chuck Corgan, an end who used to play second base for the Dodgers, and Chuck went to the Bears' 40-yard line.

In the second half, the Giants scored twice for a 13-7 victory.

A week later, Hinkey ran 80 yards for a touchdown to lead a wrap-up win over Red Grange and his Yankee team, giving N.Y. a lock on the best record in the League and within the NFL Championship.

His elusiveness and playmaking ability made him a fan favorite and vital to the Giants' game's iconic 1927 season.

His football skills caught the attention of the New York Giants, a professional team in the nascent National Football League (NFL). Haines joined the Giants in 1925 and quickly became a star halfback. He was known for his speed, agility, and elusiveness, becoming a fan favorite and a key contributor to the team's success.

During his time with the Giants, Haines also served as their offensive coach, demonstrating his understanding of the game and leadership potential.

Later Years: Legacy and Impact

After retiring from professional sports, Haines remained connected to athletics. He became an NFL official, ensuring fair play on the field he once dominated. He also transitioned into acting and directing for the Little Theater in the Philadelphia area, displaying his artistic talents and leadership qualities beyond sports. Hinkey Haines passed away in 1979, leaving a legacy as a multi-sport star. His achievements in both football and baseball showcase the dedication and athleticism required to excel at the highest levels. He serves as a reminder of a bygone era in sports where multi-sport athletes were more common and exceptional talent could flourish across multiple disciplines.