It was a great investment for Halas, as Healey soon became a star for the Bears and would later be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964. The following season of 1922, Flanigan sold the contract of Ed Healey, to Halas and the Chicago Bears for $200. Almost as soon as Coughlin was headed toward the sideline, Healey delivered a message to Jimmy Conzelman from Flanigan, it read: "Coughlin was fired! The new coach was Conzelman!" This act marked the first and only time an owner had fired and hired a new coach in the middle of a game. However, for some unknown reason, Walter Flanigan soon then thereafter assigned the team's tackle, Ed Healey to go in and substitute for Coughlin. It is a bit unclear if the plays had been called or designed by then player-coach Frank Coughlin. The comeback was sparked by two touchdowns, scored by Jimmie Conzelman. Rock Island battled back to lead the Cards 14–7 by the second quarter. On October 16, 1921, the Independents were down by a score early in a game with the Chicago Cardinals. The 1921 season had an important storied highlight to it. Halas Decatur Staleys of 1920 became the Chicago Staleys in 1921 and then the more recognizable Chicago Bears in 1922. They actually posted that same record the next two seasons as well losing 5 of their 6 games in the first three APFA/NFL seasons to George Halas teams. This could have been the first NFL game ever played between two NFL teams, however, NFL historical records don't indicate the kickoff time for this game or the other APFA game played that day between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles in Dayton, Ohio so it is unclear which game started or finished first.ĭespite these two early season shutouts, the Independents finished with a modest 4-2-1 record in league play. There were 3,100 fans in attendance as Arnie Wyman, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher great, made his debut for the Islanders, scoring three touchdowns. Paul, on October 3, 1920, the Independents defeated the Muncie Flyers 45–0 at Douglas Park in the first fully scheduled week of American Professional Football Association play. A week after the Rock Island eleven dispatched St. The team added future Pro Football Hall of Fame player/coach Jimmy Conzelman to the roster for the 19 seasons. The Rock Island Argus posted an ad on September 18, 1920, that folks could see the new uniforms in a local store window that day after the new APFA formed in Ohio with Rock Island being a charter member. The public relations of Flanigan and his Rock Island machine were pumping hard to get fans in the stadium in between the meeting and the game. The Independents have that historic mark in history as being the first League team to play under the new banner of the APFA. In fact, the first game involving an APFA team took place nine days after the meeting on September 26, 1920, at Douglas Park in Rock Island, Illinois, as the hometown Independents flattened the St. Flannigan in fact helped shape the formation of the League that would eventually be called the NFL at this meeting alongside Thorpe, Halas, Lyons, Storck, and the others. The Independents were indeed one of the eleven teams represented in Hay’s Hupmobile Showroom on September 17, 1920, along with Canton, Massillon, Dayton, Akron, Hammond, Rochester, Muncie, Decatur, the Chicago Cardinals, and Cleveland. In 1920 when it came time to gather the best teams in the country to form a professional football league, Flanigan and the Independents were invited to the party. Even though Canton owner Ralph Hay and his Bulldog team did not play Rock Island that year they did take note. The popularity and contact with the big pro teams of the era gave them an invitation to join a group of franchises that would make professional football history when they would organize into the precursor of the NFL, the American Professional Football Association. Despite the offer rejection of the Bulldogs, Rock Island team owner Walter Flanigan ever being the great promoter of his team, claimed the Independents to be "Champions of the USA," per a PFRA Coffin Corner article by Bob Carrol and Bob Braunwart. Jim Thorpe, the player/coach of the Canton eleven declined. When we left off in Part 1 if you remember, the Independents had challenged the Canton Bulldogs to a title game at the end of the 1919 campaign. Again we will reference the brilliant and well-done website of. The team was playing some of the top teams of the midwest and Ohio Valley and was very competitive. Last week we covered the early years of the Rock Island Independents' football team.
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