Detroit (NFL)
Before the Detroit Lions were founded , three teams played professional American football in Detroit , Michigan . The Detroit Heralds / Tigers , the Detroit Panthers, and the Detroit Wolverines . All three teams only played briefly in the National Football League (NFL).
Detroit Heralds / Tigers team history
The Heralds were founded in 1905 by former University of Detroit students. They were initially an amateur team and played on the university campus. The team did not initially belong to any league. From 1911 the team appeared as a semi-professional team. The players initially came from the Detroit region, they were gradually replaced by players whose places of origin were not in Michigan . The team played their home games at Navin Field . In 1918, the team stopped playing at short notice due to the First World War . In 1920 the American Professional Football Association (APFA) , the predecessor of the NFL, was founded. Although the team did not officially belong to the APFA, it is now counted as part of the league by sports historians, as it only competed against teams from the APFA. The team's success was sobering, with the team losing three out of eight games, winning two games and drawing three times. In 1921 the Heralds were renamed Tigers. This season was not successful either. A win against the Dayton Triangles faced five defeats and one draw. The Tigers stopped playing after this season.
Well-known players (Detroit Heralds / Tigers)
Table (Detroit Heralds / Tigers)
| year | Won | defeat | draw | Table position | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | Billy Marshall |
| 1921 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 16 | Billy Marshall |
| total | 3 | 8th | 4th | ||
Detroit Panthers team history
In 1925 acquired Jimmy Conzelman for 500 US dollars a sports franchise of the NFL. Conzelman founded the Detroit Panthers. He also acted as the team's coach and also played as a quarterback on his team's offense . The Panthers played their home games at Navin Field in Detroit.
The newly formed team surprised in the first game year 1925. The team won eight of 12 games, drew twice and lost two games. The NFL championship ended in third place in the table. In the following season, the Panthers could no longer match the previous year's success. After four wins, six defeats and two draws, they finished 12th in the table. Since the Panthers were not financially successful, Conzelmann gave up his franchise after the season.
Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Detroit Panthers)
Other well-known players (Detroit Panthers)
Table (Detroit Panthers)
| year | Won | defeat | draw | Table position | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 8th | 2 | 2 | 3 | Jimmy Conzelman |
| 1926 | 4th | 6th | 2 | 12 | Jimmy Conzelman |
| total | 12 | 8th | 4th | ||
Detroit Wolverines team history
In 1928 the Detroit Wolverines were founded by a group of investors around Benny Friedman . The team only existed for a year and played at Dinan Field . Although the Wolverines won seven out of 10 games in their only game year and finished the season in third place, the economic success failed to materialize. In order to tie Benny Friedman to his team, Tim Mara , owner of the New York Giants , acquired the Wolverines franchise and then stopped playing.
Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Detroit Wolverines)
Other well-known players (Detroit Wolverines)
Table (Detroit Wolverines)
| year | Won | defeat | draw | Table position | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | 7th | 2 | 1 | 3 | Roy Andrews |
| total | 7th | 2 | 1 | ||
literature
- Frank P. Jozsa, John Maxymuk, "Football Fortunes: The Business, Organization, and Strategy of the NFL", 2010, ISBN 9780786446414