1920 APFA season

The 1920 APFA season was the inaugural season of the American Professional Football League—named the National Football League in 1922. The league was formed on August 20, 1920 by independent professional American football teams from Ohio, all of whom had previously played in the Ohio League or New York Pro Football League. At the meeting, they first called their new league the American Professional Football Conference. A second organizational meeting was held in Canton on September 17, adding more teams to the league. At the meeting, the name of the league become the American Professional Football Association. Four other teams also joined the Association during the year. Meanwhile, Jim Thorpe of the Canton Bulldogs was named the APFA's first president but continued to play for the team.

Scheduling was left up to each team. There were wide variations, both in the overall number of games played and in the number played against other Association members. Thus, no official standings were maintained. In addition, football teams in the APFA also faced independent football teams not associated with the league. For instance, the Rochester Jeffersons played a schedule consisting mostly of local teams from their local sandlot circuit and the NYPFL, not the APFA.

The Akron Pros ended up being the only undefeated team in the Association. Despite this, two one-loss teams—the Decatur Staleys and Buffalo All-Americans—who both tied Akron that year made cases for a co-championship. At the league meetings in Akron on April 30, 1921, the Pros were awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup for the 1920 season, the only year the trophy was used. According to modern NFL tie-breaking rules, the 1920 Buffalo All-Americans would be co-champions. They would be tied with the Akron Pros in win percentage, 9.5 wins to 1.5 losses (.864), both teams beating out the Staleys, who would have a season that counted 11 wins to 2 losses (.846).

Formation of the league

Prior to the APFA, there were several other loose, professional organizations; most of the APFA teams were from either the Ohio League or the New York Pro Football League. On August 20, 1920, a meeting attended by representatives of four Ohio League teams—the Canton Bulldogs, the Cleveland Tigers, the Dayton Triangles, and the Akron Pros—was held. At the meeting, the representatives tentatively agreed to call their new league the American Professional Football Conference, introduce a salary cap for the teams, and not to sign college players nor players under contract with another team.^[1][2] According to the Canton Evening Repository, the purpose of the league was to "raise the standard of professional football in every way possible, to eliminate bidding for players between rival clubs and to secure cooperation in the formation of schedules, at least for the bigger teams."^[3] The representatives then contacted other major professional teams and invited them to a meeting for September 17.^[4]

At the meeting in September, held at the Bulldogs' owner Ralph Hay's Hupmobile showroom, representatives of the Rock Island Independents, the Flyers, the Decatur Staleys, the Racine Cardinals, the Massillon Tigers, the Chicago Cardinals, and the Hammond Pros were present. The Buffalo All-Americans and Rochester Jeffersons could not attend the meeting but sent letters to be in the league.^[5] The following was achieved: the name of American Professional Football Association was chosen; officers of the league were elected with Jim Thorpe as president; a membership fee of $100 was set; a committee to draft a constitution was named; the secretary of the league was to receive a list of all players used during the season by January 1, 1921; and the trophy that would be awarded to the league champions.^[5][6][7]

Schedule

The regular season schedule was not a fixed schedule but was created dynamically by each team as the season progressed.^[8][9] The following table was formed by NFL History, which used contemporary newspapers.^[10] If a team has a dagger (), then that means that team is a non-APFA team. The numbers in the parentheses following a team indicate that team's win-loss-tie record.

Week 1
September 26, 1920
Visitor	Score	Home	Score	Location
St. Paul Ideals	0	Rock Island Independents (1–0–0)	48	Douglas Park
Week 2
October 3, 1920
Wheeling Stogies	0	Akron Pros (1–0–0)	43	Akron League Park
West Buffalo	6	Buffalo All-Americans (1–0–0)	32	Canisius Field
Pitcairn Quakers	0	Canton Bulldogs (1–0–0)	48	Lakeside Park
Columbus Panhandles (0–1–0)	0	Dayton Triangles (1–0–0)	14	Triangle Park
Moline Universal Tractors	0	Decatur Staleys (1–0–0)	20	Staley Field
Muncie Flyers (0–1–0)	0	Rock Island Independents (2–0–0)	45	Douglas Park
All-Buffalo	0	Rochester Jeffersons (1–0–0)	10	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 3
October 10, 1920
Columbus Panhandles (0–2–0)	0	Akron Pros (2–0–0)	37	Akron League Park
All-Buffalo	0	Buffalo All-Americans (2–0–0)	51	Canisius Field
Toledo Maroons	0	Canton Bulldogs (2–0–0)	42	Lakeside Park
Chicago Cardinals (0–0–1)	0	Chicago Tigers (0–0–1)	0	Cubs Park
Cleveland Tigers (0–0–1)	0	Dayton Triangles (1–0–1)	0	Triangle Park
Kewanee Walworths	7	Decatur Staleys (2–0–0)	25	Staley Field
Cleveland Panthers	14	Detroit Heralds (1–0–0)	40	Mack Park
Hammond Pros (0–1–0)	0	Rock Island Independents (3–0–0)	26	Douglas Park
Fort Porter	0	Rochester Jeffersons (2–0–0)	66	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 4
October 17, 1920
Cincinnati Celts	0	Akron Pros (3–0–0)	13	Akron League Park
McKeesport Olympics	7	Buffalo All-Americans (3–0–0)	28	Canisius Field
Cleveland Tigers (0–1–1)	0	Canton Bulldogs (3–0–0)	7	Lakeside Park
Moline Universal Tractors	3	Chicago Cardinals (1–0–1)	33	St. Rita's Field
Detroit Heralds (1–1–0)	0	Chicago Tigers (1–0–1)	12	Cubs Park
Columbus Panhandles (0–3–0)	0	Fort Wayne Friars	14	Fort Wayne League Park
Hammond Pros (0–2–0)	0	Dayton Triangles (2–0–1)	44	Triangle Park
Decatur Staleys (3–0–0)	7	Rock Island Independents (3–1–0)	0	Douglas Park
Utica Knights of Columbus	0	Rochester Jeffersons (2–0–1)	0	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 5
October 24, 1920
Cleveland Tigers (0–2–1)	0	Akron Pros (4–0–0)	7	Akron League Park
Toledo Maroons	0	Buffalo All-Americans (4–0–0)	38	Canisius Field
Canton Bulldogs (3–0–1)	20	Dayton Triangles (2–0–2)	20	Triangle Park
Chicago Cardinals (1–1–1)	0	Rock Island Independents (4–1–0)	7	Douglas Park
Decatur Staleys (4–0–0)	10	Chicago Tigers (1–1–1)	0	Cubs Park
Columbus Panhandles (0–4–0)	0	Detroit Heralds (2–1–0)	6	Mack Park
Syracuse Stars	7	Rochester Jeffersons (3–0–1)	21	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 6
October 31, 1920
Akron Pros (5–0–0)	10	Canton Bulldogs (3–1–1)	0	Lakeside Park
Rochester Jeffersons (3–1–1)	6	Buffalo All-Americans (5–0–0)	17	Canisius Field
Detroit Heralds (2–2–0)	0	Chicago Cardinals (2–1–1)	21	Cubs Park
Chicago Tigers (1–2–1)	7	Rock Island Independents (5–1–0)	20	Douglas Park
Columbus Panhandles (0–5–0)	0	Cleveland Tigers (1–2–1)	7	Dunn Field
Cincinnati Celts (0–2–0)	7	Dayton Triangles (3–0–2)	23	Triangle Park
Decatur Staleys (5–0–0)	29	Rockford A.C.	0	Kishwaukee Park
Hammond Pros (1–2–0)	14	Logan Square	9	Logan Square Park
Week 7
November 7, 1920
All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks	0	Buffalo All-Americans (6–0–0)	35	Canisius Field
Canton Bulldogs (4–1–1)	18	Cleveland Tigers (1–3–1)	0	Dunn Field
Chicago Cardinals (3–1–1)	6	Chicago Tigers (1–3–1)	3	Cubs Park
Columbus Panhandles (1–5–0)	10	Zanesville Mark Grays	0	Zanesville, Ohio
Decatur Staleys (5–0–1)	0	Rock Island Independents (5–1–1)	0	Douglas Park
Hammond Pros (2–2–0)	14	Pullman Thorns	13	Chicago, Illinois
Utica Knights of Columbus	7	Rochester Jeffersons (4–1–1)	27	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 8
November 11, 1920
Decatur Staleys (6–0–1)	20	Champaign Legion	0	Champaign, Illinois
Rock Island Independents (5–1–2)	7	Thorn Tornadoes	7	Monmouth, Illinois
November 14, 1920
Akron Pros (5–0–1)	7	Cleveland Tigers (1–3–2)	7	Dunn Field
Columbus Panhandles (1–6–0)	7	Buffalo All-Americans (7–0–0)	43	Canisius Field
Chicago Tigers (1–4–1)	0	Canton Bulldogs (5–1–1)	21	Lakeside Park
Cincinnati Celts	0	Chicago Cardinals (4–1–1)	21	Chicago, Illinois
Dayton Triangles (4–0–2)	21	Rock Island Independents (5–2–2)	0	Douglas Park
Decatur Staleys (7–0–1)	3	Minneapolis Marines	0	Nicollet Park
Detroit Heralds (2–2–1)	0	Fort Wayne Friars	0	Fort Wayne League Park
Hammond Pros (2–3–0)	6	Gary Elks	7	Gleason Field
All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks	6	Rochester Jeffersons (4–2–1)	0	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 9
November 21, 1920
Dayton Triangles (4–1–2)	0	Akron Pros (6–0–1)	13	Akron League Park
Canton Bulldogs (6–1–1)	3	Buffalo All-Americans (7–1–0)	0	Canisius Field
Lansing Oldsmobile	0	Chicago Cardinals (5–1–1)	14	Chicago, Illinois
Toledo Maroons	0	Cleveland Tigers (2–3–2)	14	Dunn Field
Columbus Panhandles (1–6–1)	0	Zanesville Mark Grays	0	Zanesville, Ohio
Hammond Pros (2–4–0)	7	Decatur Staleys (8–0–1)	28	Staley Field
Rochester Scalpers	0	Rochester Jeffersons (5–2–1)	16	Rochester Baseball Park
Week 10
November 25, 1920
Canton Bulldogs (6–2–1)	0	Akron Pros (7–0–1)	7	Akron League Park
Decatur Staleys (9–0–1)	6	Chicago Tigers (1–5–1)	0	Chicago Cub Park
Columbus Panhandles (1–6–2)	0	Elyria Athletics	0	Lorain, Ohio
Detroit Heralds (2–3–1)	0	Dayton Triangles (5–1–2)	28	Triangle Park
Hammond Pros (2–5–0)	0	Chicago Boosters	27	DePaul Field
All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks (2–1–0)	14	Rochester Jeffersons (5–3–1)	3	Rochester Baseball Park
November 28, 1920
Akron Pros (8–0–1)	14	Dayton Triangles (5–2–2)	0	Triangle Park
Cleveland Tigers (2–4–2)	0	Buffalo All-Americans (8–1–0)	7	Buffalo Baseball Park
Decatur Staleys (9–1–1)	6	Chicago Cardinals (6–1–1)	7	Normal Park
Thorn Tornadoes	0	Chicago Tigers (2–5–1)	27	Cubs Park
Lansing Oldsmobile	0	Detroit Heralds (2–3–2)	0	Mack Park
Rochester Scalpers	6	Rochester Jeffersons (6–3–1)	7	Rochester Baseball Park
Pittsburgh All-Collegians	7	Rock Island Independents (6–2–2)	48	Douglas Park
Week 11
December 4, 1920
Canton Bulldogs (6–3–1)	3	Buffalo All-Americans (9–1–0)	7	New York Polo Grounds
December 5, 1920
Akron Pros (8–0–2)	0	Buffalo All-Americans (9–1–1)	0	Buffalo Baseball Park
Canton Bulldogs (6–3–2)	0	Washington Glee Club	0	New Haven, Connecticut
Chicago Cardinals (6–2–1)	0	Decatur Staleys (10–1–1)	10	Cubs Park
Columbus Wagner Pirates	0	Columbus Panhandles (2–6–2)	24	Neil Park
Detroit Maroons	7	Detroit Heralds (2–3–3)	7	Mack Park
Rochester Scalpers	0	Rochester Jeffersons (6–3–2)	0	Exposition Park
Week 12
December 11, 1920
Canton Bulldogs (6–4–2)	7	Union Club of Phoenixville	13	Phillies Park
December 12, 1920
Akron Pros (8–0–3)	0	Decatur Staleys (10–1–2)	0	Cubs Park
Week 13
December 18, 1920
Canton Bulldogs (7–4–2)	39	Richmond Athletics	0	Boulevard Field

Final standings

Post season

Several Pros players celebrating their championship. The women in the pictured, only known as "Miss Thomas" did not play on the team.

Since there were no playoff system in the APFA until 1932,^[11] a meeting was held to determine the 1920 NFL Champions.^[12] Each team that showed up had a vote to determine the champions. Since the Akron Pros had a 1.000 winning percentage, the Pros were awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup on April 30, 1921.^[13] The trophy was a "silver loving cup", donated by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.^[14] This decision, however, would arise with controversy. The Staleys and the All-Americans each stated that they should win the award because they had more wins and were not beaten by the Akron Pros.^[12] Each player from the Pros was also awarded with a golden fob.^[15] It was of a football and "1920", "WORLD CHAMPIONS", and each players' first initial and last name was inscribed on the fob.^[15]

In 1972, the NFL changed the rules so ties count as a half-win and a half-loss.^[16] If this rule had applied in 1920, the All-Americans and the Pros would each have a .814 winning percentage. Even though the Pros were given the trophy in 1920, the league lost track of the event and for a long time published in its own record books that the 1920 championship was undecided.^[17] It was not until the 1970s that the NFL remembered its early vote on awarding the Akron Pros the championship.^[17]

Awards

Bruce Copeland, sports writer for the Rock Island Argus, compiled the All-Pro list for 1920. He used the games played in Rock Island, other newspapers, and his own memory to determine the first-, second-, and third-team All-Pro list. Pro-Football-Reference.com uses this list as the official All-Pro list of 1920.^[18] Twenty of the players were from Illinois and thirteen were from Ohio. The Rock Island Independents had the most players on the list (9), and Chicago Cardinals had the least (1).^[19]

Notes

References

• Carroll, Bob (1982). "1920 Akron Pros". The Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 4 (12). http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-12-119.pdf. 
• Davis, Jeff (2005). Papa Bear, The Life and Legacy of George Halas. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-146054-3. 
• Hogrogian, John (1984). "1920 All-Pros". The Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 6 (1). http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/06-01-173.pdf. 
• NFL History (March 10, 2003). "1920 American Professional Football Association". NFL History. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070222012552/http://nflhistory.net/linescores/pdf/1920.pdf. 
• Peterson, Robert (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507607-9. 
• PFRA Research. "Once More, With Feeling: 1921". Professional Football Researchers Association. http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Once_More_With_Feeling.pdf. Retrieved March 11, 2012. 
• PFRA Research (1980). "Happy Birthday NFL?". The Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 2 (8). http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/02-08-038.pdf. 
• Siwoff, Seymour; Zimmber, Jon; Marini, Matt (2010). The Official NFL Record and Fact Book 2010. National Football League. ISBN 978-1-60320-833-8.