The

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

Dayton Triangles The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association (now the National Football League (NFL)) in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangl ...

season was the franchise's inaugural season in the

American Professional Football Association The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the maj ...

(AFPA)—later named the National Football League. The Triangles entered the season coming off a 5–2–1 record in 1919 in the

Ohio League The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1902 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship (OIC). As the name implied, its teams were mostly based in Ohio. It is the direct pr ...

. After the 1919 season, several representatives from the Ohio League wanted to form a new professional league; thus, the APFA was created. A majority of the team stayed from the 1919 team, including the coaching staff, while two players left the team. The Triangles opened the season with a win against the

Columbus Panhandles The Columbus Panhandles were a professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. The club was founded in 1901 by workers at the Panhandle shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were a part of the Ohio League from 1904 before foldi ...

. This game is considered the first league game where two APFA teams played against each other. After a six-game winning streak, the Triangles faced their first loss of the season to the future champions, the

Akron Pros The Akron Pros were a professional football team that played in Akron, Ohio from 1908 to 1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, but later became Akron Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter mem ...

. This team would give the Triangles their only two losses of the year. The Triangles finished the season with a 5–2–2 record, which earned them sixth place in the APFA standings. No players were awarded with the first team

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...

award, Norb Sacksteder made the second team, and Frank Bacon made the third team.

Offseason

The Dayton Triangles finished 5–2–1 in their 1919 season in the

. The Triangles had several players added to their team for the 1920 season: Max Broadhurst, Doc Davis, Guy Early,

Russ Hathaway Russell Grant Hathaway (January 14, 1896 – August 19, 1988) was a professional American football player who played 8 seasons in the early National Football League (NFL) for the Muncie Flyers, Dayton Triangles, Pottsville Maroons and Buffalo B ...

, Chuck Helvie, Pesty Lentz, Norb Sacksteder, Ed Sauer, Fritz Slackford, and Tiny Turner. Two players—one with a last name Albers, and one with a last name Yerges—did not play for the Triangles in 1920, and the coaching staff stayed the same. After the 1919 season, representatives of four Ohio League teams—the

Canton Bulldogs The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and the American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football Leag ...

, the Cleveland Tigers, the

, and the

—called a meeting on August 20, 1920, to discuss the formation of a new league. At the meeting, they tentatively agreed on a

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...

and pledged not to sign college players or players already under contract with other teams. They also agreed on a name for the circuit: the American Professional Football Conference. They then invited other professional teams to a second meeting on September 17. At that meeting, held at Bulldogs owner

Ralph Hay Ralph Edward Hay (January 12, 1891July 29, 1944) was the owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 through the 1922 season. However, he is mostly recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that would later form the American Professional Fo ...

Hupmobile Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1939 by the Hupp Motor Car Company of Detroit. The prototype was developed in 1908. History Founding In 1909, Bobby Hupp co-founded Hupp Motor Car Company, with Charles Hastings, for ...

showroom in Canton, representatives of the

Rock Island Independents The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. The Independents were a founding National Football League franchise. They hosted what has been retrospectively designated ...

, the

Muncie Flyers The Muncie Flyers, known as the Congerville Flyers for most of their existence, were a professional American football team from Muncie, Indiana, that played from 1905 to 1926. The Flyers were an independent squad for most of their existence, but ...

, the

Decatur Staleys Decatur may refer to a number of places, streets, military establishments, schools, and others mostly named after Stephen Decatur: Places in the United States * Decatur, Alabama, county seat of Morgan County ** Decatur metropolitan area, Alabam ...

, the

Racine Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

, the

Massillon Tigers The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships ...

, the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

, and the

Hammond Pros The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team. History The Pros were established by local businessman Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young. Young, a boxing promoter and owner of ...

agreed to join the league. Representatives of the

Buffalo All-Americans Buffalo, New York had a turbulent, early-era National Football League team that operated under multiple names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s. The early NFL-era franchise was variously called the Buffalo All-Stars from ...

and

Rochester Jeffersons The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played from 1898 to 1925, including play in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925. History Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of t ...

could not attend the meeting, but sent letters to Hay asking to be included in the league.PFRA Research (1980), p. 4 Team representatives changed the league's name slightly to the American Professional Football Association and elected officers, installing Jim Thorpe as president. Under the new league structure, teams created their schedules dynamically as the season progressed, so there were no minimum or maximum number of games needed to be played. Also, representatives of each team voted to determine the winner of the APFA trophy.

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 2: vs. Columbus Panhandles

''October 3, 1920, at Triangle Park'' The Triangles' opening game against the Columbus Panhandles is considered by football historians to be the first football game between two APFA teams. Since kickoff times were not standardized in 1920, it is unknown if this game or the Muncie–Rock Island game is the first game played. The Triangles won 14–0.Braunwart & Carroll (1981), p. 1 The Triangles' defense made a goal-line stand in the second quarter while the Panhandles had the ball on the 3-yard line. Before halftime, the Triangles'

back The human back, also called the dorsum, is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral column run ...

Al Mahrt Alphonse Herman Mahrt (October 12, 1893 – June 24, 1970) was a professional football player and coach who played his entire career with the Dayton Triangles of the "Ohio League" and later the National Football League (NFL). He was an early pr ...

completed a 30-yard pass to

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

Dutch Thiele to give the Triangles possession on the 5-yard line. The Triangles failed to convert, however, as time ran out.Braunwart & Carroll (1981), p. 2 Early in the third quarter, the Triangles started a possession on their own 35-yard line. Four consecutive run plays carried them to midfield. Soon after, back

Lou Partlow Louis (or Lewis) Jerald Partlow (October 9, 1892 in Miamisburg, Ohio – April 14, 1981 in Burbank, California) was a running back who played ten seasons with the Dayton Triangles in the National Football League. He is remembered for being ...

had a succession of runs which resulted in a touchdown. The other Triangle score came in the middle of the fourth quarter when end Frank Bacon returned a punt for a 60-yard touchdown. After both touchdowns, George Kinderdine was responsible for the extra points.

Week 3: vs. Cleveland Tigers

''October 10, 1920, at Triangle Park'' After the historic game, the Triangles played against the Cleveland Tigers. The owner of the Tigers,

Jimmy O'Donnell James M. O'Donnell (November 3, 1872 - October 1, 1947) was the owner and co-founder of the first National Football League (then called the American Professional Football Association) franchise in Cleveland, called the Cleveland Tigers. He was a ...

, helped with the foundation of the APFA. No team scored, and the game ended in a 0–0 tie.

Week 4: vs. Hammond Pros

''October 17, 1920, at Triangle Park'' The

were the Triangles' next opponent. In the first quarter, Mahrt had a one-yard rushing touchdown. The Triangles scored three touchdowns in the second quarter: a 50-yard receiving touchdown from Mahrt, a 35-yard receiving touchdown from Reese, and a rushing touchdown from Partlow. The extra point was missed after the first touchdown. In the next quarter, Roudebush kicked a 35-yard field goal. The last score of the game was a receiving touchdown from Sacksteder. The final score of the game was 44–0 before a crowd of 2,000.

Week 5: vs. Canton Bulldogs

''October 24, 1920, at Triangle Park'' In week five, the Triangles battled the Canton Bulldogs, who had the Hall-of-Fame back

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...

. The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the first quarter on a two-yard rushing touchdown by

Pete Calac Pedro "Pete" Calac (May 13, 1892 – January 30, 1968) was a professional football player who played in the Ohio League and during the early years of the National Football League. Over the course of his 10-year career he played for the Canton Bull ...

. But the Triangles came back in the second quarter, scoring twice: Bacon had a four-yard rushing touchdown, and end

Dave Reese David E. Reese (November 19, 1892 – June 26, 1978) was an American football end who played four seasons with the Dayton Triangles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Denison University. Reese was the first comm ...

had a 50-yard receiving touchdown. Guyon scored a 22-yard rushing touchdown during the second quarter, but the extra point was missed. In the third quarter, the Triangles responded with a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Partlow, but Dayton missed the extra point to make the score 20–14. Thorpe then came into the game, and kicked a 45-yard field goal to bring his team within three points. In the final minutes, Thorpe kicked another 35-yard field goal to tie it. The Triangles were the first team to score on the Bulldogs since the opening game of the previous year.

Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Celts

''October 31, 1920, at Triangle Park'' The

Cincinnati Celts The Cincinnati Celts (pronounced with a hard C) was the first professional football team to play in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team played in the unofficial "Ohio League" and the American Professional Football Association (renamed the National Footba ...

were the next opponent for the Triangles. The Celts were not directly affiliated with the APFA and did not join the league until the following season. The lone score in the first quarter came from a fumble recovery by George Roudebush, who returned it for a touchdown. In the next quarter, Wehringer for the Celts ran an interception back for a touchdown. The Triangles score twice in the second quarter: a rushing touchdown from Abrell and a 35-yard field goal from Roudebush. Frank Bacon had a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter, en route to the 23–7 victory for the Triangles.

Week 8: at Rock Island Independents

''November 14, 1920, at Douglas Park'' In week eight, the Triangles played against the Rock Island Independents. The Independents had six players returning from injuries this game. In the first quarter,

Rube Ursella Reuben J. Ursella (January 11, 1890 – February 1980) was a professional football player-coach who played during the early years of the National Football League. During his NFL career Rube played for the Minneapolis Marines, Akron Indians, ...

for the Independents fumbled a punt on the 40-yard line, and the Triangles gained possession. On that possession, Bacon scored a rushing touchdown. The Independents controlled the football for a majority of the second quarter. On their final possession of the half, they traveled to the Triangles' four-inch line, but the referee signaled to end the first half. In the fourth quarter, Ed Novack and Arnold Wyman for the Independents left the game due to injury. The Triangles scored two passing touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the game; the first was caught by

, and the second was caught by Roudebush.

Week 9: at Akron Pros

''November 21, 1920, at League Park'' In week nine, the Triangles played against the Akron Pros. The Pros came into this game as one of the few teams left in the APFA who were undefeated.Carroll (1982), p. 2 The game started out with three scoreless quarters until Rip King threw a 15-yard passing touchdown in the fourth quarter to

Frank McCormick Frank Andrew McCormick (June 9, 1911 – November 21, 1982) was an American baseball first baseman who played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Buck" in honor of Frank Buck, he played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelph ...

Fritz Pollard Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard (January 27, 1894 – May 11, 1986) was an American football player and coach. In 1921, he became the first African-American head coach in the National Football League (NFL). Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the ...

, a future Hall-of-Famer, rushed for a 17-yard touchdown, and Charlie Copley made one extra point and missed another one to beat the Triangles 13–0 and give the Triangles their first loss of the season.

Week 10: vs. Detroit Heralds

''November 25, 1920, at Triangle Park'' Coming off their first loss of the season, the Triangles played against the

Detroit Heralds Detroit had four early teams in the National Football League before the Detroit Lions. The Heralds played in 1920, and had played as an independent as far back as 1905. The Tigers, a continuation of the Heralds, played in 1921, folding midseason ...

. Bacon contributed to every point in the first quarter; he first a 3-yard rushing touchdown, and followed up by a catching a receiving touchdown. Dick Abrell contributed in the second quarter, as he scored a rushing touchdown. Sacksteder caught a receiving touchdown from Roudebush to put the Triangles up 28–0 at halftime. The second half was scoreless, and the Triangles moved on to a 5–1–2 record with one game left in their season.

Week 10: vs. Akron Pros

''November 28, 1920, at Triangle Park'' The Pros were now recognized as the top team in Ohio, and the Triangles had a rematch against the Pros. The game could have been classified as a World Championship, but the APFA had widened its battlefield with the Buffalo All-Americans and the Decatur Staleys still in contention for the APFA trophy. 5,000 fans showed up for the game. Pollard returned a punt for a touchdown in the first quarter and had one receiving touchdown in the third quarter from King, and the Triangles received their second loss of the year.

Post-season

Hurt by losses to the Akron Pros, the Triangles did not contend for the APFA trophy in 1920. The Triangles' performance of 5–2–2 would be the team's best before being sold and relocating to Brooklyn after the 1929 season. Sportswriter Bruce Copeland compiled the 1920 All Pro team; no players made the first team, Sacksteder made the second team, and Bacon made the third team. As of 2012, no players from the 1920 Dayton Triangles were enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Roster

Standings

Notes

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:1920 Dayton Triangles Season Dayton Triangles seasons

Dayton Tri