The

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

Detroit Wolverines season was their first and only season in the

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

, after relocating from Cleveland in the offseason. The team went 7–2–1, 1928 Detroit Wolverines
/ref> finishing third in the league; their two losses came to Frankford and Providence, the NFL's top two teams. The Wolverines, led by star quarterback

Benny Friedman Benjamin Friedman (March 18, 1905 – November 24, 1982) was an American football player and coach, and athletic administrator. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Friedman played college football as a halfback and quarterback for the University of ...

, also met the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

twice: an easy 28-0 win in Detroit and a 19-19 tie (a “Scorigami” as this is so far the only game in NFL history to end with this score) at the

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

in New York. Ironically, this proved to be the team's downfall, as the Wolverines piqued the interest of Giants owner

Tim Mara Timothy James Mara (July 29, 1887 – February 16, 1959) was the founding owner of the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL).''Wellington, the Maras, the Giants, and the City of New York'', Carlo DeVito, Triumph Books, 2006, pp ...

, who wanted to acquire Friedman and Detroit's other star players. Mara did so by buying the entire Detroit franchise, and promptly shutting it down, thus delivering Friedman ''et al'' to New York. The NFL would not return to the Motor City until 1934, when the

Portsmouth Spartans The professional American football team now known as the Detroit Lions previously played in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans, from its founding in 1928 to its relocation to Detroit in 1934. Originally drawing players from defunct indepe ...

moved to Detroit and were rebranded as the Lions.

Schedule

Standings

Players

Carl Bacchus Robert Carl Bacchus (July 31, 1904 – March 2, 1985) was an American football player. Bacchus was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1904. He played at the end position in the National Football League for the 1927 Cleveland Bulldogs and the 1 ...

, kicker, 9 games, 204 pounds, 6-0, Missouri * Rip Bachor, tackle, 1 game, 215 pounds, 6-0, Univ. of Detroit * John Barrett, center, 5 games, 170 pounds, 5-6, Univ. of Detroit * Les Caywood, guard, 9 games, 230 pounds, 6-0, St. John's (NY) *

Tom Cobb ''Tom Cobb or, Fortune's Toy'' is a farce in three-acts (styled "An Entirely Original Farcical Comedy") by W. S. Gilbert. The story concerns Tom, a young debtor who pretends to be a recently deceased man to avoid his debts. A family claims to in ...

, tackle, 9 games, 250 pounds, 5-11, St. John's (NY) * Tiny Feather, fullback, 10 games, 197 games, 6-0, Kansas St. *

, quarterback, 10 games, 183 pounds, 5-10, Michigan * Dosey Howard, guard, 9 games, 225 pounds, 6-0, Marietta * Pete Jackson, 5 games, 200 pounds, 5-10, Missouri * Lyle Munn, end, 10 games, 186 pounds, 6-0, Kansas St. * Bill Owen, tackle, 10 games, 211 pounds, 6-0, Oklahoma St., Phillips * Proc Randels, end, 10 games, 180 pounds, 6-0, Kansas St. * Eddie Scharer, 7 games, 165 pounds, 5-6, Univ. of Detroit, Notre Dame * Len Sedbrook, wingback, 9 games, 174 pounds, 5-10, Phillips *

Rex Thomas Rex Beauford Thomas (April 16, 1902 – March 28, 1955) was a professional American football player who played wide receiver for five seasons for the Brooklyn Lions, Cleveland Bulldogs, Detroit Wolverines The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th-ce ...

, wingback, 10 games, 174 pounds, 5-9, Tulsa, St. John's (NY) *

Ernie Vick Henry Arthur "Ernie" Vick (July 2, 1900 – July 16, 1980) was an American football and baseball player. He was selected as an All-American center in 1921, played on the 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, and was elected to the Col ...

, center, 6 games, 190 pounds, 5-10, Michigan *

Ossie Wiberg Oscar Malker Hilding Wiberg (October 11, 1904 – August 14, 1989) was an American football player. Wiberg was born in 1904 in Edgar, Nebraska, and attended Edgar High School. He played college football as a fullback for the Nebraska Wesleyan ...

, back, 10 games, 207 pounds, 5-11, Nebraska Wesleyan *

Chet Widerquist Chester C. Widerquist (September 23, 1895 - July 14, 1976) was a professional American football player for the Milwaukee Badgers, Rock Island Independents, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Wolverines and Minneapolis Red Jackets. He attended Washi ...

, tackle, 4 games, 219 pounds, 6-1, Northwestern, Washington & Jefferson * Joe Wostoupal, center, 8 games, 208 pounds, 6-3, Nebraska

References

Detroit Wolverines The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th-century Major League Baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant (and winning the pre ...

W Detroit seasons (1920s NFL teams) {{Americanfootball-season-stub