The Brooklyn Dodgers were an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

team that played in the

National Football League 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 ...

from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at

Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five p ...

of the baseball

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

's team, the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

. In 1945, because of financial difficulties and the increasing scarcity of major league-level players because of the war-time defense requirements at the height of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the team was merged with the

Boston Yanks The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...

and were known as the Yanks for that season. This old NFL franchise was not related to the earlier (second incarnation)

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

II with a franchise that played as the

Brooklyn Tigers The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field of the baseball National League's team, the Broo ...

for the first half of the 1936 season before moving to

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

and playing as the Rochester Tigers. Another NFL team that played in the Brooklyn borough was the Brooklyn Lions (which became the

Brooklyn Horsemen The Brooklyn Lions were a National Football League team that played in the 1926 NFL season. The team was formed as the league's counter-move to the first American Football League, which enfranchised a team called the Brooklyn Horsemen, a professi ...

after merging with a team from an earlier first incarnation

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

of the same name) in 1926. In 1946, co-owner and partner

Dan Topping Daniel Reid Topping (June 11, 1912 – May 18, 1974) was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to 1964. During Topping's tenure as chief executive of the Yankees, the team won 14 American League pennants and ...

(1912–1974) pulled the Tigers team out of the old NFL and placed it in the newly established rival professional league – the

All-America Football Conference The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the ...

, which shortly lasted until 1949, until several stronger teams from the AAFC merged with and entered a reorganized NFL in 1950.

History

Early years

The team began play in 1930 after two Brooklyn businessmen bought the

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 ...

for $2,500 and moved the NFL franchise to Ebbets Field. These two individuals were Bill Dwyer, a past owner of the

New York Americans The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

, and Jack Depler, a player-coach for the NFL's

Orange Tornadoes The Orange Tornadoes and Newark Tornadoes were two manifestations of a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1941 and from 1958 to 1970, having played in the American Amateur Football Union from ...

. Dwyer and Depler then renamed the Triangles the Brooklyn Dodgers, borrowing the name of Brooklyn's then major league baseball team. Friedman 1929 Giants

The 1930 Dodgers were merged with and built largely from the roster of the 1929 Tornadoes, with the Triangles' players likely being on the bench and many not being able to relocate their families during the Great Depression. The Dodgers finished fourth in the NFL with a 7–4–1 record, a massive improvement upon the Triangles' disastrous final seasons in Dayton. The high point of their season consisted of a 7–6 upset over 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. ...

at the end of November. The Dodgers star back was

Jack McBride John F. McBride (November 30, 1901–October 11, 1966) was an American football player who played the positions of halfback, fullback, and quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. McBride pla ...

, a former Giant. He led the league in scoring with a total of 56 points in 1930. However, the 1931 season saw the Dodgers post a 2–12 record. Once the season ended, Benny Friedman was brought in as the team's new

player-coach A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...

. The 1932 season started off promising with wins over the

Staten Island Stapletons The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1932. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten ...

and the new Boston Braves (later renamed the Redskins). However, the team soon hit a five-game losing streak. The streak ended with a 3–0 win over 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 ...

, however that win was followed by four more losses. The Dodgers ended their season 3–9.

Post-Dwyer era

At the end of the 1932 season, Bill Dwyer had enough of professional football. His three years with the Dodgers had cost him an estimated $30,000. The Dodgers were then purchased by two former New York Giants players,

Chris Cagle Christopher Norris Cagle (born November 10, 1968) is an American country music artist. He was first known for writing songs for David Kersh before signing to Virgin Records Nashville in 2000. Cagle made his debut on ''Billboard (magazine), Bill ...

and John Simms Kelly for $25,000.

Cap McEwen John James "Cap" McEwan (February 18, 1893 – August 9, 1970) was an American football player and coach. He played from 1913 to 1916 as a center at the United States Military Academy, where he was a three-time All-American and captain of the ...

, a successful college football coach, was then brought in to replace Friedman, who would continue to play tailback for the Dodgers through half of the upcoming season. The 1933 season also saw the NFL split into two divisions. The Dodgers were placed in the Eastern Division. Dodgers had a chance for first place, by posting a 5–2–1 record, however a 10–0 loss to the Giants in front of 28,000 Brooklyn fans at Ebbets Field ended that chance in November. The following season,

bought Chris Cagle's half of the team. Topping would later become an owner and president of baseball's

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. Meanwhile, Cagle continued to play in the Brooklyn backfield. However, the only positive story to come out of the season for Brooklyn was the signing of

Ralph Kercheval Ralph Godfrey Kercheval (December 1, 1911 – October 6, 2010) was an American football running back and punter. He played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a prominent football player in colle ...

. Kercheval would go on to become one of the great NFL kickers. He returned to play for Brooklyn for the next seven seasons. He also scored every point for the Dodgers in their last six games as they finished with a 4–7 record. In 1935, Paul Schissler. the former coach of the

, took over as the Dodgers coach. However, the team's stars Cagle, Friedman, and Kelly all retired. As a result, the Dodgers line-up consisted of 15 rookies. The 1935 season did show the team posting a 5–6–1 record and second place in the Eastern Division. Over the next four seasons, the Dodgers placed either in the fourth or third place in the Eastern standings. Several of the star players to wear a Dodgers uniform during this time included Harold "Bunker" Hill, Bob Wilson, and Bill Lee. The roster also included future Hall of Famers,

Red Badgro Morris Hiram "Red" Badgro (December 1, 1902 – July 13, 1998) was an American football player and football coach who also played professional baseball. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981. A native of Orillia, Washington ...

and

Ace Parker Clarence McKay "Ace" Parker (May 17, 1912 – November 6, 2013) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played professional football as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–1941 ...

. Both men had played professional baseball in the majors. Badgro played for the

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

before playing in the NFL for the Giants and

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

. Meanwhile, Parker played under

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

, while as a member of the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

. He is best known for hitting a

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

his first time at bat as a pinch hitter, becoming the first player in

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

history to do so. Another future Hall of Famer joined the team in 1938, Frank Kinard. Kinard would play for Brooklyn for the rest of the franchise's history. The Dodgers made NFL history on October 22, 1939. That day, at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers played the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

in the first NFL game shown on television. The Dodgers won the game 23–14.

Jock Sutherland era

In 1940, the Dodgers chose

Jock Sutherland John Bain Sutherland (March 21, 1889 – April 11, 1948) was an American football player and coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College (1919–1923) and the University of Pittsburgh (1924–1938) and professional football for the ...

as their team's next coach. Sutherland brought to Brooklyn the

Single-wing formation In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation was a precursor to the modern spread or shotgun formation. The term usually connotes formations in which the snap is tossed rather than handed—formations with one wingback and a hand ...

, which he had used at

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

and Pitt. Under Sutherland, Brooklyn finished in second place in the Eastern standings behind the Redskins. Meanwhile, Parker was awarded the Joseph Carr Trophy as the league's Official Most Valuable Player. During this time, Dodger staples Mike Gussie All American from West Virginia University,

Dick Cassiano Richard Peter Cassiano (October 7, 1917 – May 14, 1980) was a halfback in the National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between ...

and Ben Kish, who played for Sutherland at Pitt;

George Cafego George Cafego (August 29, 1915 – February 9, 1998) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, earning varsity letters 1937 - 1939, and professionally in the N ...

and

Banks McFadden James Banks McFadden (February 7, 1917 – June 4, 2005) was an American football and basketball player and coach. McFadden is best known for his association with Clemson University, where he spent 43 years as a player, coach, and administrator. H ...

were signed by the team. In 1941, the team again landed in second place of the Eastern Division, behind only the Giants. Dodger

Clarence "Pug" Manders Clarence Edward "Pug" Manders (May 5, 1913 – January 13, 1985) was a National Football League running back for the Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers from 1939 through 1944. He was drafted in the second round of the 1939 NFL Draft. He led the NFL in rush ...

won the NFL rushing title that season with 486 yards. His title still represents the smallest number of yards carried to ever win this title.

Warren Alfson Warren Frank Alfson (May 10, 1915June 4, 2001) was an American football guard and linebacker for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as well as the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League. Early years He was born and raised in Wisner, Nebraska ...

and Merlyn Condit joined the team that season. Sutherland's 1940 and 1941 campaigns would be the most successful during the franchise's history.

Decline

Beginning in 1942, the team went into a steep decline, as World War II caused a shortage of players and fans. Coach Sutherland, along with Ace Parker and several other players left the team to join the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. Mike Getto took over the coaching duties; however, with the core of the team gone, the Dodgers sank to a 3–8–0 record. A year later, the team ended up winning only two games. In 1944, the team was renamed the Tigers, but suffered an 0–10 regular season record. In a desperate attempt for survival, the team merged with the

for the 1945 season. The merged team played four home games in Boston and one in New York, but fans from neither city cared as they finished with a 3–6–1 record. The merger occurred on April 10, 1945 after the 1945 NFL Draft.

Topping, the Dodgers and the AAFC

In December 1945, Topping announced his intentions to accept the

's New York franchise. In response to this defection, the NFL immediately cancelled his NFL team franchise, and all of its players were assigned to Boston. Meanwhile, the AAFC planted another team in Brooklyn called the

Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, and the two teams would merge in 1949. Topping's Yankees employed several former Dodgers players in 1946 and 1947 such as Parker, Kinard and Manders, and the Yankees reached the AAFC Championship Game in both years (being beaten by the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

in both Games).

Indirect ties to the Indianapolis Colts

The sequence of events begun by the demise of the Brooklyn Dodgers NFL team eventually resulted in the creation of what is now the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

. The Boston Yanks moved to New York as the Bulldogs in 1949. After the 1949 season the NFL added three teams from the AAFC. The AAFC Yankees players were split between the Giants and Bulldogs. The Bulldogs renamed themselves the

New York Yanks The New York Yanks were an American football team that played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons. Season by season overview 1949 The team began in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, owned by Kate Smith's manag ...

in the same season. After the 1951 season, Yanks owner Ted Collins sold the franchise back to the league. The NFL then sold it to a new owner, Giles Miller, who moved the team to Dallas and renamed it the

Dallas Texans Dallas Texans may refer to: American football *Dallas Texans (NFL), 1952 team in the National Football League *Dallas Texans (AFL), 1960–1962 team that is now the Kansas City Chiefs * Dallas Texans (arena), 1990–1993 Arena Football League team ...

. Miller returned his franchise to the league in the middle of the 1952 season, and the NFL operated it as a traveling team before folding it at the end of the season. In 1953, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to a

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

-based group and awarded it the remains of the Texans organization. The team, named the Colts, relocated to Indianapolis in 1984. However, the NFL currently does not consider the Colts to be a continuation of the franchise once known as the Brooklyn Dodgers.

First-round draft selections

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Multi-time Pro Bowlers

The Dodgers are the only defunct franchise to send a player to the Pro Bowl/All-Star Game multiple times apart from the

' Brad Ecklund.Multi-time Pro Bowlers, 1938–1951. Pro-Football-Reference.
/ref> * Frank "Bruiser" Kinard (5 times) *

Perry Schwartz Perry Schwartz (April 27, 1915 – January 4, 2001) Son of Henry & Maude (nee Perry) Swartz, was a professional American football end. He played five seasons with the National Football League's Brooklyn Dodgers (1938–1942) and the All-America F ...

(4 times) *

(3 times)

Season-by-season

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brooklyn Dodgers (Nfl) American football teams established in 1930 American football teams disestablished in 1945 Defunct National Football League teams Defunct American football teams in New York City 1930 establishments in New York City 1945 disestablishments in New York (state)