Defunct NFL Teams Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stapletons

The Stapletons played in the NFL from 1929 until 1932, their home stadium being Thompson's Stadium in Stapleton. Their best season was in 1930 when they finished 5-5-2. Hall of Fame halfback Ken Strong began his pro carrer with the Stapletons before joining the New York Giants in 1933.

Answer: Frankford Yellow Jackets

The Yellow Jackets were based in the Philadelphia suburb of Frankford from 1924 until 1931, winning the league championship in 1926. The franchise was bought by Bert Bell and Lud Wray who created a new team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are regarded as a separate team from the Yellow Jackets by the NFL.

However, they did wear the same yellow and blue colors as their predecessors for a throwback game vs Detroit in 2007.

Answer: Los Angeles Buccaneers

The Buccaneers team was stocked mainly by players from Californian colleges, which was their only connection with L.A. They finished with a 6-3-1 record in their only season in the league. The other three teams offered as possible answers never existed.

Answer: Akron Pros

The Pros were an NFL franchise from 1920 until 1926, changing their nickname to the Indians in their final season. They won the very first APFA/NFL title with an 8-0-3 record. Hall of Famer Fritz Pollard was a former coach of the Pros, becoming the first African-American head coach in NFL history in the process.

Answer: Rochester

The Rochester Jeffersons existed from 1920 until 1925, winning six games in their first season, two in their second, and none at all in their last four years as NFL members. They were the only team in NFL history to forfeit a game, vs the Washington Senators in 1921.

Answer: Panhandles

The Panhandles were originally formed in 1901, and were charter members of the APFA/NFL in 1920. They played the Dayton Triangles in the very first NFL game. The club was disbanded and reconstituted as the Columbus Tigers in 1923, before folding after the 1926 season.

Answer: Badgers

The Badgers were actually based in Milwaukee from 1922 until 1926. Detroit had four NFL teams in the 1920s; the Heralds in 1920, the Tigers in 1921, the Panthers in 1925/26, and the Wolverines in 1928. Detroit finally got a permanent NFL franchise in 1934 when the Spartans moved from Portsmouth and became the Lions.

Answer: Oorang Indians

Named after the Oorang Dog Kennels, the Indians were NFL members in 1922/23, playing all but one of their games on the road. The team was composed entirely of Native Americans, and is synonymous with Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe who played at running back for them.

Answer: Pottsville Maroons

The Maroons were based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, from 1925 until 1928, when they moved to Boston and were renamed the Bulldogs. The 1925 NFL championship was controversially awarded to the Chicago Cardinals despite the fact that the Maroons defeated them in what was regarded as a title decider late in the season. Pottsville played an exhibition game vs the Notre Dame All-Stars in Philadelphia on the same day as Frankford were playing a regular season game in the same city, and the NFL responded by barring them from the right to be declared champions.

Answer: Providence Steam Roller

Coached by Hall of Famer Jimmy Conzelman, the Steam Roller won the 1928 title with an 8-1-2 record. The team played their last season in 1931 before folding due to financial difficulties.

Answer: Boston and New York

This franchise was known as the Boston Yanks from 1944 until 1948, the New York Bulldogs/Yanks from 1949 until 1951, then the Dallas Texans in 1952. This team was unrelated to the AFL Dallas Texans of the early 1960s.

Answer: Canton Bulldogs

The Bulldogs' most famous player was Jim Thorpe, who also coached them in the 1920 season. The team was moved to Cleveland in 1924 and won another title there, before moving back to Canton the following year.

Answer: Louisville

The Louisville Brecks existed from 1921 until 1923, and in that timespan won only one game. Their stadium burned down in 1923, ending the story of pro football in the Kentucky city. A later team known as the Louisville Colonels existed for one season in 1926, but played all of their "home" games in Chicago.

Answer: Triangles

The Triangles took their name from their stadium, Triangle Park. The very first APFA/NFL game took place there in 1920, with the home team defeating the Columbus Panhandles 14-0. Dayton's only winning record was achieved in that first season when they finished 5-2-2. In 1930, they moved to Brooklyn and were renamed the Dodgers.

Answer: Baltimore Colts

The Colts only won one game in their sole NFL season before folding due to financial difficulties. This team was unrelated to the later Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise which began play in 1953.