NFL Teams that Won a Title and Folded Quiz

Answer: Muncie (Congerville) Flyers

The Flyers were founded in 1905 and folded in 1925. For most of those years, there were known as the Congerville Flyers. However during their very brief AFPA career (one game in 1920 and two games in 1921), they were known as the Muncie Flyers. Under the leadership of player-coaches Ken Huffine (1920) and Cooney Checkaye (1921), the Flyers lost all three games. All three games were away games, as the Flyers were a traveling team through much of the 1920s.

However, in 1913, under the leadership of coach Earl Ball, the Flyers were declared Indiana State Champions with a record of 8-2.

The team was officially based in Muncie, IN.

Answer: Rochester Jeffersons

The Rochester Jeffersons were part from the New York Pro Football League (an important early regional league) from 1908-1919, winning the championship in 1916 with a record of 3-1-3. They would play in the AFPA/NFL from 1920 to 1925 before folding. Their ability to compete declined during the 1920s with the team not winning an NFL game after 1921.

The team was founded as an independent team in 1898. During its existence, the team played home games at various venues in Rochester, NY, including Sheehan's Field, (Rochester) Baseball Park, and Edgerton Park.

Answer: Dayton Triangles

Founded in 1913, the Dayton Triangles folded in 1929. The team was a part of the Ohio League (another important early regional league) until 1919, when they switched to the AFPA/NFL. In 1918, the Triangles were named Ohio League Champions based on an 8-0 record, under the leadership of coach Al Mahrt.

While the team was competitive in their first few years in the AFPA/NFL, their reluctance to recruit players from outside of the Dayton area made the team increasingly non-competitive in later years.

By the later 1920s, the team seldom hosted games at Triangle Park, in Dayton, OH, but instead played games on the road to be assured a larger payout from ticket sales.

Answer: Buffalo All-Americans

The team was founded as the Buffalo All-Stars in 1915 as an independent team. In 1918, the team moved to the Buffalo Semi-Pro Football League and then in 1919 the New York Pro Football League, where it won the championship. In 1920, the team moved to the APFA as was named the Buffalo All-Americans.

The team would last in the APFA/NFL through the 1920s, folding in 1929 (and by then called the Buffalo Bisons). Under Player-Coach Barney Lepper, the team went 9-1-1, en route to their championship.

The team would have several winning seasons in the APFA/NFL, with the last coming in 1924 (6-5). From 1915-1923, the team played its home games at Buffalo Baseball Park, in Buffalo, NY.

Answer: Akron Pros

The team originated as a charter member of the Ohio League in 1908 as the Akron Indians. With the move to the APFA in 1920, there was also a name change to the Akron Pros, which it would keep until 1925. The team played one last season in 1926 as the Akron Indians and then folded. Player-Coach Elgie Toblin led the team to an 8-0-3 record and the first APFA championship in 1920. (By 21st century NFL rules, the Buffalo All-Americans, with a record of 9-1-1, would be considered co-champions.) In 1921 Toblin's co-coach would be Fritz Pollard, who is considered the first African-American coach in the NFL.

The team played its home games in League Park, in Akron, OH. During its time in the Ohio League, the Akron Indians also won four Ohio League Championships.

Answer: Canton Bulldogs

The Canton Bulldogs have a connection to the Cleveland Bulldogs. The Canton team began as the Canton Athletic Club in 1904 and spent most of its years before 1920 as part of the Ohio League, where it was involved in four championships. Moving to the APFA in 1920, the Bulldogs were the first team to repeat as NFL Champions, going 10-0-2 in 1922 and 11-0-1 in 1923, under the leadership of Player-Coach Guy Chamberlin. Sam Deutsch, owner of the Cleveland Indians (an NFL team) bought the Bulldogs and moved the team to Cleveland where they became the Cleveland Bulldogs.

The NFL would allow a new team to be established in Canton (under the NFL franchise) for 1925 and 1926 that is considered a continuation of the Canton Bulldogs.

Answer: Pottsville Maroons

Founded in 1920 as an independent team, the Pottsville Eleven would join the Anthracite League (a Pennsylvania league) in 1924 as the Pottsville Maroons. They would then move to the NFL in 1925. After the 1928 season, they moved to Boston where they played as the Bulldogs for one final season (1929) before folding. The Maroons would win the 1924 Anthracite League Championship with a record of 12-1-1. The team played its home games in Minersville Park, in Pottsville, PA.

The team is also part of a controversy surrounding the 1925 NFL Championship. The Maroons had a record of 10-2 in 1925. Late in the season, the Maroons played a non-league game against a team called the "Notre Dame All-Stars" in Philadelphia, PA, which was considered the home territory of the Frankford Yellow Jackets. The NFL claimed that the Maroons had been warned to not play that game. The Maroons claimed they had received verbal permission to play that game. The NFL instead awarded the NFL Championship to the Chicago Cardinals (11-3). However, these records included the Cardinals playing and winning two hastily scheduled end-of-season games (for additional revenue) and the Maroons being suspended and not being allowed to play their final game of the season.

Answer: Cleveland Bulldogs

The Cleveland Bulldogs have a connection to the Canton Bulldogs. When Sam Deutsch purchased the Canton Bulldogs and moved them to Cleveland, he merged them with the Cleveland Indians NFL team. However, the Canton Bulldogs of 1925-1926 are considered a continuation of the Canton Athletic Club/Bulldogs of 1903-1923.

The Cleveland Bulldogs (after a first season--1923--as the Cleveland Indians) would play in the NFL until they folded after the 1927 season. Player-Coach Guy Chamberlin (formerly Player-Coach of the Canton Bulldogs) would lead the team to a 7-1-1 record and the NFL Championship. The team played home games at Dunn Park, in Cleveland, OH.

Answer: Frankford Yellow Jackets

The Philadelphia Eagles and the Frankford Yellow Jackets are considered distinct teams. The Eagles purchased the franchise rights to have an NFL team in Philadelphia in 1933. The Frankford Athletic Association was founded in 1899 and fielded a team (in addition to other activities) until 1909, when it disbanded and was partially replaced by the Loyola Athletic Club.

In 1912 the Frankford Athletic Association was restarted. In 1924, the team, which had been independent until then, joined the NFL as the Yellow Jackets.

In 1926, the team under the leadership of Player-Coach Guy Chamberlin, won the NFL Championship with a record of 14-1-1. (Note: It is the same person who was the Player-Coach for the 1922, 1923, 1924, and 1926 teams. He was also a player on the 1921 Champions, the Chicago Staleys or Bears.).

The team suspended operations after the 1931 season and returned the franchise rights to the NFL. The team played most of its home games at Frankford Stadium, in Philadelphia, PA.

Answer: Providence Steam Rollers

Like many of these other teams, the Providence Steam Rollers were founded as an independent team (1916), joining the league in 1925. The team started by playing its home games in Kinsley Park, in Providence, RI, but in 1925, switched to the Cycledrome (an indoor bicycle racing facilities with unique configurations).

The team would win the 1928 NFL Championship 8-1-2, led by Player-Coach Jimmy Conzelman. Financial problems caused the team to suspend operations after the 1931 season and return franchise rights to the NFL two years later.

The Steam Rollers would be last team to win a championship in the NFL and then fold during the 20th century.