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NFL All-Decade Teams, Decade-by-Decade


Zycho32

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Just a quick note about what happened- evidently I need more practice with the "spoiler" parts. None of what I wrote is erased... it's just a forum Babushka Doll now. Click one spoiler and reveal the next one at the end, and so on.

 

I also added a 'Cliff Notes' version of the team at the top for anyone who doesn't wanna bother reading, and then a small bit at the end only discussing the designated stadium and weather conditions. I'd be interested to know what else you would like me to discuss during these decades, because I'm out of ideas for additional stuff.

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The 1930's All-Decade Team:

The Quick Recap for people struggling to read through by Babushka Doll Cluster[BLEEP] of the 1920's, this is a team assembled out of the best players of this decade to do battle with Aliens for the fate of the world. There are limits; the strategies and rules have to be from the decade, aside from some exceptions the players have to have spent five years in the NFL during said decade, and we're employing "Wine Cellar" rules for the players; selecting the best year they've ever had from a performance or talent perspective.

Team Roster- The Cliff's Notes Version:

Head Coach: George Halas- 1939
Key Assistant: Ralph Jones- 1932
Key Assistant: Clark Shaugnessy- 1939
Key Assistant: Luke Johnsos- 1939
Offensive Style: T-Formation/Single Wing Sub-Set
Defensive Style: 5-3-3/6-2-2-1 Sub-Set

QB: Sammy Baugh- 1937(Three Year Exception)(Off-Position)
LH: Clarke Hinkle- 1936(Off-Position)
FB: Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski- 1932
RH: Cliff Battles- 1937
LE: Don Hutson- 1939
LT: Joe Stydahar- 1939(Four Year Exception)
LG: Danny Fortmann- 1939(Four Year Exception)
C: Mel Hein- 1938
RG: George Musso- 1937
RT: George Christensen- 1935
RE: Wayne Millner- 1937(Four Year Exception)(Off-Position)

Bench
QB: Cecil Isbell- 1939(Two Year Exception)(Off-Position)
QB: Carl Brumbaugh- 1934
HB: Earl "Dutch" Clark- 1935
HB: Eddie Caddel- 1935

HB: Glenn Presnell- 1933
HB: Harold "Red" Grange- 1933
FB: LeRoy "Ace" Gutowsky- 1934
FB/HB: Ken Strong- 1933
E: Bill Hewitt- 1936
E: Morris "Red" Badgro- 1934
E: Bill Karr- 1935
T: Albert "Turk" Edwards- 1937
T: Cal Hubbard- 1930
T: Bill Lee- 1939
G: Gover "Ox" Emerson- 1934
G: Walt Kiesling- 1930
G: Joe Kopcha- 1933
C: Frank Bausch- 1937
C: Clare Randolph- 1935



The Rules:

Things changed irrevocably in 1933. The culprit was a Championship Match that took place in the prior year. I did say we were gonna be discussing this.

Before 1932, the League Champion was determined purely by overall record. By 'Overall Record', I mean by Winning Percentage. Y'see, it wouldn't be until the mid 30's when NFL Teams played a uniform amount of games in a season. Let's jump back to 1928 for an example. The Providence Steam Roller won the 1928 title with a record of 8 Wins, 1 Loss, and 2 Ties. This equated to a winning percentage of .889. By contrast, the Frankford Yellow Jackets had a record of 11 Wins, 3 Losses, and 2 Ties. Their winning percentage was .786, well behind Providence despite winning three more games and playing five more overall. Ties absolutely did not count.

1932 saw a peculiarity. Two teams had an identical record of Six Wins and One Loss; the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans(they became the Detroit Lions in 1934). Since Ties were not factored in(Chicago had Six, Portsmouth had Four), and the two times these teams already faced each other ended in ties, a Playoff had to be created. This is actually where the lunacy starts.

The game was supposed to be played in Wrigley Field but blizzards and extreme cold killed the idea. Instead, the game was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium. This was at the time a Hockey Stadium, housing the local Blackhawks of the NHL. As such, its dimensions were completely unsuited for football. Hash Marks had to be created as the sidelines were right on the walls. Field Goals had to be forbidden for the game and the goalposts had to be moved forward to the goal line. And check this; every time a team crossed the ten yard line, they were moved back twenty yards. Chicago won this playoff 9-0. After this, teams were divided into Eastern and Western Divisions and the leaders of those divisions would face off in a Championship Match at the end of the season.

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/pg-photo/2012/11/12/0ap2000000094088/dec-18-1932_pg_600.jpg
The Pre-Historic Caveman of Arena Football!

Anyway, the game created Hash Marks and moved the Goal Posts forward, but a key play dictated a much greater change. Star Fullback Bronko Nagurski was given a handoff and was expected to do his typical line-plunging, which worked to great effect because the Bronk would hit you like a Moose and if they dug your body out of the turf afterwards you weren't gonna do much more than drool for the rest of the game. Only, he didn't. He stepped back and threw a pass to Red Grange for the game's only touchdown. Portsmouth argued that the Bronk was not five yards behind the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball, but the score was allowed. Afterwards, the NFL completely deviated from the Collegiate Ranks by legalizing the forward pass anywhere from behind the line of scrimmage.

As for the rest of the changes, basing the Rules as established from 1939;

1. The ball was shortened in the middle again in 1934, about 21.5 inches this time. In addition, the ball was tapered at the ends more. This made passing the ball significantly easier, but virtually eliminated the Drop Kick as the bounce was no longer reliable. From here on out teams had to exercise the Place Kick, where a holder placed the ball for a kicker to boot through the uprights.

2. The initial Hash Marks in the '32 Game were placed ten yards from the sidelines. By 1935 this was changed to fifteen yards from the sidelines. Any ball downed outside of the hashmarks was moved to the closest hashmark. This reduced wasteful plays spent trying to move back to the center of the field.

3. Headgear was "Required" by 1939, but there are going to be a couple of players in the pool who will resist this notion. Consider them "Grandfathered" for the sake of ease.

4. In addition to the complete legality of the forward pass, the penalties that came from failing to make a complete pass were eliminated by the end of the decade.

5. Player Safety took some major steps. The Ball was officially decladed dead when the carrier touched the ground with anything other than their hands or feet. Defensive players were forbidden from striking opponents virtually anywhere on the head or neck(including the face, yes). There were some penalties too; Five Yards for a flying block or flying tackle... and 15 yards for Roughing the Passer.

6. Roster Limits were greatly expanded in the 1930's. They would start out at 20 Players, but would jump all the way to 30 by the last two years of the decade.

7. Substitutions are iffy. No, Free Substitution was not in play yet. But a Coffin Corner article on Steve Owen(One of the more underrated coaches of his time) explained that if a starting player went out of the game in one quarter, he could not come back until the next. Compare this to the 20's when said player would be out until the start of the second half. I'm fairly certain this is not a lie perpetuated by the writer involved, especially since the New York Giants(Owen's team) were rather noteworthy for their 'Platoon' system. They'd just have two units of players switch each other out at the halfway point of every quarter to keep them fresher than the typical iron-man squad of the day. Other teams seemed well acquainted with this sort of system- the Detroit Lions for one- so I'll presume this is accurate.



The Coaches and Strategies:

About the only formation that really didn't get a makeover of some kind during this decade was the old stand-by; the Single Wing. And true to form, it remained the 'In Vogue' formation. But everything we could discuss about it was already talked about in the prior decade. If there were innovations, they came from the other formations in the mix.

The T-Formation would get the most noteworthy changes simply by virtue of how it would take over the league in the next decade. But until then, there were two distinct periods where the T was tooled with. The first comes courtesy of Ralph Jones, the man hired to take over the coaching job for the Chicago Bears in 1930. What he did was still relatively straight-forward. He started out by splitting the line. The linemen were spaced a yard apart from one another, and the ends were given a greater amount of space, between two and five yards. Even the backs were spaced out a few yards from each other. This weakened the raw power of the formation, so Jones changed the blocking from a smashmouth type of game to a more deflecting type; this was meant to make quick openings exploited by speed and deception. He moved the Quarterback right up to the center instead of a yard or so away, and would require him to be a master of fakery and misdirection, as he could hand the ball off to three possible backs and if the defenses guessed wrong, then the team could chew up lots of yards. He also introduced the Man-in-Motion, having one of the backs move laterally toward the sideline, turning him into what would later be known as a flanker. All of this forced defenses to spread out to take on the increased outside threat, which in turn made it more vulnerable to the inside threat as a result. Jones would win the 1932 League Title before going back to Lake Forest(a college where he coached before the Bears came calling).

The second came from a more famous name in Clark Shaugnessy. You can't get into a topic about how the Bears T-Formation took the league by storm in 1940 without hearing his name. He sort of becomes the short-hand reason for the T's success, though this is far from reality. In truth, there's no real concrete 'change' that Shaugnessy made which shows itself in the evolution of the T. No position was altered in any way, no function was drastically changed. What Shaugnessy did was more elaborate and detailed, helping to create plays and schemes that went further than Jones ever did. Counter-plays, End-Around Sweeps, stretching the man-in-motion wider. All elaborations rather than inventions. Perhaps Shaugnessy could have purely invented this concept had Ralph Jones never arrived to begin with, but that's conjecture.

Up north in Green Bay, the Notre Dame Box was still the tool of choice, but two major developments greatly altered both the Box and the other formations. The first came the complete decline of the Passing Blocking Back. As it turned out, Colleges had largely abandoned the Box, or at least all similar offenses that utilized the Blocking Back as a passer. More than ever, the key passers were the ever-versatile Tailbacks. So after Red Dunn and Verne Lewellen eventually retired, the Packers could no longer find Blocking Backs who could throw, and entirely relied upon their Tailbacks for their passing game. The second great change involved a single player, whom we will get to in a moment.

Even in this decade though, there was a newcomer to the sport. The A-Formation, created by Steve Owen, coach of the New York Giants.
https://directsnapvault.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/aformation-300x161.jpg

It's a little sketchy when exactly the formation was created. Owen claims he first worked out the formation in 1935; some sources claim earlier. But what everyone agrees on was he didn't truly unleash the formation until 1937. You can see the formation looks positively daffy, even more so than the unbalanced lines of the Single Wing. The strong side has four linemen, the weak side has two. But instead of the Backs crowding the strong side, they're more on the weak side. The formation also uses both a Blocking Back and a Quarterback. The Fullback in particular plays more like a general halfback than anything else, leading to a number of Giants rushers who were labeled as Fullbacks but lacked any of the bullrushing descriptions of their contemporaries. On an extra note, the 'A' in the name wasn't indicative of formation shape. It was just his primary formation. His 'B' formation was the traditional Single Wing, but that was largely abandoned, "as well as the other 24 letters in the alphabet."

You may have noticed the 'SE' at the outside edge. The name is Split End. And the man responsible for the development of that position is named Don Hutson.

A lot of you, if you know anything about the 1930's, probably know Don Hutson's name first above everyone else. That's probably because for the longest time he held the major receiving records in the NFL. In particular, his mark of 99 Career Receiving Touchdowns, a mark not broken until 1989 by Steve Largent. In the 30's and 40's he was hands down the most lethal End in Pro Football. One of the fastest players, with rather sure hands, he was likely the first end with an elite level of elusiveness, making him an open field terror based on athleticism alone. But there's more; the man practically invented the concept of route running, of using deliberately mapped routes to shake off defenders and find holes in the pass defense. Another concept he helped bring about was the practice of developing timing between a quarterback and receiver, allowing the passing game to be more sophisticated than long ball prayers. As dangerous as Hutson could be on long bombs, imagine him running a sharp slanting route and his quarterback hitting him in stride downfield? That's rudimentary level stuff today, but it was the Atom Bomb of its time.

He created the Split End concept because he was just too valuable on the outside, so he would be lined up wide, forcing defenders to the outside to cover him, which would create holes for the rest of Green Bay's offense. And before long, teams with any end- or speedy back- would split them out and take advantage of their mobility. Usually, this would be on the weak side, with the corresponding end on the opposite side staying 'tight' on the line(hence the term Tight End). While this would be interchangeable in modern times, when this started out, the Split End was almost universally on the left side.

I can speculate the reasons for this, though buckets of salt will be required. You'll notice that to throw with any kind of power with your dominant arm, you can't just use your arm. You have to use your shoulder, back, and sides. You have to pull all of that back and push forward on the follow through, using your dominant side as part of the catapult. Do a backwards drop of about seven steps and mimic a pass. Try pivoting to both sides, left then right. If you're right handed, pivoting to the left felt more natural. But if you went to the right, you had to take a little more time setting up because you had to pivot a little farther before you could set up the throw. In addition, there's the likely angle the ball will take towards the receiver. Assuming you didn't have picture perfect throwing posture(and who really did in those days?) your arm at the point of release would be at the three-quarter mark at best. That's not just a problem when avoiding big linemen trying to swat your ball, that gives the ball a kind of pulling motion. If you throw right-handed, you'll pull to the right. A receiver on the left side will likely find the ball pulling inside, giving them room to turn in and catch the pass. A receiver on the right side will find the ball pulling outside, giving him more difficulty if he's around the sidelines. A 'Tight' end will be better able to go in either direction as he is not pressed up against the sidelines.

Of equal note in the speculation is the usage of weak-side plays meant to keep defenses honest. Again, as much as one could use a formation like the single wing and make it go both directions, and teams did so, there was a natural tendency to put the strong side towards the right. Defenses could shift towards the strong side as long as counter-plays were not devised. The Wingback Reverse was one such play, but the Split End was far more dynamic. It simply didn't take as much time to net positive yardage, provided the end was a quality pass catcher with speed to spare. On the right side, this type of role was played by the wingback, who could split out wide as well. This would be a precursor to the 'Flanker' position in future decades. Either way, Hutson was uniquely set to take advantage of the open field the Split End had to offer.

And did you know; when Hutson came into the league in 1935, scouts at the time said he would struggle as an end in the NFL.

You're laughing. I know you are.

But what if I told you those scouts were half right?

Remember what we discussed about the two-way End in the 20's. He was never a WR/CB hybrid. He was a TE/DE hybrid. Hutson may have revolutionized the game on the offensive end, but on defense he was expected to fill the usual role on the edge of the line. In the trenches. For the first four years of his career, that's just what he did. He took a beating on the line, which may have kept his numbers down. This changed in 1939, when an unassuming player named Larry Craig was drafted by the Packers. On offense, he was just a Blocking Back who rarely if ever touched the ball. On defense he was priceless, however. The reason is he took Hutson's spot at Left End. This moved Hutson back to Safety, a move that made him twice as lethal on the defensive side and saved his body enough for his stats to spike upwards into unstoppable territory. There were other reasons, but we'll get into those at a later point. Only this first part matters here, because if you want a truly unleashed Don Hutson as part of your offensive arsenal, you're going to have to cover his butt on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaking of defenses, there were two major types.

https://archive.is/FmYU/278253dc49f84024aca63a70035304ef28ccf87c.gif

The 6-2-2-1 is, to be perfectly honest, a small upgrade from the 7-2-2. The Center(or a Guard) is moved from the line to become a Linebacker, and the QB/BB becomes a genuine safety rather than a linebacker who sometimes lines up deep. But apart from that, the responsibilities of the defenders were largely the same. Maybe the linebackers were more aggressive, but that was it.

https://archive.is/JW0mb/d838976800db81a7b758fb419635749e3e1a42f2.gif

The 5-3-3 was another innovation by Chicago, and attributed to Clark Shaugnessy. Most records indicate this was created in the 50's when Shaugnessy was hired to be the Defensive Coordinator for the Bears, but the formation existed in the 30's and 40's. It wasn't too different from the 6-2-2-1 either, it was just that an extra guard was dropped back as a linebacker(Danny Fortmann in particular). This required a position known as the Nose Guard, usually a big guy who could swallow up blockers in the middle; an ancestor of the modern day Nose Tackle. Chicago had this too(George Russo). Whatever innovations for this formation that Shaugnessy made in the 50's, it stands to reason that this is a version more like the 30's defenses as a whole.

But anyhow;

Head Coach: George Halas- 1939
Offensive Style: T-Formation/Single Wing Sub-Set
Defensive Style: 5-3-3

Key Assistant: Ralph Jones- 1932
Key Assistant: Clark Shaugnessy- 1939
Key Assistant: Luke Johnsos- 1939

With a re-tooled T-Formation, and the assistants on hand to make it work, we can comfortably go with Halas again. The addition of the Single Wing is for a specific reason; Chicago utilized the Single Wing in 1934, either half of the time or most of the time, to take advantage of a electrifying rookie sensation by the name of Beattie Feathers, the first legit 1,000 yard rusher in the league. It won't be used as much as in '34, but there's a perfectly good reason to use it.

We've discussed Jones and Shaugnessy, but not Luke Johnsos. There's not much to say; he was a long-time end for the Bears who retired after 1936 and was hired as an assistant. We can assume he worked with the ends.



The Starters:

This part is similar to the 20's; just eleven starters.

Starting Quarterback: Sammy Baugh- 1937(Slightly Off-Position)(Three Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Safety, Punter(Primary)
-6'2 182. Washington Redskins: 1937-52

http://profootballdaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Baugh-photo.png

We have a number of passers in this decade who qualified- played five years at a minimum in this decade-, but most couldn't hold a candle to Baugh's all-around excellence to begin with. The closest pure passer would be Arnie Herber of the Green Bay Packers, but he falls behind in several key areas.

First up is passing accuracy. Herber was lauded for being accurate despite his short hands. He'd grip the laces with his fingers and dig his thumb into the end and propel the ball that way. Here's a funny story about that; after winning the '36 title, the Packers took a small barnstorming tour in the West Coast. They eventually took part in a Hollywood 'reel' which was half-skill showing, half-mild blooper reel. Anyways, the film crew hung a window pane in the air and invited Herber to throw balls at it from about sixty yards out. They said they'd film him for as long as it took. Arnie smashed it on the first try. The crew forgot to film it. So they hung up another pane. Arnie smashed that one on the first try too. Then they went and filmed a 'failure'. But this is about Slingin' Sammy, who was roughly equal when it came to deep accuracy but was clearly superior in all other ranges. Compared to Herber, he put his fingers on the seam and his palm on the laces... only opting for the traditional hold in bad weather games. Quirky, but clearly it worked for him. He was a proponent of short-range passing and would target his backs more often than his ends.

His versatility was the second factor. As good as Herber might have been in his youth before he started to balloon in weight, he couldn't hold a candle to what Baugh could do as a safety and a punter. When NFL Films did a Top 100 Players Countdown, Bill Belichick spoke for Sammy Baugh, saying that he "would be a combination of today's version of Tom Brady, Brian Moorman, and Ed Reed." Heady praise, it clearly meant Baugh was the best at three separate positions.

There are some hiccups to using Baugh. The most obvious is that until the mid 40's he was used in the Single Wing. This actually goes beyond the offensive duties as he was a practitioner of the Quick Kick, a staple of the 20's Teams but by the time Baugh played offenses were becoming so effective as to make the Quick Kick irrelevant. Problem is, the Quick Kick is a surprise play, taking advantage of the Single Wing tailback always lined up about seven yards behind the center. The purpose is kind of defeated if the Quick Kicker is lining up directly under center. This is the primary reason we included a Single Wing sub-set into the offense; so we could have that trickery and give Sammy something familiar to rely upon while he is taught the basics of the Modern-T.


Starting Left Halfback: Clarke Hinkle- 1936(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Fullback, Linebacker, Placekicker(Primary), Punter(Alternate)
-5'11 202. Green Bay Packers: 1932-41

http://www.thegridfe.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/clarke-hinkle.jpg

...wait, what?

Starting Fullback: Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski- 1932
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(WAY Off-Position), Linebacker, Tackle
-6'2 226. Chicago Bears: 1930-37, 1943

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a4/75/1a/a4751a554a18f944d47839c8fcdb1e07.jpg

PUT DOWN THE PITCHFORKS PEOPLE!!!!

...wait, I'm in the wrong decade. You guys just need an explanation, not a flamethrower and riot control.

I'll summarize; Bronko Nagurski was hands down the greatest fullback/linebacker of this decade, but Clarke Hinkle was his biggest rival in every sense of the word. These two collided over and over again(Hinkle was the only one to ever knock the Bronk out of a game). Most would put one at Fullback and leave the other to rot on the bench or off the team. But then, there's Don Hutson. We have to cover for him on defense, and that means finding someone in the backfield who can take his spot at End without leaving a weakness in the replacement's natural defensive position.

Bronko fits the bill for a couple of specific reasons. Most don't know that he spent a good amount of time in his playing career at tackle. When he was in Minnesota University, he would occasionally fill in at Tackle(and merit All-American consideration at the spot all the same), and would do much the same thing while with the Bears(usually when he got "banged up"). In 1943 in particular, the Bronk was six years into his retirement when the Bears called upon him again, this time purely as a tackle(World War II decimated a lot of playing rosters, none more so than the Bears). He obliged, and even broke out one last game as a Fullback before hanging em up for good. I can see him playing End on defense, especially in a 5-3-3 which won't require the Ends dropping back into coverage.

Bronk was rather straightforward as a line plunger and key blocker, but for a couple of years he was easily the most effective passer on the Bears roster. Remember that pass play in the '32 Championship? That was a rather typical play used in the first couple of years of the Bronk's career, and was always the same; he'd take the hand-off, plunge towards the line, then step back and pass while the defense is bracing for the bulldozer. This when combined with the man-in-motion trickery and the like gave the T a badly needed extra dimension to work with, and would still have value in this offense.

The usage of Clarke Hinkle as a halfback sounds like a bad one. Fullbacks in general aren't supposed to be mobile enough, especially for a position reliant on speed such as a Modern-T halfback. It's been stated that Hinkle had the speed to turn the corner, but even then he'd be a mobile downgrade. It does sort of telegraph the offense no matter which side of the T he lines up on. But then, he offers stability in two vital areas; at linebacker, and as a placekicker. He's not the best placekicker on the team, but he is the best of the starting lineup. He'd be slightly out of position in the Wing sub-set by being a blocking back or a wing back, but that's acceptable in the grand scheme of things.

Starting Right Halfback: Cliff Battles- 1937
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback, Kick Returner(Primary), Punt Returner(Primary)
-6'1 195. Boston/Washington Redskins: 1932-37

https://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/Battles-Cliff-2.jpg?52659

What might have been. Battles was, apart from that ludicrous season by Beattie Feathers in 1934, the most elusive open-field runner of the decade. And in 1937, he combined with Slingin' Sammy to give Washington its first league title. Then the owner, a rather infamous character by the name of George Preston Marshall, simply would not give Battles a raise from the $3,000 a year he was getting. So Cliff took an assistant job at Columbia University for $4,000. This truly was the time when football players could leave the game for greener pastures(Jay Berwanger, the first ever player selected in the NFL Draft, is another notable example of this). And in doing so, a potential dynasty was thwarted.

As far as the starters go, Battles is second in hone-run potential only to Don Hutson. Most would see him as mainly a runner in the open-field mold like Red Grange in the 20's. But he did catch passes from time to time. Given that Baugh likes throwing to his backs more often than most, this should be a net positive. But there's one big problem. 1937 was the only year in which Baugh and Battles were on the same team. And they were both Tailbacks. I don't really know if they played on the field at the same time, and who played what if they ever did so.

Thankfully, this is rendered irrelevant with the Modern-T, which slots Baugh at QB and Battles at HB. The Single Wing Sub-set is trickier, and would involve Baugh alternating with Battles at TB. With Baugh at TB, Battles would likely be the WB, using him more as a receiver apart from the traditional WB Reverse play. With Battles at TB(and recreating the Beattie Feathers offense), Baugh would likely be pushed to BB. That would be a downgrade(Baugh had chicken legs) but it might ressurrect the dying art of BBs throwing passes if we were so inclined.

Battles is also the most successful returner of this decade, though it is a sorry group.

Starting Left End: Don Hutson- 1939
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Off-Position), Safety, Left End
-6'1 183. Green Bay Packers: 1935-45

http://latesthuddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2001/06/don-hutson.jpg

There isn't much left to say about Hutson. I suppose there was the fact that teams would frequently triple-team him with a halfback, safety, and linebacker, and that one time he beat the triple coverage by slingshotting around a goal post(or bouncing off it, hard to tell). Or how he preceded Brett Favre by sixty years in the "I'm retiring/I'm not retiring" shenanigans department. Or how he kept the Notre Dame Box relevant(the Packers would be one of the very last teams to convert to the T-Formation in the late 40's after he retired). But really, he is the first truly "modern" receiver for his day and age- some people claim he could play in today's game. Would he be comparable to a taller Wes Welker then?

We already have a safety in Baugh, so Hutson's still a little out of place in the secondary. But then he's still an excellent ballhawk with mobility to match, so this will likely work.

Starting Left Tackle: Joe Stydahar- 1939(Four Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle
-6'4 233. Chicago Bears: 1936-42, 1945-46

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/1207/play_a_stydahar1_sy_576.jpg

Starting Left Guard: Danny Fortmann- 1939(Four Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Linebacker
-6'0 210. Chicago Bears: 1936-43

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/01/26/1201375929_6306.jpg

These two are paired together, and brought in despite not making the five year minimum, for a vital reason; with Hutson split off to the side, the pairing on the left side of the line is vitally important. Luckily, Stydahar and Fortmann were considered the top of their respective positions by the end of the decade. This locks down the 'exposed' part of the offensive line.

As far as Stydahar is concerned, interesting tidbits are relatively scarce. As a player he was incredibly strong and surprisingly swift, and by the end of the decade he was one of the toughest people to take out of the game. He also would occasionally boot an extra point for the team. Essentially, he had all of the skills you want, and none of the weaknesses. That, and he deliberately chose to wear number 13 and was one of those players who wouldn't wear a helmet early on in his career.

There's a bit more to go on with Fortmann, because the guy was going through medical school during his career- he rarely partook in practices as a result. This was allowed by George Halas, who convinced Fortmann he could play professional football and could still earn his medical degree, and would advance funds to Danny for medical school. It paid off. Fortmann was the signal-caller for the line despite only being a guard(you expect centers to do this nowadays). He was also a genius play diagnoser on defense, but his size was considered detrimental to the trenches. So he was moved into a linebacker spot and proved to be an elite force on the 5-3-3. At any rate, we have our brain on the offensive line and on the defense as well.

Starting Center: Mel Hein- 1938
Secondary Positions: Linebacker
-6'2 225. New York Giants: 1931-45

https://www.bigblueinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/new-york-giants-history/new-york-giants-photos-1933-nfl-season/Hein-Mel-1933.jpg

Mel Hein won the MVP Award(the Joseph F. Carr Trophy) in 1938.

There have been a handful of defensive players after that who have won MVP Awards. There has never been an offensive lineman who won the award before or after Hein. I mean, that should just be the end of the profile. Is anything going to top a freaking center being honored as the MVP?

His accolades on the offensive line were boosted by the Daffy Duck formation known as the 'A'. He was the key piece who made the blocking assignments work, who kept track of everything. And he being the King of the Iron Men of that age(he left the field only once in his career to fix a broken nose), he was the lone player Steve Owen never substituted in his 'platoon' system. His blocking was second to none in his position, and arguably on the entire line.

Defensively, he was shockingly fast on top of being proficient in every way that counted. He was one of the few NFL stars capable of covering Don Hutson one-on-one, and he would do so by bottling him up on the sidelines and denying the open middle of the field to him. And on top of that his intangibles were elite as well. As Steven Owen himself put it, "No man played more for the Giants, but needed to be coached less."

Starting Right Guard: George Musso- 1937
Secondary Positions: Nose Guard, Right Tackle, Defensive Tackle
-6'2 262. Chicago Bears: 1933-44

http://www.trbimg.com/img-1369248630/turbine/chi-musso-20000906/801

The size speaks volumes. Musso is probably not the greatest Right Guard in the 1930's, that would likely go to Gover "Ox" Emerson of the Detroit Lions. But Musso has sixty or so pounds on Emerson, which is all the more vital given his defensive role for the Bears and on this team. Musso is hands down the best lineman on defense who can play the Nose Guard position, which even in this era required some bulk in order to not be thrown around. Not that he only had size. Musso was still swift enough to led on sweep plays, though he personally admitted that was largely to avoid getting bulldozed by Bronko.

And to think the Hall of Fame left him out of their 1930's All-Decade Team...!

Something to note, Musso started out at Right Tackle, and was moved to Right Guard in 1937. So why did I go with Musso at Guard?

Starting Right Tackle: George Christensen- 1935
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle
-6'2 238. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1931-38

http://oregonsportshall.org/images/georgechristensen.jpg

Again, Emerson would be the better of the two if compared to Christensen. Size is paramount, however, especially on a five man line on defense. Christensen has twenty-five pounds on Emerson, who is clearly getting the bum rap thanks to the needs of the 5-3-3. As far as pure Right Tackles go, Christensen is the clear-cut favorite, though a lot of that might have to be attributed to the Infantry Attack of the Detroit Lions, which was the elite ground gaining force of the decade(their team rushing stats during the '34 season wouldn't be eclipsed until the '72 Miami Dolphins). If you anchor the right side of such an elite running game, you are bound to get lots of credit. According to the All-Decade entry on Christensen, he was known as one of the fastest players in the NFL despite his size.

Starting Right End: Wayne Millner- 1937(Off-Position)(Four Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Defensive End
-6'1 189. Boston/Washington Redskins: 1936-41, 1945

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1936PackersRedskins/WayneMillner.jpg

In some respects, this is a lot like the Lavern Dilweg selection in the prior decade. Millner is shifted from his typical position of Left End in part to his impressive two-way play as a blocker and defender, as well as an incredibly clutch reputation that netted him a place in the Hall of Fame even though he merited very few All-Pro honors during his career(being under Hutson's shadow will do that). That said, the qualified Right Ends are all capable in the trenches. But Millner has a greater thing in his favor; the Hall of Fame claims he was Sammy Baugh's favorite target during his career.

Consider this an early, before-its-time look into a key facet when selecting Quarterbacks and Receivers in the modern game; the connections. If you have a QB candidate, especially one that is good enough and lasts long enough, you're going to find a receiver or two who sticks with him for so long that he gets the reputation of 'favorite target'. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice is an elite example, and probably the ceiling. This is a worthwhile thing to cultivate even if one or the other isn't the very best in the available field. A QB on an All-Time team should have at least one target that he is genuinely familiar with, however you can slot him onto the team. Case in point; Millner's a player that Baugh has played with and made clutch moments with. That's why we go with Millner.

About the only detraction is Millner's blocking may have to be altered. Cliff Battles raved about his downfield blocking, but that was with Millner cutting across the field from the weak side. Unless he duplicates that option coming from the strong side- and that's not out of the question given the backfield arrangements- he's likely going to be at the point of attack, which negates his support downfield. His role on the defense might be stunted slightly by being part of a five man line instead of six, but the increased size of his linemates should help there.



The Reserves:

Ironic Spoiler Alert; this will be the lone decade where the reserves can be cobbled together into a complete 'B' Team by itself, with some extras thrown in. Platooning would arrive by the end of the next decade, but the rosters would not increase enough to compensate. We will discuss the nature of the team substitution strategy later on.

Backup Quarterback: Cecil Isbell- 1939(Off-Position)(Two Year Exception!?)
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback, Safety(Slightly Off-Position), Punter(Alternate)
-6'1 190. Green Bay Packers: 1938-42

http://archive.jsonline.com/Services/image.ashx?domain=www.jsonline.com&file=b99101915z.1_20130924212029_000_gdf2kvde.1-0.jpg&resize=660*522

The picture is of Isbell(to the left) play-tossing with Don Hutson. This picture is meant to specify why Isbell is the key backup despite only playing two years in the 30's and a number of other reasons.

Well, one major reason in particular. Isbell dislocated his left shoulder(not his throwing shoulder) in college to the point where he had to wear a chain connected to straps on his waist and arm so he would not extend the arm too high. Didn't bother him as a passer or a runner, but he couldn't really do a good stiff-arm, had some issues with tackling, and even screwed up his punting posture. That's some bad news for a two-way player, but Isbell was at least a capable player in the secondary. Another reason is that statistically, his career didn't take off until 1941, when Arnie Herber had been unceremoniously cut by Curly Lambeau(the reasons are vague, ranging from deteriorating athletic skill to Herber and his wife harboring Lambeau's divorced wife for a time). This eventually led Isbell to retire well ahead of his time, before a similar incident would befall him. For the 30's, he would be second fiddle to Herber, and that drove his stats down. This is more about a connection and potential than anything else.

As a passer, he was first-rate. Lambeau himself claimed Isbell was the best passer of his time, Sid Luckman a close second and Sammy Baugh a distant third. Bias notwithstanding, Isbell proved for a couple of years that he was truly amongst the elite. He was also a capable runner, but that's not going to mean out in the Modern-T. But again, this is more potential not yet shown in the stats. He's from the Packers and tossed to Don Hutson, but so did Arnie Herber, and for far longer.

True, but Isbell had a softer and more accurate touch, and shared the same off-season job as Hutson. In fact, on lunch breaks, the two would practice timing routes. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it tidbit, one we glossed over beforehand. We discussed how something considered so common today would be world changing back then. Here are Hutson's numbers in 1942; 74 Catches, 1211 Yards, 17 Touchdowns. Apart from the TDs, just about every team in the NFL is expected to have at least one receiver with those stats today. But in the 40's? This was the "OJ Simpson Rushing for 2000 yards" of his day, and the available manpower of the NFL hadn't yet been drained all that much by the War. That was with Isbell as the primary passer. The only problem is, I do not know when this connection actually started. I'd like to believe it started from the beginning, but that's wishful thinking on my part.

Also, Isbell has the same problem as Baugh in that he runs the Notre Dame Box and not the T, so he needs coaching on top of having someone on hand as a defensive substitute.

Backup Quarterback: Carl Brumbaugh- 1934
Secondary Position: Safety
-5'10 170. Chicago Bears: 1930-34, 1936-37/ Cleveland Rams: 1937/ Brooklyn Dodgers: 1937/ Chicago Bears: 1938

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6072/6126750163_6ac2a3d04e.jpg
(The guy holding for Grange)

Brumbaugh's a completely forgotten player in the grand scheme of things. Given that the history of Bears QBs tends to begin with Sid Luckman, it's easy to see why. Looking at Carl's stats is very humbling when you notice he not only struggled to complete thirty percent of his passes, he would frequently attempt so few of them(modern QBs are expected to throw at least thirty passes a game. Carl managed that rate within an entire season). Some of this was due to just about everyone getting in on the action in the Bears Modern-T of the time. But really, Brumbaugh was a runner rather than a passer.

But what he really was is a fantastic "Field General". Halas would frequently call him the "smartest" Quarterback in the league. Writers at the time raved about his improvisational skils and his deft mastery of the position. All of this without the reputation of being a gunslinger.

Brumbaugh learned how to run the T Formation and proved highly adept at executing the numerous fakes and steps required when handing off the ball in a deceptive game plan. His improvisations came within the games themselves, almost always involving exploiting a defensive weakness. He and Red Grange altered the concept of the man-in-motion, employing it in ways that exposed holes in the defensive shifts, killing off the seven-man line, to use an example. Other things he did involved working with teammates. Like working with George Trafton's snapping so he could take them standing nearly entirely upright(making his moves more deceptive), and have the laces of the ball in the right position for passing and kicking. He even was the pioneering talent of the holder for placekicks, 'spinning' the ball on the tee so the laces either faced towards the goal, or away.

But his finest contribution actually came after his playing days petered out. We mentioned Sid Luckman, who arrived in 1939. Brumbaugh was an assistant backfield coach, but he was really Luckman's teacher(College Passers did not run the T Formation in those days), and while he says Luckman was the perfect student, his teaching paved the way for a Hall of Fame career and proof that the T could catch on league-wide.

There is a real worry that we'd have to decide between Brumbaugh the Teacher or Brumbaugh the Quarterback. He admitted he accepted the "smart" label slowly and begrudgingly, and did not actually start any sort of teaching responsibilities until after his playing career was all but milked dry. But the truth is, I want the improvisational skill Carl brings, and more importantly, I want a QB with hands-on experience running the T, a luxury I had to deny myself when choosing the 20's squad. I'm hoping that Brumbaugh of '34 is willing to take on a more instructive role, with maybe an outside chance of getting on the field. It's really his last effective year as a QB, and if there was going to be a year where his on-field skills could mix with being an instructor of the position, it would have to be this one or bust.

Backup Halfback: Earl "Dutch" Clark- 1935
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback, Safety, Placekicker(Alternate), Punter(Alternate)
-6'0 185. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1931-32, 1934-38

https://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/Clark-Earl-6.jpg?27402

If not for the compensation for Don Hutson, Dutch would be the primary player at Left Halfback. His situation is a mirror of sorts to John "Paddy" Driscoll, who had to settle for being one of the key backups on the 20's squad despite being an all-around excellent ballplayer. Dutch's repertroire reads a lot like Driscoll; excellent runner, quality defender/blocker, capable passer, quality kicker. And in leading the famed Infantry Attack of Detroit, he was known as the General. He called the plays, his intelligence was paramount, his leaderships skills were secondary to none. About the lone flaws are a lack of true top-end speed and poor eyesight, but those did little to stop Dutch on the playing field. His teammates claimed he never failed to accurately follow his blockers.

Statistically speaking, Clark and his teammates were significantly less impressive during their title run in 1935 than they were in 1934. They racked a team rushing record that wouldn't be eclipsed for over thirty-five years, conducted a gruesomely stingy defense, and made a beginning run of 10-0 before losing their last three in a row and slipping out of contention. The thing is, while championship years might be more diminished in a sport like football(compared to basketball, which is far less compartmentalized and thrives on raw talent), they're always important when it comes to your leaders. Dutch might be on the bench, but he's the likely leader of the backups, and you always want your leaders to have reached the summit of champions, else how can they guide their teammates back to that summit?

Clark's the ideal replacement if you need a traditional running attack out of the halfback positions, whether the T or the Wing. In Detroit, he was used as the offensive option at Tailback and would likely be utilized in the same manner here. Of course, the nature of the 'A' Team requires he be paired up with at least one other substitute at Left End, but that's feasible.

Backup Halfback: Eddie Caddel- 1935
Secondary Position: Defensive Halfback, Kick Returner(Speculative), Punt Returner(Speculative)
-6'2 199. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1933-38

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1935LionsGiants/ErnieCaddelLions.jpg

In the Modern-T, the Right Halfback seems to be considered the 'Home Run Hitter' of the backfield, the breakaway player who can make long gains either on the ground or in the air. It's not unlike the WB in the Single Wing, except used more and in more flexible ways as a runner. Of course, this is the decade where the passing game still took some time to get up to speed, but with two quarterbacks on hand capable of throwing to backs, finding a speedy guy is vital. There are options. There is Gene Ronzani of Chicago, who for a brief time could be highly dangerous going downfield for a pass. And you can't forget about our old pal Johnny Blood, who caught 11 touchdowns in 1931 and for a time late in his career teamed up with Don Hutson. There's just one catch; we can't have halfbacks who can only receive. Ronzani wasn't just brief in his prowess as a player but not exactly a feared runner. Even Blood was diminishing as a runner by '31, as Green Bay not only continued to embrace the passing game, but would find runners such as Clarke Hinkle to shoulder that load. So we need a speedy and lethal guy who can not only catch passes but carry the pigskin effectively. That takes us to Eddie Caddel.

You don't know about Eddie. I'm very sure of that. Shoot, most of you probably don't know about Dutch Clark or the Infantry Attack. Known as the "Blond Antelope", Eddie came to Detroit and instantly became the swiftest runner in the ground game. His stats back this up; in the era of "three yards and a cloud of dust", Eddie averaged over five yards a carry, a mark that just about everyone struggled to match. He also caught about as much as the ends did, which is pretty good for a team not disposed to passing all that much. Multiple times, he simultaneously ranked in the top ten for rushing yards and receiving yards.

The remaining details are sketchy. We don't know about his blocking, his defense, or even if he returned kicks and punts. For the blocking and defense, we're going with the reliability of his team. Detroit during this period was known for its ground game and its defense, and if Caddel stuck out like a sore thumb, it would have shown up somewhere in the research. The return skills are sketchier- no yardage stats, and the only Detroit Player scoring touchdowns off returns was Glenn Presnell, mainly for punts. However, we can't discount his mobility, so he'll be labeled as a backup returner on raw potential.

Backup Halfback: Glenn Presnell- 1933
Secondary Positions: Safety, Defensive Halfback, Quarterback(Slightly Off-Position), Placekicker(Alternate), Punter(Alternate), Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'10 195. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1931-36

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1935LionsGiants/GlennPresnellLions.jpg

Yet another piece of the Detroit Infantry Attack. Presnell alternated with Dutch Clark at Tailback, and perhaps subbed in on occasion at Quarterback. In fact, Potsy Clark(the Coach, not a new nickname for Dutch) often inserted Glenn into game to 'hold' leads. He was the go-to guy in that department, meaning either he was a high quality defender or he was the surest of the leaders. Since Glenn shared time with Dutch, that largely meant sharing duties such as placekicking. On defense, he was noted to play safety, and as discussed with Caddel, he had stats for the return game. His passing was also a fair bit more stable than Dutch's. Last time I selected this squad, I gave Presnell the nod over Clark on the depth chart, mostly because I knew Presnell could play safety on defense, something that is a slight question mark with Clark. I didn't make that judgment on his passing so much, though theoretically he could be that third passer on that roster. Now I tend to view Glenn as a jack-of-all-trades sort of player.

1933 was a unique year for Presnell because Dutch Clark had actually left to coach for the Colorado School of Mines Football Team. Glenn would take full responsibility for the Tailback position, responding with his best statistical year. It's good to have that kind of experience on hand, just in case. By 1934, the team had moved to Detroit and Clark had returned, and so Presnell returned to a supporting role, but he did have one fascinating role to play; he was the one who selected the colors of the Detroit Lions. So Lions fans, you know who to thank for the Honolulu Blues now.

I would prefer to have Presnell waiting in the wings as a more defense-oriented substitute at Halfback, Kind of a '2A or 2B' situation with Dutch Clark, much like how they worked together in Detroit. Having never been used much as a receiver, I'm unsure how useful he'll be in that department.

Backup Halfback: Harold "Red" Grange- 1933
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback, Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'0, 180. Chicago Bears: 1925/ New York Yankees(AFL): 1926/ New York Yankees: 1927/ Chicago Bears: 1929-34

https://www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/images/red-grange-77.jpg

The first genuine "returning" member. Grange was a major star in the 20's squad. Here he's just another backup. But the good news is he still brings some things to the table.

We discussed Carl Brumbaugh's improvisations, but Grange was a frequent collaborator with the Quarterback. If there was anyone inclined to be a good teacher for halfbacks in the T, it would be Red. His running skills are still solid(he's a few years removed from the '29 and '30 years, so maybe closer to the "ordinary back" he claimed he was), and he's got a reputation for exemplary defensive play. The '33 Championship is a sterling example of this; Chicago held the lead on the last play of the game, and Grange found himself in the open field staring down a two-on-one conundrum; Morris "Red" Badgro had the ball, and was a handful to tackle by himself, but also in the area was Mel Hein. Grange's problem wasn't about shedding a blocker, it was the fact Badgro could lateral the ball to Hein if Grange couldn't make the tackle in time. He made the tackle and prevented the lateral in one fell swoop, winning the title for the Bears.

Grange sort of occupies two roles as a substitute; he is both a T-Formation expert(which shouldn't be knocked), and a defensive specialist. He is also a probable alternate in the return game, if only by reputation.

Backup Fullback: LeRoy "Ace" Gutowsky- 1934
Secondary Position: Linebacker
-5'11 201. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1932-39

http://241490428653565257.weebly.com/uploads/4/5/3/1/45310129/9151678_orig.jpg

Given the unique arrangement of the 'A' Team, we need a surplus of fullbacks. Having a technical 'third-stringer' and more on hand works out, especially when we do 11-on-11 practices. It's not hard to find fullbacks racking up yards in the NFL this decade. But of the remainder, the one who was the most consistent is Gutowsky.

He was probably the best line-plunger of the decade not named Nagurski or Hinkle and was a defensive stalwart. Again, third place to the two in the starting lineup. But he does hold one feat over them; he's the leading statistical rusher of the 1930's(admittedly this is an incomplete picture since accurate stats weren't recorded until 1932). An overlooked gem, and a sad reminder that time fades players in ways you wouldn't expect. Give it another decade or two and decades like these may be entirely forgotten.

Ace's role is straightforward; Fullback, Linebacker.

Backup Fullback/Halfback: Ken Strong- 1933
Secondary Positions: Linebacker, Defensive Halfback, Placekicker(Key Backup), Punter(Key Backup)
-6'0 206. Staten Island Stapletons: 1929-32/ New York Giants: 1933-35, 1939, 1944-47

http://www.sportsattic2.com/nflphotos/photos1/Strong,Ken2.jpg

Between Clarke Hinkle and the two-back tandem of Clark and Presnell, we have placekickers already. However, it's always good to have someone on hand who is considered one of the best. One who can truly qualify as a "specialist."

There were two in this decade. One is Strong. The other is a guy named Jack Manders, who played for the Bears and was named "Automatic Jack". Last time, I went with Manders, deeming him the superior kicker of the two. And honestly, I think that is still true. But last time, I only judged the two on their mastery of the foot and neglected to remember that even these guys were expected to do more on both sides of the ball. Both spent time alternating all around their respective backfields and contributing here and there, but apart from one career year in 1937, Manders was a more ordinary, almost mediocre, talent everywhere else. Strong was a lot like Presnell; a do-anything kind of back. He really only had one glaring flaw in that he was a sub-par passer, mostly because of a wrist injury sustained in 1931.

He occupies a nebulous position between Halfback and Fullback because of the two teams he was part of. With Staten Island, Strong was moved all over the field. He played Tailback, Wingback, Fullback. When he joined the Giants, he was put in at Fullback- he left before Steve Owen ever put together the 'A' Formation, making it more likely he played a traditional fullback role. But then, this is the Giants. Even before the 'A' came into vogue they had been known to be more clever with their Fullbacks. Either way, Strong is put in the game when we need the surest possible field goal, and can be inserted into three possible positions, ensuring the team isn't completely crippled from the substitution.

Backup End: Bill Hewitt- 1936
Secondary Position: Defensive End
-5'9 190. Chicago Bears: 1932-36/Philadelphia Eagles: 1937-39, 1943

https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/si/dam/assets/13/09/02/130902115248-nfl-championship-game-1933-single-image-cut.jpg

They called him the "Offside Kid", mainly because his jump after the snap was so terrific that everyone was convinced he was cheating. Hewitt was rated as an excellent defender and two-way end. Apparently, he was dynamic on the defensive end to the point where the crowds(and sometimes the refs) would take their eyes off the ball to watch him work. If you want to be perfectly honest, he probably rates better overall than Hutson if only because he never had to be switched around on defense, he played defensive end properly. That and he was no slouch on offense, his numbers as good as it got for an end playing for the Bears. A lot of it was his arms. See the picture up there? That's the famous "lateral" play that helped Chicago win the 1933 Title(nothing special; Bill caught the pass and lateraled it as the defenders converged on him). It's also a little misleading. The angle hides the length of his arms, y'see. As a Coffin Corner article put it, "In reality, his arms would have looked okay on one of Tarzan's loyal subjects." To the un-literated, that's comparing his arms to that of the apes. They were looooooong, and sturdy too. They could rope in passes, but were better served shivering blockers and stopping ball carriers.

That same article discussed a rather fun little practice play the Bears would run called the "Stinky Special". It just involved Hewitt doing an end-around rushing play, only he would stop and float a pass to the opposite end(Antwan Randle-El, Steelers vs. Seahawks in the Super Bowl, apart from the 'reverse'). The Bears just used it as a steam-releaser at the end of practices... until they unleashed it against the Packers in a 1933 game. Honestly, it's more of a fun tidbit than anything else, but it at least demonstrated that Hewitt could also throw and run on top of everything else.

Hewitt's the first End off the bench, meaning at the bare minimum he's paired up with Dutch Clark as a substitution package. He and Clarke replace Hutson and Hinkle, Hewitt taking left end and Clark taking left halfback, pushing Bronko Nagurski back to fullback. He's less of a defensive replacement and more of a 'shift back to the old standard' replacement. He could also replace Millner on the right side, though this would be more likely due to injury than anything else.

He's also the most likely player to refuse to wear helmets, though he grudgingly wore one in '39 when the league made it mandatory. We can look the other way if we have to.

Backup End: Morris "Red" Badgro- 1934
Secondary Positions: Defensive End
-6'0 191. New York Yankees: 1927-28/ New York Giants: 1930-35/ Brooklyn Dodgers: 1936

https://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/Badgro-Morris-6.jpg?27244

A rather nondescript Hall of Famer who excelled primarily as a blocker and tackler but could catch a pass if need be, Badgro's credentials are a lot like that of Lavern Dilweg, only he was never utilized in the air as much. If you squint he miiiight be superior to Hewitt in the trenches. Might be. But he is the best 'trench' end of what's available and that's good for the 5-3-3.

He also doubled as a baseball player, actually peaking in the Major Leagues for a couple of seasons, if you wanted to know where the gap in his playing career came from.

Backup End: Bill Karr- 1935
Secondary Position: Defensive End
-6'1 190. Chicago Bears: 1933-38

https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/si/dam/assets/13/09/02/130902115248-nfl-championship-game-1933-single-image-cut.jpg
(#22 in the picture)

Right now, our end corps consists of one receiving specialist(Hutson), and three two-way stars(Millner, Hewitt, Badgro). So what do we want for our fifth end?

The temptation would be to go with another notorious pass catcher, even though only Badgro might be considered a slouch in that department. To be honest, there are a couple that fit the bill. Joe Carter of Philadelphia is one such player(don't bother looking him up, you'll be swamped with info about the Toronto Outfielder who hit a World Series winning Home Run), as is Bill Smith of the Cardinals(another horribly common name). And then there's Charley Malone of the Redskins, who comes with 6'4 in height and is a receiver that Sammy Baugh is very comfortable with.

But again, we're running a 5-3-3 on defense. Everyone in the above paragraph is a question mark as far as their defensive skills go, and none of them are close to Hutson's level to justify it(there was one, but he didn't qualify. More on him later).

Unlike several other situations on the 1920's squad, this is one time where we would go with the likely choice of George Halas instead of another. Bill Karr isn't mentioned a whole lot- his lone claim to fame is being on the receiving end of that famous "Lateral Play" we discussed with Bill Hewiit- but the numbers are interesting. There's something about the Right Side of the Chicago offense that is geared to make Home-Run Hitters out of their receiving options. Karr is no different. I looked at receiving stats for the 'relevant' and 'qualified' Right Ends in the pool. Karr's the only one to average over twenty yards a reception through the decade. He's also got the most seasons averaging twenty yards a catch. Granted, he typically caught as many passes in a season as some modern receivers get in a single game, but we're not looking for worldbreaking stats. We're looking for a sneaky deep threat who has the typical Bear Toughness on the line(if he wasn't comparable to the rest of that club, it would have come out somewhere).

Backup Tackle: Albert "Turk" Edwards- 1937
Secondary Position: Defensive Tackle
-6'2 255. Boston/Washington Redskins: 1932-40

http://fenwayparkdiaries.com/football/redskins-11-29-36.jpg
(The guy knocking down #24)

Turk was good enough to start at Left Tackle for this squad, hands down. But again, it's about Hutson and compensating for that on the left side. So Turk takes a backseat to the Stydahar/Fortmann tandem, but has all the skills you could ask for. Big, strong, fast even for his size, obscenely tough, utterly dominant in the trenches, considered the smartest man on the team by the end of the decade. He became a master of line play, a technical skill that would come in handy here outside of the gridiron. Even if he didn't play in the Modern-T style of blocking, he's likely to pick it up the fastest of those out of their element. More to the point, he only really caused a problem once... at the end of his career. It happened early into the 1940 season at the coin toss before the game started. Turk, being the captain, is there for the proceedings, shakes the hand of the opposing captain, turns around... and gets his cleats stuck in the turf pre-turn. You can imagine what that'll do to your own knee. That's what bumped poor Turk off the field for good.

Turk has no weaknesses, and neither does Stydahar, meaning this is a substitution that'll be a matter of stamina than anything else. Nothing situational.

Backup Tackle: Cal Hubbard- 1930
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle
-6'2 253. New York Giants: 1927-28/ Green Bay Packers: 1929-33, 1935/ New York Giants: 1936

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/140/893/RackMultipart.11669.0_display_image.jpg?1263856157

While selecting an All-Decade Squad requires me to look at the early years of the decade as well as the later, generally those who peak in the early years get discarded by those from later on. This is attributed to the evolution of the game, not just in rules and regulations but in players and talent as well. But, every now and again, you find someone who can withstand that obstacle and still be worthwhile. Cal Hubbard fits that description. You'll remember him as one of the key discarded players from the 1920's squad, someone who didn't actually qualify, but didn't bring anything to the table that the main selections lacked. It's not easy bringing something unique to the table when you're a lineman.

Cal spent the thirties primarily at Left Tackle, but he had experience on the opposite side in the prior decade, so he can be shifted around. He was one of the first who willingly dropped back from the line a couple of yards and took on a position comparable to today's outside linebacker. He did this in college and probably with the Giants when he was a Right End. However, when he got to Green Bay he was just used as a conventional tackle. That's fine; we couldn't afford to let him drop back no matter how many guys we'd have on the line.

Fun tidbit, Cal's the only player ever to be in both the Pro Football and Baseball Halls of Fame. He got in as an Umpire. Here he is arguing with the Cleveland Indians;
http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/17/GalleryEmbedImageDimension/Hubbard_Cal_01_baseball_630.jpg?55479

Backup Tackle: Bill Lee- 1939
Secondary Position: Defensive Tackle
-6'2 231. Brooklyn Dodgers: 1935-37/ Green Bay Packers: 1937-42, 1946

https://packerspastperfect.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/1942blee3.jpg

Last time I tried this, I went with an even less-renowned player in Armand Niccolai, who toiled with the Pittsburgh Pirates(Steelers) during this time. I went with Niccolai mainly because he kicked field goals, and at the time I felt incorrectly that only the best of the specialists in that department should be included. I think I only entrusted the primary responsibilities to Niccolai and Jack Manders, but had a couple others who could step in. Knowing better, I can't perceive of a moment where I need a tackle to step out from the line and make a placekick, especially since I'm going to have four kickers on hand and I'll have a difficult time imagining a scenario where none of them are on the field at a given point.

Lee's fairly nondescript, but he achieved a nomination in the Hall of Fame's All-Decade squad. He also has an affinity with Don Hutson, having played with him while at Alabama, so there's that. He's a quality lineman, but one without much notoriety(look him up and you'll largely find another Bill Lee, a pitcher who had the nickname "Spaceman")

Backup Guard: Gover "Ox" Emerson- 1934
Secondary Position: Defensive Guard, Linebacker(Speculative)
-5'11 203. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1931-37/ Brooklyn Dodgers: 1938

(No Picture)

Another parallel to the 20's squad. Ox is much like 'Swede' Youngstrom in that he's a forgotten Guard who may or may not have been the best overall player at his position during the decade, one who pulled unglamorous yeoman duty in the trenches for a powerhouse team. If this squad ran a traditional 6-2-2-1, Ox would be the starting Right Guard and George Musso would be pushed back to Right Tackle. As far as skills go, the performance of Detroit's ground game and its defense gives testament to Ox's blocking and tackling ability- he was so good that he made a mini-comeback while in Brooklyn. He had been hired as a line coach, but the blockers on hand weren't working out, and Ox stepped into active duty.

Ox primarily played right guard but spent some time on the left. This is helpful, as we're going to use Ox as the primary backup to Danny Fortmann. This is a more complicated proposal than it appears, as we can go one of two ways with Ox; we could just have him play his usual role on the line and the defense will convert to a standard 6-2-2-1 while he's on the field and Danny isn't, or we could have Ox try to learn how to play linebacker. Playing defense isn't all that technical when talking about the 1930's, but Ox never left the line during his playing career, so this shouldn't be taken for granted. As far as I can tell, Ox has the mobility to work in the open, but he's probably not the brain of the defense the way Danny is, so we lose a bit in translation.

For the record, the plan is to stay focused on making Ox a linebacker, shifting into a six man line if we absolutely need to.

Backup Guard: Walt Kiesling- 1930
Secondary Position: Nose Guard(Slightly Off-Position), Defensive Guard
-6'3 260. Duluth Eskimos: 1926-27/ Pottsville Maroons: 1928/ Chicago Cardinals: 1929-33/ Chicago Bears: 1934/ Green Bay Packers: 1935-36/ Pittsburgh Pirates: 1937-38

http://fenwayparkdiaries.com/football/redskins-11-29-36.jpg

Compared to other Guards on the list, Kiesling doesn't warrant consideration. We mentioned last decade a lot of his Hall of Fame Nomination came down to overall service over a long stretch of time. Apart from the beginning of the decade, Kiesling was always a role player, a substitute who might start occasionally. However, there's a reason to put him on this roster; he's virtually the only one on the list whose weight was large enough to qualify for Nose Guard.

In short, Kiesling subs in for Musso. I'm not too worried about the talent, as Kiesling had a long career in the NFL, which you don't get unless you have some skill.

Backup Guard: Joe Kopcha- 1933
Secondary Positions: Defensive Guard
-6'0 221. Chicago Bears: 1929, 1932-35/ Detroit Lions: 1936

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.D3d4U3viQOiubLLFpB8QWgHaMS&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

The biggest problem with the remaining guards in the player pool is that none of them are larger than 220 or so pounds. This is a problem if you want someone who can feasibly back up both guard spots and maybe do some emergency duty at Nose Guard.

That's not really a knock on Joe. Kopcha was an All-Pro Guard during the time he spent with the Chicago Bears. Like Danny Fortmann, he also went to Medical School. He understood how to protect himself and could assist the trainer(which is why he got $120 a game starting out instead of his lineman worth of about $100 a game). Ultimately, he would be traded to the Lions in his last year simply because Joe wanted to intern there- a poor trade that Halas never let him forget.

He also was a tinkerer when it came to his protective gear. When he got into the league, shoulder pads were... well, you know how some fancy hotel bellhops had 'decorative' epaulets on their shoulders? The pads protected a player about as well. So Joe gathered several such pads and began putting together one extensive set, one that actually covered vital areas of the shoulder and collar bones. This attracted the attention of a Spalding salesman, but it was little more than a small conversation.

When Joe returned to football after taking two years off for his studies, the shoulder pads had greatly improved based on his designs. He still gave some advice for improvement and the next year saw a much improved product that didn't just keep the players safer, it made them look bigger too(any of you who wore shoulder pads know exactly what I'm talking about). He also assembled shin guards and padded up his helmet, which at the time was just a leather skullcap. So you can credit Joe for the beginnings of serious player protection.

Ultimately, I don't feel Joe's large enough for Nose Guard duty. We can sub him in for Danny Fortmann easily enough and just run a 6-2-2-1. Otherwise we'd have to wait until Ox is in at left guard before subbing out Musso or Kiesling for Kopcha, and then going with that 6-2-2-1 regardless of how well Ox is doing at linebacker.

Backup Center: Frank Bausch- 1937
Secondary Position: Linebacker
-6'3 220. Boston Redskins: 1934-36/ Chicago Bears: 1937-41

https://compote.slate.com/images/041073fa-937d-4b5c-816e-48132fb567bd.jpg

The above picture isn't really played for laughs. It's one of several demonstrations of how various appendages could be rammed into the unprotected faces of players during the fray(thankfully, this was a 'civilized' era that hadn't invented tea-bagging).

To most casuals glancing at this decade the Center position was Mel Hein and a bunch of bums. It's typical; only the brightest of stars get remembered, and the 'very good' fade over time. However, there was a time when Frank Bausch competed with Hein for All-Pro recognition. And to be perfectly honest, you know a lineman is tough if the Bears pick him up. Considering he's the best of the available players who have centered in the T, he's the best choice for Hein's understudy.

Backup Center: Clare Randolph- 1935
Secondary Positions: Linebacker, Guard(Theoretical)
-6'2 204. Chicago Cardinals: 1930/ Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions: 1931-36

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.3qyGoEcyfPZx152uI6tNaQHaJp&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

There is only one interesting tidbit about Randolph. Fellow players say that he was the only guy who could tackle Bronko Nagurski one-on-one. The Coffin Corner article about him beats the subject like a dead horse. Ever have that boring friend that you can't talk about anymore because someone threatened to carve a new air hole above your adam's apple if you tell that Same. Story. One more [BLEEP]ing time!? Wait, you don't? It's just me? Either way, it's a similar situation.

Randolph might deserve better. He centered for the Infantry Attack, and compensated for his lighter frame(Centers were about 220 pounds in weight, especially the good ones) with an inner fire. But honestly, we've got him on hand if there's a Titan on the Alien side that needs to be taken down.

Well, there's one other thing we'd use Randolph for. As the experiment with Ox showcases, we cannot find another guard who legitly played linebacker in this decade. And since we have no guarantee Ox can master the new position, we'll have to find a contingency plan. This means finding a center(as they play linebacker) and having them on hand to also play guard. This is where Randolph comes in. He's the third-string center, but will likely only see the field if he has to replace Fortmann directly.

And the Titan. Can't forget the Titan.



Substitution Strategy:

We sort of got into this section when describing the possible formations. Specifically, it was the part where Steve Owen 'platooned' his players into an 'A' Team and 'B' Team and would switch them out in the halfway marks of each quarter. We didn't go with Owen as head coach, or even as an assistant(it's generally not a good idea to put multiple head coaches on a single staff), but we should have this conversation nonetheless.

For starters, we can totally utilize the 'platoon' style of substitution;

1st Team: Baugh/Hinkle/Nagurski/Battles/Hutson/Stydahar/Fortmann/Hein/Musso/Christensen/Millner
2nd Team: Isbell/Clark/Gutowsky/Caddel/Hewitt/Edwards/Emerson/Bausch/Kiesling/Hubbard/Badgro

This factors in every substitution angle we had to go over; the LH/LE package, LG/LB, RG/NG, and so on. The remaining eight players are meant to fill in the blanks wherever they might be needed. Presnell switches out with Clark, Kopcha or Randolph switch out with Emerson, Strong switches out with anyone. You get the idea. You can even account for Hein's role on Owen's teams and not substitute him at all.

But like I said before, I have no proof Halas employed this particular style of substitution. As far as I can tell, he employed the typical singular style of substitution. He may have been partial to Iron Man players, but he would still swap them out, even if at lesser intervals than others. That said, we can work with that. All those quirks from above were designed for the singular substitutions, and work fine when paired with good judgment from the coach; and frankly, nobody seemed to be against Halas when it came to his judgment.



The Discarded:

The list of people worth mentioning in this decade is probably a smaller list than the prior decade. A lot of this is due to two factors; the significant roster boost to thirty players, and the decline of teams in the league. By 1933 the NFL had stabilized to between nine and ten teams. Factoring in an increase in discipline- less players who failed to Qualify at five years, apart from the main quarterbacks- and the available pool is significantly shallower. There are some noteworthy players at the end of the decade, some of whom eventually made the Hall of Fame, but they'll likely be mentioned in the 40's or have such brief careers that they won't matter. As for those who were a part of the prior decade but still qualified in this one, they almost all were deemed replaceable by players with similar skill sets, with the notable exception of Cal Hubbard and Walt Kiesling.

Out of the lot, William Beattie Feathers is probably the most important name on the list. He was, after all, the first 1,000 yard rusher. Actually, it's more impressive than it first looks, because he had to overage 8.4 yards a carry in 1934 to achieve that mark. But he never achieved those marks or came close to them again, even though he did play enough years to qualify. The reason for that appears to be a shoulder injury he sustained near the end of the '34 season. The injury was so bad he had to wear a rather cumbersome and immobilizing brace for the rest of his career. The reason this matters for wine cellar rules is when we take a player's specific year, we take him from the point in which that year's season has ended. I apologize for not clarifying that detail in the prior decade(it slipped my mind because there was no one-year wonder who got injured before his year ended like Feathers in the prior decade. Grange was the only notable guy who got injured, but he had other years to fall back on), but this detail effectively rubs Feathers out of consideration.

As far as backfield players go, there are a small collection of Hall of Fame Runners(Tuffy Leemans, Ace Parker) who didn't qualify, but only a couple passers remain that justify mention. We covered Arnie Herber, but there was a hidden gem in Ed Danowski, who served as the primary passer for the New York Giants and displayed some solid accuracy. No indication of how good his deep ball was, however.

Ends have a little more to discuss. Some are prolific receivers who toiled for mediocre clubs and gave no description of being genuinely good two-way players, such as Bill Smith and Joe Carter. They were mentioned briefly. Edgar "Eggs" Manske was briefly one of these players while with the Eagles but went to the Bears to close out the decade. Some players are known more for their line play, such as Milt Gantenbein of Green Bay and Harry Ebding of Detroit. Then there's Charley Malone, who was the other main end target for Sammy Baugh in Washington, but was never described in terms like Wayne Millner was, hence why he didn't make the cut. But the most interesting character was one who failed to qualify; Gaynell "Gus" Tinsley of the Chicago Cardinals. Had he played longer, he might have outstripped Don Hutson in receiving achievements, actually beating him in receiving yardage during his rookie year. Even better, unlike Hutson he was a skilled defender and blocker for his position. The trouble was he only played two years in '37 and '38 before leaving to partake in Minor League Baseball and a High School Head Coaching gig. He would return in 1940, where a knee injury midway trough the season would end his year, and likely his career as well. Ultimately, there wasn't a need to make an exception for Tinsley despite his excellent-yet-brief production.

There's not much to say about the available linemen. There were a couple of centers worth a word or two(Nate Barrager of Green Bay and Charles "Ookie" Miller of Chicago) but they didn't offer anything above the norm. Guards were largely decimated by the usage of the 5-3-3, eliminating almost everyone other than Ox Emerson, since most struggled to weigh more than 210 pounds and none(not even Ox) had experience playing Linebacker. Tackles are even more nondescript, with only a few meriting consideration, largely due to the seeming talent vacuum at Right Tackle.



The Scrimmagers:

The diminished player pool is going to come into play when assembling teams to scrimmage against. Not really when it comes to assembling teams per se; we can easily furnish enough squads from the remainder. It's just that they won't be of a reasonably high quality. We just plucked the thirty best possible players out of the pool and since the NFL averaged about 9-10 teams during the decade, we've not just taken the tip of the spear but the whole darn spearhead.

Not good for tuning up our squad. We'd get fat on creampuffs and be taken by surprise going up against the aliens.

Technically speaking, we can assemble our maximum preference of six squads. Four of them will be specific teams of the 'All-Time' variety; a pick-up squad of the best available players of said team, rather than a certain year. The other two will be more traditional 'All-Star' squads, not really dependent on varying strategies.

To reinforce these squads so they can provide a harder challenge for us, we're going to institute the following two conditions; for players exclusively in the scrimmager pool but not on our squad, they will be potentially passed around. This is limited; only one specific year of a player, so if he's on one of the four 'legit' teams he can't be on the other three, but he can be part of the two All-Star squads in theory. So at most a player will be a part of three separate teams.

The second condition involves the loan system; loaning out our bench players to these scrimmage squads(they have to qualify for them naturally, either as a member of one of the teams, or they meet the conditions of the All-Star squads). We will not permit our starters to be loaned out(one vital exception), and we will only loan out our bench players to a certain extent; we will make sure our positions are backed up by at least one or two players, even if this means denying one of the teams a player or two that would otherwise be loaned. In addition, the team that takes loaned players from us will have to play with the same number of players on roster as our squad will have- so if a team is loaned out four players from us, they will be reduced to 26 players on their roster, to make things even.

The rules of selection from the last decade still apply. The five-year rule is entirely overlooked.

1920's All-Decade Squad:
Head Coach: Ralph Jones- 1932(On Loan)
Offense: T-Formation
Defense: Seven-Box/Seven-Diamond(7-2-2)
(25 Players, 5 On Loan)

QB: Benny Friedman- 1930(Off-Position)
LH: Harold "Red" Grange- 1933(On Loan)
FB: Ernie Nevers- 1931
RH: Johnny "Blood" McNally- 1931
LE: Lavern Dilweg- 1931
LT: William "Link" Lyman- 1934
LG: August "Mike" Michalske- 1930
C: George Trafton- 1930
RG: Rudy Comstock- 1930
RT: Cal Hubbard- 1930(Off-Position)(On Loan)
RE: Ray Flaherty- 1932
Bench
QB: Joseph "Red" Dunn- 1930(Off-Position)
HB: Verne Lewellen- 1930
HB: Ken Strong- 1933(On Loan)
FB: Tony Latone- 1930
FB: Jack McBride- 1930
E: Red Badgro- 1934(On Loan)
E: George Kenneally- 1930
E: Chuck Kassel- 1931
T: Steve Owen- 1930
T: Duke Slater- 1930

G: Hec Garvey- 1930
G: Joe Kopcha- 1933(On Loan)
G: Zuck Carlson- 1932
C: Bert Pearson- 1930

A nice little tradition I would like to establish would be assembling the prior decade's squad as a scrimmage partner. Granted, this can't be the entire roster since we were only using the 1930's and there will be a certain number of members in the prior decade that won't play in the present one. Those players will likely be replaced by the best possible players remaining that spent time in the prior decade(no five-year rule this time). It also stands to reason that the team will largely consist of players with years in the early half of the decade. Combine all of this with the team being a step or two behind in the rules and strategy, and the competition looks like a creampuff.

The lone 'rejection' of a loan would be Walt Kiesling, simply because we have no backup at Nose Guard if we loan him out.

Chicago Bears All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Ralph Jones- 1932(On Loan)
Offense: T-Formation
Defense: 6-2-2-1
(24 Players, 6 On Loan)

QB: Carl Brumbaugh- 1934(On Loan)
LH: Harold "Red" Grange- 1933(On Loan)
FB: Bill Osmanski- 1939
RH: Gene Ronzani- 1934
LE: Bill Hewitt- 1936(On Loan)
LT: William "Link" Lyman- 1934
LG: Zuck Carlson- 1932
C: Frank Bausch- 1937(On Loan)
RG: Joe Kopcha- 1933(On Loan)
RT: Russ Thompson- 1939
RE: Bill Karr- 1935(On Loan)
Bench
QB: Bernie Masterson- 1937
HB: Ray Nolting- 1938
HB: Jack Manders- 1937
HB: Sid Luckman- 1939
FB: Joe Maniaci- 1939
E: **** Plasman- 1939
E: George Wilson- 1939
T: Lloyd Burdick- 1932
T: Milt Trost- 1939
T/G: Ray Richards- 1935
G: Joe Zeller- 1935
G: Ray Bray- 1939

C: George Trafton- 1930

Like the last decade, the Bears are the lone team in town working with the T Formation, so facing them is vital. The loans strain our depth at end, and their left side is slightly behind the times, but it's a lot like before; this is the most stable team we'll do battle against. Of note, we have Sid Luckman on the bench as a Halfback because he was actually playing Halfback this season while he was learning the ropes at Quarterback. He's kind of a hidden weapon.

Green Bay Packers All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Earl "Curly" Lambeau- 1939
Offense: Notre Dame Box
Defense: 6-2-2-1
(27 Players, 3 On Loan)

TB: Arnie Herber- 1936
FB: Ed Jankowski- 1937
BB: Hank Bruder- 1934
HB: Johnny "Blood" McNally- 1931
LE: Lavern Dilweg- 1931
LT: Cal Hubbard- 1930(On Loan)
LG: August "Mike" Michalske- 1930
C: George Svendsen- 1936
RG: Charles "Buckets" Goldenberg- 1938
RT: Bill Lee- 1939(On Loan)
RE: Milt Gantenbein- 1937
Bench
B: Cecil Isbell- 1939(On Loan)
B: Larry Craig- 1939
B: Joe Laws- 1936
B: Herm Schneidman- 1938
B: Bob Monnett- 1938
B: Verne Lewellen- 1930
E: Carl Mulleneaux- 1939
E: Bernie Scherer- 1937
E: Al Rose- 1934
T: Buford "Baby" Ray- 1939
T: Ernie Smith- 1936
T: Paul "Tiny" Engebretsen- 1938

G: Lon Evans- 1936
G: Russ Letlow- 1939
C: Charley Brock- 1939
C: Bud Svensen- 1939

The loss of Hutson and Herber really cripples the offensive potential, but even so the Packers have enough of an arsenal to be a threat. That and they utilize the Notre Dame Box. The depth at Tackle is strained, but surmountable.

New York Giants All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Steve Owen- 1938
Offense: A Formation
Defense: 6-2-2-1
(27 Players, 3 On Loan)

A Team
FB: Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans- 1938
QB: Ed Danowski- 1938
BB: Lee Shaffer- 1938
WB: Ward Cuff- 1939
LE: Morris "Red" Badgro- 1934(On Loan)
LT: Len Grant- 1934
LG: Johnny Dell Isola- 1939
C: Mel Hein- 1938(B Team too)(On Loan)
RG: Orville Tuttle- 1938
RT: Bill Owen- 1934
RE: Ray Flaherty- 1932
B Team
FB: Ken Strong- 1933(On Loan)
QB: Harry Newman- 1933(Off-Position)
BB: Nello Falaschi- 1938
WB: Dale Burnett- 1935
LE: Jim Poole- 1938
LT: Ed Widseth- 1938
LG: Potsy Jones- 1934
RG: Butch Gibson- 1934
RT: Frank Cope- 1939(Off-Position)
RE: Jim Lee Howell- 1939

Bench
B: Hank Soar- 1937
B: Kink Richards- 1936
E: Tom Goodwin- 1935
T: John Mellus- 1939
G: Kayo Lunday- 1938
C: Micket Murtagh- 1930

The 'A' Formation might be a one team thing, but you never know what the Aliens will throw at us. This also forces us to loan out a genuine starter in Mel Hein, as the 'A' doesn't go without him. It's fine; Bausch and Randolph can hold the fort. In the meantime, the Giants run two units deep with extras for good measure and largely have an answer for everything. They even go a little further on defense than most units in that they use red dogging and blitzing. Not often, mind you, but more than the others.

Detroit Lions All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Potsy Clark- 1935
Offense: Single Wing
Defense: 6-2-2-1
(23 Players, 7 On Loan)

TB: Earl "Dutch" Clark- 1935(On Loan)
FB: LeRoy "Ace" Gutowsky- 1934(On Loan)
BB: Roy "Father" Lumpkin- 1932
WB: Eddie Caddel- 1935(On Loan)
LE: Ed Klewicki- 1935
LT: Jack Johnson- 1934
LG: Maury Bodenger- 1934
C: Clare Randolph- 1935(On Loan)
RG: Gover "Ox" Emerson- 1934(On Loan)
RT: George Christensen- 1935(On Loan)
RE: Harry Ebding- 1934
Bench
B: Glenn Presnell- 1933(On Loan)
B: Bill Shepherd- 1938
B: Frank Christensen- 1935
B: Lloyd Cardwell- 1939
E: Bill McKalip- 1931
E: John Schneller- 1935
T: Red Stacy- 1935
T: Bob Reynolds- 1939
G: Sam Knox- 1934
G: Socko Wiethe- 1939
G: Bill Radovich- 1939
C: Alex Wojciechowicz- 1939

As far as Single Wing offenses go, we could spare the Infantry Attack but not Sammy Baugh. That's fine. Apart from a few bench pieces and the Blocking Back, the core of the team consists of players from the '34 and '35 years. While I initially said there was only one 'starter' who'd be loaned out, it turned out to be two. But we can spare Christensen. In theory, the assembled bench should provide a 'B' Team that comes close to the 'A' Team.

1930's All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Potsy Clark- 1935
Offense: Single Wing
Defense: 6-2-2-1
(30 Players)

TB: Clarence "Ace" Parker- 1938
FB: Bill Osmanski- 1939
BB: Riley Smith- 1937
WB: Ward Cuff- 1939
LE: Gaynell Tinsley- 1937
LT: Ed Widseth- 1938
LG: Johnny Dell Isola- 1939
C: Alex Wopciechowicz- 1939
RG: Lon Evans- 1936
RT: Jim Barber- 1939
RE: Charley Malone- 1937
Bench
B: Ed Danowski- 1938
B: Tuffy Leemans- 1938
B: Jack Manders- 1937
B: Lloyd Cardwell- 1939
B: Parker Hall- 1939
B: Bill Shepherd- 1938
B: Father Lumpkin- 1932
B: Ralph Kercheval- 1936
E: Bill Smith- 1935
E: Joe Carter- 1938
E: Milt Gantenbein- 1937

T: Buford "Baby" Ray- 1939
T: John Mellus- 1939
T: Frank "Bruiser" Kinard- 1939
G: Russ Letlow- 1939
G: Charles "Buckets" Goldenberg- 1939
G: Socko Wiethe- 1939
C: Nate Barragar- 1932
C: Ki Aldrich- 1939

The suspension of the five-year rule really pays dividends for this final roster, as far too many of the best remaining players got in during the last couple years of this decade. We're borrowing Detroit's coach because there was nobody else we could throw in there(Ray Flaherty ran the Washington Teams, but we have an earlier version of him as a receiver for two of the other squads). On paper, the aim was to create a reasonable imitation of the Infantry Attack, but with a greater dimension for passing. Between "Ace" Parker, Ed Danowski, and a collection of airborne threats, they should be able to complement the ground game nicely. There are a good number of names on this team that'll make noise in the 40's, so keep your eyes peeled.



Final Tidbits:

Stadium Venue: Polo Grounds, New York City
Training Camp: Blue Hills Country Club, Pearl River, NY

Broadcasting would be the same as in the past decade, mostly confined to radio and subject to a dark cloud of vagrancy, but a key event in 1939 would shed a much needed light.

On October 22, a sunday of course, a number of games were played. One of them involved the Brooklyn Dodgers hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at Ebbets Field, a rather ho-hum affair fought over by two mediocre teams. That part, and the paltry 13,000 or so attendance isn't the important part of the story. The National Broadcasting Company(or NBC) was the key figure of the day because it introduced the first ever televised broadcast of a football game. Not that it was viewed by many- television was so young that only about five hundred or so homes in New York City were said to have viewed the game. It was also viewed at the World's Fair at the RCA Pavilion. The key thing was that it was still handled largely as a Radio Broadcast(which served matters well when the cloud cover and the setting sun darkened things to the point where the primitive technology could only catch darkness), which helps us assemble both means of broadcasting.

NBC will handle both the television and radio parts, since they are interchangeable. The Play-by-Play work will be done by a guy named Allen "Skip" Walz, as he was the commentator for that '39 game.

Edited by Zycho32
Fixed the Spoilers!
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I apologize for the extensive delay. Lots of stuff blindsided me.

The 1940's All-Decade Teams:

Things are going to be different this time around.

As mentioned before, there were a couple of "competing" leagues during the history of the NFL that warranted genuine mention. These are the AAFC of the 1940's and the AFL of the 1960's. This is largely for a key reason; franchises in these leagues(or in the AFL's case, all of them) eventually joined the NFL ranks, justifying their importance. Most understand this about the AFL because not only did their merger with the NFL bring in every one of their franchises, but they managed to get the NFL to take them on in a champion-versus-champion game, their version of the World Series. You all know it as the Super Bowl. The AAFC had a different story. They never got to take on the NFL in a Championship game. They also only managed to bring over three of their franchises. One of whom, the Baltimore Colts(no, not those Colts), were a sad sack that folded after one year, only to be replaced two years later with an expansion Baltimore Colts franchise that you know of today in Indianapolis. The second, the San Francisco 49ers(1849 California Gold Rush), proved to be a mainstay of the NFL. But the primary transfer was the crown jewel of the AAFC; the Cleveland Browns. You laugh at the Browns today, but their first decade of existence was as close to perfection as any franchise was likely to get. During the four seasons of the AAFC, Cleveland had 52 wins, 4 losses, and 3 ties, including a genuine 14-0 season in 1948, and won every single championship game. Their stay in the NFL was rockier; from 1950 through 1955, their record was 58 wins, 13 losses, and 1 tie. And while they appeared in six straight NFL Championships, they only won three of them, including their first season in the NFL. That was their first decade of existence.

So, what we are going to do is assemble two teams; one from the NFL and one from the AAFC. The aim will be to pit these two All-Star Teams against each other in a game(or best-of-three) to determine which one will face the aliens(otherwise it's just another low-effort Pro Bowl game, y'know?). Since we're doing twice the amount of teams, we're going to split this up into four posts. The first post- this one- will be the introduction and involve the rule changes- which apart from one MAJOR development- are largely negligible. There won't be much of a need for text-hiding on this one. The second and third posts will go over the NFL and AAFC teams, their coaches, players, discarded options, and even at least one 'scrimmage partner' for training purposes. The fourth will simply go over the fated confrontation between the two squads and will be a significantly smaller post than the rest, because I'm not about to type out a play-by-play for a theoretical game(but if any of you were to be interested in doing so....)

The Rules:

There were actually a good many rule changes that occurred during this decade. A few are of some note, most just establish penalties and yardage and the like, but only one really revolutionized the game; Free Substitution.

It would be easy to claim that Football, prior to this point, was played Iron-Man style; 60 minutes both ways, no breaks. It's the personification of that annoying grandpa who'd tell you incessantly about having to march uphill in a blizzard both way to get to school. The truth is a bit more complicated than that. While players could- and sometimes did- play sixty minutes a game, the reality is players could be substituted. Readers of this thread ought to know; it's been mentioned in both the 20's and 30's so far. However, the substitutions had limits; players had to wait until the end of either the quarter or the half to be subbed back into the game. By the 30's rosters had expanded to the point where you could march in an entire second unit in order to keep all the players fresh(New York began doing this in the late 30's, likely creating some copycats in the process), but it wasn't until the onset of World War 2- when the US was drawn into the conflict and the sporting world began to suffer shortages of manpower that the concept of Free Substitution was permitted.

It worked like this; players could be subbed into the game and subbed out of the game at any time and for any duration. If you got the wind knocked out of you, you went on the bench for how many plays it took to get your breath back, then you could go back in whenever your coach wanted to. If you needed to take a player out because he had a disadvantage, you could swap him for someone better suited for the situation. If you had a good kicker that honestly wasn't good on offense or defense, you could keep him on the bench until the time you needed to kick and you could send him out. Of course you understand this; you live it with every game you watch. Try this experiment; take your favorite team, and now try to create an eleven-man roster that could go both ways for sixty minutes and fill just about any and every niche of the game that you could think of. Or at the least, a first team of eleven players and whatever substitutes you think could also play both ways.

You also understand how this developed into the "Platoon" style. A dedicated squad of players, not as good as the offensive stalwarts, would be assembled into a defensive unit, one that could keep the playmakers on offense fresh. In time, actual defensive stars started to come about and be recognized because of the platoon split, and defenses started to become sophisticated. In addition, the dawn of the specialists was about to arrive, though by a rather piecemeal process. Kickers, Punters, and Returners, they started out as position players from elsewhere, either on offense or defense. For returners, this is still largely the case. The booters, apart from a few true-blue specialists who had no other position, wouldn't become an isolated group until well in to the 1960's. The reason is that while team rosters will expand in this decade from 30 players to 36, the platoon split will create a vastly shallow bench for both units to draw from. This continues well into the 60's, and it's really not until the roster limit is expanded into the 40's that pure kicking specialists become vogue.

The NFL first started Free Substitution in 1943. As explained already, this is due to manpower shortages from the war. This will be repealed in the NFL in 1946. The AAFC would only take about a season or two to embrace the concept. By either 1947 or 1948. Free Substitution was used by the AAFC and they never looked back. It became such that the NFL would adopt in again in 1949, for a single year. That single year turned out to be permanent by 1950. The AAFC squad will be using Free Substitution and the overall rules of 1949. The NFL will simply have no choice but to follow suit.

Of the remainder of the rule changes, here's what stands out;

1. Offensive pass inference in the opponent's end zone is just a pure distance penalty- it had for a time been a touchback.
2. Coaches and Players on-field are permitted to communicate with one another, as long as coaches remain in designated spaces and don't cause delays.
3. The hashmarks are moved in again! This time twenty yards from the sidelines.
4. T-Formation QBs under center(or really, ANYONE directly behind center and putting their arms underneath) have to receive the snap. It's a false start otherwise.
5. A forward pass that strikes the goalposts is automatically incomplete. The 1945 Championship game between the Redskins and the Rams involved a pass hitting the goalposts. Specifically, the offense(Washington) hit the post in their own end zone and it was ruled a safety. The Rams would win 15-14 thanks to that safety. This rule was put in palce for the next season.
6. The returning team is permitted to return punts and missed field goals from behind their own goal line.
 

Coming up soon will be the NFL Squad for the 1940's.

 

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HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY!!!!!!!!

The 1940's NFL All-Decade Team:

The overall guidelines have not changed. This should be taken as a given, but this decade does come with some... complications.

The first being a conflict across the world between multiple nations and various alliances, one that had actually been brewing since the 1930's but really picked up steam in this decade, ending in an entire country practically decimated and divided, with another suffering two horrific wounds before the notion of surrender was ever accepted. I am of course referring to the Second World War. In today's age, the thought of NFL Superstars ever being lured into the Armed Services for a war of worldwide proportions is simply unthinkable. This was not the case in the 1940's. Stars of all kinds of sports were pulled into the conflict, including those in the NFL. Many lost years of playing during their careers... some lost even more than that. This creates a noticeable section of players who thanks to the conflict missed too many years to qualify for this decade. Some players, especially on the high end, did in fact avoid service for various reasons(which I will not get into as that's a can of worms in itself), which negates this complication somewhat.

The bigger problem comes with the AAFC. There are a notable amount of players who played in the NFL, and then went to the AAFC as a result. Since the AAFC never made it to five seasons, that particular guideline is rescinded(four year players of the AAFC are preferred but players who spent less time can be selected if skilled enough), but it raises the question of determining who qualifies for which league. The formula divised is simple; five years in the NFL is an automatic qualifier for the NFL unless that player also spent more than half of the AAFC's existence in that league. If a player has not spent five years in the NFL, their qualification automatically goes to the AAFC. A player who spent five years in the NFL but also two years or more in the AAFC is a special case that much be looked into on an individual basis, but I don't believe I'll come to that particular problem.

Team Roster- The Cliffs Notes Version:
 

Head Coach: George Halas- 1949
Key Assistant: Luke Johnsos- 1946(Ends)
Key Assistant: Joe Stydahar- 1949(Line)
Key Assistant: Charlie Ewart- 1948(Backfield)
Offensive Style: T-Formation(Potential Pro-Set Variation)
Defensive Style: 5-3-3(Potential 5-2-4 Variation)

Starting Quarterback: Sid Luckman- 1943
Starting Left Halfback: Steve Van Buren- 1948
Starting Fullback: Pat Harder- 1946(Four Year Exception)
Starting Right Halfback: George McAfee- 1941
Starting Left End: Don Hutson- 1942
Starting Left Tackle: Frank "Bruiser" Kinard- 1943
Starting Left Guard: Danny Fortmann- 1942(Four Year Exception)
Starting Center: Clyde "Bulldog" Turner- 1946
Starting Right Guard: Ray Bray- 1942
Starting Right Tackle: Al Wistert- 1948
Starting Right End: Pete Pihos- 1948(Three Year Exception)
Starting Left Defensive End: Larry Craig- 1944
Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Buford "Baby" Ray- 1943
Starting Nose Guard: Francis "Bucko" Kilroy- 1949
Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Al Blozis- 1943(Two Year Exception)
Starting Right Defensive End: Ed Sprinkle- 1949
Starting Linebacker: Ted Fritsch- 1944
Starting Linebacker: Charley Brock- 1945
Starting Linebacker: Riley Matheson- 1945
Starting Defensive Halfback: Ernie Steele- 1947
Starting Defensive Halfback: Richard Todd- 1946
Starting Safety: Sammy Baugh- 1943
Backup Quarterback: Bob Waterfield- 1945
Backup Halfback: Tony Canadeo- 1949
Backup Halfback: Fred Gehrke- 1945
Backup Halfback: Ward Cuff- 1941
Backup Halfback: "Bullet" Bill Dudley- 1946
Backup Fullback: Marshall Goldberg- 1941
Backup End: Ken Kavanaugh- 1947
Backup End: George Wilson- 1943
Backup Tackle: Vic Sears- 1949
Backup Tackle: Chet Bulger- 1947(Slightly Off-Position)
Backup Guard: Len Younce- 1944
Backup Guard: George Musso- 1943
Backup Center: Alex Wojciechowicz- 1944



The Coaches and Strategies:

1949. That's really the only time there was any real innovation to be had in the NFL on either side of the ball. Before that, the Xs and Os of the other formations went through the decade unaltered. We're starting with the old stalwarts however, for reasons we'll get into soon enough.

The changes to the passing game, both in the rulebook and the size of the ball, started to genuinely pay dividends when the 40's arrived, as several key passers entered the fold, generating yards at rates considered unthinkable before. The 2,000 yard and 20 touchdown thresholds were broken in this decade for passers, creating offenses that could march up and down the field at rates beyond mere 'grinding'. A fair amount of that has to be from the crop of passers that arrived during this era, but the main culprit is the T-Formation coming into vogue at the Professional and Collegiate level. Thanks to the Chicago Bears, the T finally started getting proper recognition in the NFL thanks to all of the adjustments made during the past decade. This in turn made the formation more offensively viable than the Single Wing and other variants, creating copycats of the T. This worked for passers because now they didn't have to be multi-talented athletes who could also pass fairly. Now dedicated specialists in the art of passing could thrive in a system that compartmentalized them and took care of their weaknesses. The traditional Tailback was now more likely to find a home at a Halfback spot, where he could run to his heart's content- and maybe throw a pass or two on a trick play. Instead of greatly narrowing the unpredictability of a team's offense, this splitting of duties made both options highly capable and preserved said unpredictability.

Some teams would hang on to their different systems. Washington in particular would hand on to the Single Wing through the duration of the war only to revert to the T at the end of it. Steve Owen's Giants would persist with their A-Formation into the early 50's, but by the end their offenses had become anemic and unable to support their defenses. Curly Lambeau's Packers would stick with the Notre Dame Box until 1947(their biggest culprit of the Box's failure was probably Don Hutson's retirement in 1945. The passers had mostly gone at that point, but Hutson made the formation go still. In '46 the offense cratered without him, the first step in the eventual downfall of Lambeau). The Pittsburgh Steelers would gain some infamous notoriety by being the last team to use the Single Wing... during the 1950's.

That's not to say everyone ran the same exact kind of T. In terms of running and passing there were variants. Running the ball from the T traditionally meant a committee approach with the hardest share of the yards being gained by the Fullback. Chicago was a proponent of this strategy since the 30's, but the 40's seemed to dial the 'committee' to eleven. If you think New England's committee style running attack is something, you should've seen the Bears in the 40's use 6 or 7 different backs to run the ball in the game. This was the most traditional running style to copy, most notably with the "Million Dollar Backfield" of the Chicago Cardinals, which gave them their last ever championship in 1947. However, most copied the style more for a lack of a true gamebreaker then anything else. Some, like Washington, favored a running style more dependent on the Fullback with the Halfbacks given more responsibility in the passing game. Then there were the Philadelphia Eagles, who used their Left Halfback(Steve Van Buren) as a genuine workhorse and utilized their other backs as complementary role players. This was a style more dependent on a superstar- when Green Bay turned to the T, they had to utilize Tony Canadeo in the same way. Passing was largely one of two ways; you had the conventional vertical attack, the long bomb between run plays. Chicago was a rather noteworthy advocate of this style, and would use their ends and halfbacks to major effect. Then you had the short passing style of Washington, which could go deep thanks to Slingin' Sammy, but was more often than not looking for the halfbacks to move the ball downfield. If you didn't have any exceptional talent for receivers or passers, you tended to go vertical more often than short-range.

Of the Defensive styles, those also remained the same. The 6-2-2-1 was still the go-to formation, with some teams seemingly opting for a 5-3-3. Until Free Substitution and the advent of the Platoon Strategy, these defenses played the same as they had in the prior decades; merely reactionary units with little sophistication. Even the best units, such as the Chicago Bears, relied more on individual skill and team grit than anything approaching strategy. It would take Clark Shaughnessy returning to Chicago in 1950 before the Bears had something of a defensive strategy. Steve Owen would also make something out of the outdated 6-2-2-1 in that same year... but since both these developments happened outside of this decade, they must be discarded.

Anyway, onto the innovations of 1949.

https://archive.is/JW0mb/368a3532fe96bb9218fc4402369e23a411875d3c.gif
Welcome to the genesis of the Pro-Set offense.

The story goes like this; Clark Shaughnessy was hired by the Los Angeles Rams to be the Head Coach in 1948- his first and only Head Coaching job in the NFL. After a relatively decent year, they signed a Halfback by the name of Elroy Hirsch. They called him "Crazylegs" mainly because of his running style; his legs would twist about everywhere as he ran. He was good enough as a Halfback- he had been one of the rare AAFC players to jump over to the NFL before the league went under, and he had been a Collegiate Star at both Wisconsin and Michigan(he had to transfer to Michigan because he joined the Marines and they put him there as part of their V-12 Navy College Training Program). But Shaugnessy thought he'd be better as a pure receiver. Trouble was, they already had two top-grade options at End in Tom Fears(Hall of Famer) and Bob Shaw(Tall and Fast). Rather than trade someone, Shaugnessy instead put Hirsch at the Right Halfback spot, then permanently shifted him out to a location that was once covered by the Wingback of the Single Wing. The new position was called a Flanker. This inclusion of a third receiver- a role for which the Right Halfback was already slotted into but only out of the backfield- tore defenses up, until the weather during the championship game with Philadelphia bogged their attack down and they got shut out. Shaugnessy was fired after this- largely for simply being too domineering and abrasive with players and ownership- and went back to Chicago.

The strategy would be the doctrine for Pro-Style offenses to this day; the Split End and the Flanker, on opposite sides, would take the outside routes and stretch defenses deep. The remaining End, on either side and remained tightly packed to the line(the creation of the Tight End), would exploit the middle being only covered by linebackers.

The biggest problem with this is we'd be shackled to Shaugnessy as a Head Coach- the flaws as noted above are not things we want in our Head Coach, especially not under these conditions. As for being an assistant, I try my hardest to never insert a Head Coach as an assistant in order to use something worthwhile. Then again, I've betrayed such a notion twice(in the 20's, I had Guy Chamberlin as my Left End while he was Head Coach, and in the 1930's I had Ralph Jones be an assistant to better improve the T Formation), so that might remain viable.

As for Defense, we have Earle "Greasy" Neale and the 5-2-4;
https://archive.is/JW0mb/02185d1b9b90485ee66aeb18173d9183b60c63f5.gif

As you can see, a linebacker is replaced with a safety. This provided additional pass coverage- especially against a vertical passing attack- but it was created in 1949. This was the year Free Substitution came back.

https://archive.is/FmYU/2c8ae98ae64d2dc68c41d84fd7177596535eb607.gif
https://archive.is/JW0mb/d838976800db81a7b758fb419635749e3e1a42f2.gif

Compare the two formations. It's easy to slot the Quarterback at safety, the Halfbacks in the secondary, and then the Fullback, Center, and a Guard into the linebacker positions. In the days before the Platoons, this arrangement worked. It worked even better if you replace the 5-3-3 with a 6-2-2-1, leaving that other guard on the line. But compare the T with the 5-2-4. Where do you get the extra safety from? From what position do you pull out another secondary player? Do you use the fullback and sacrifice likely power in the offensive game? With the possible exception of the A-Formation, no offense during the iron-man era could translate seamlessly to a four-man secondary.

If there's an actual flaw in the 5-2-4, it comes from a distinct lack of a Middle Linebacker. NFL Defenses have always utilized the Middle Linebacker as a leader of the defense, a roamer of sorts who can charge in and plug a hole as well as he can drop back and disrupt passes. As far as I can tell, the Strong-Side linebacker in the 5-2-4 has the responsibility of jamming and covering the 'tight' end, leaving the other linebacker in the traditional rover role enjoyed by Middle Linebackers. This formation would spawn some disciples during the next decade(Detroit most notably) but would be replaced soon enough by another alignment... one that we'll get to next decade.

Neale's actually the second option for Head Coach alongside the old stand-by of George Halas- he spent enough years to qualify and had two championships in '48 and '49 to show for it. The same vagrancy that might qualify Shaugnessy as an assistant(translated roughly to "Screw it, I make the rules!") also works in Neale's favor.

As far as the Head-to-Head goes, we have a contrast in styles. Halas utilizes a committee approach on the ground and a vertical attack through the air. Neale has a more balanced passing attack and uses Van Buren like a workhorse. Halas uses the 5-3-3. Neale uses the 5-2-4. Neale freely admits he stole the T Formation from seeing what Halas did with it in 1940(only the first to do so), and he added his own wrinkles. The Bears were the most dominant team during World War 2, but the Eagles were the team that finished the decade as champions. And truth be told, neither of them ever really came up with answers against the Cleveland Browns during the next decade(and the AAFC Team- no surprise- will be heavily Browns-oriented).

Head Coach: George Halas- 1949
Offensive Style: T-Formation(Potential Pro-Set Variation)
Defensive Style: 5-3-3(Potential 5-2-4 Variation)

Key Assistant: Luke Johnsos- 1946(Ends)
Key Assistant: Joe Stydahar- 1949(Line)
Key Assistant: Charlie Ewart- 1948(Backfield)

I would say longevity is the biggest factor. Neale was fired after a miserable 1950 season that saw most of the key pieces to the last two championship years go down to injuries and retirement. A bit unfair, to be honest, but Neale didn't pop up in the NFL again. That and we have a tried-and-true option in Halas who might very well try to imitate other people's ideas as well. Halas was never above the idea of adaptation, so the '49 version of him might see what Shaugnessy did on the Rams offense, and what Neale did on the Eagles defense(offense too), and try to incorporate those innovations for this team. Even if he does not, we still have an excellent foundation to rely upon. However, this time we're not using Head Coaches as assistants- I should have SOME dignity, y'know?

Only Johnsos is a genuine assistant of Halas during this time. Stydahar, though an actual player for the Bears during this decade, actually was a coach for the Rams, first as a line assistant, and then taking over the reigns when Shaugnessy was fired. He would use that Pro-Style offense to great effect for a couple of years before he too would be fired. But Halas knows Stydahar and can trust him to be a reliable line coach- and as someone who's seen what Shaugnessy has done up close, this lends greater hope that the Pro-Set might be utilized, even of only sparingly. Ewart is the only assistant coach of the Eagles to fill a particular niche, as he coached the backfield. This is important as far as Van Buren is concerned. However, he left before 1949 and thus didn't coach the backfield for the 5-2-4.



The Offensive Lineup:

11 Starters on Offense, Secondary Roles for Defense and Special Teams. You know the drill by now.

Starting Quarterback: Sid Luckman- 1943
Secondary Positions: Safety(Emergency), Defensive Halfback(Emergency), Punter(Alternate)
-6'0 197. Chicago Bears: 1939-50

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fQsijpSZAlg/Vx6FIdTAiLI/AAAAAAAACq8/XahtZhx8N3sUdMYMOB7E06fvjf0zLix_ACLcB/s1600/2016-04-25_14-58-01.jpg

The job of QB boils down to three true candidates in the 1940's; Sid Luckman, Sammy Baugh, and Bob Waterfield of the Rams. The first time I ever tried this, I went with Waterfield; I was going with Iron-Man rules and he was a QB/S who was possibly the best of the field goal kickers and could punt. The second time, going with a Platoon style, I went with Baugh as a QB and Punter(Waterfield would be the safety). Now, I'm going with Luckman. The reason is simple; he's Halas' guy.

We've glossed over the connection between a Quarterback and his favorite receiver in the 30's. A more important connection starts to come into play during this decade; that of the Head Coach and his Quarterback. The reality is you want the two to be a natural pairing, one that existed in real life. This helps greatly in translating the overall offensive strategy to players who weren't with the coach and QB in real life, and greatly streamlines the learning curve. The less time you need your coach and QB to get into sync, the better, because the QB is the extension of the coach on the field. And with rare exception, you're going to find the best coach of a decade paired with the best QB of a decade. This is admittedly one of those exceptions, but the connection between Halas and Luckman overshadows all.

The interception rates during this era are a bit much(Baugh was the only qualifier to really get into the positives- more TDs than INTs) and Luckman sometimes really gave the ball away with the vertical attack- think any modern day QB would have his job after throwing 31 Interceptions in twelve games like in '47? But he had more good days than bad, by far.

The usage of a year during World War 2 is probably a bit foolhardy. This was Luckman's best statistical season by far, but was done at a time when the collective depth of the league was awfully shallow and several players could exploit that for great seasons. Even taking away an epic seven-touchdown performance during that season, his TD-INT would stand at 21-12, his best. But still, preserving some youth is a good thing.

Starting Left Halfback: Steve Van Buren- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency), Kick Returner(Primary), Punt Returner(Secondary)
-6'0 200. Philadelphia Eagles: 1944-51

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tUnwqk0u4NU/UQGD2t5BpPI/AAAAAAAACQk/t3JnRuQUHKs/s400/steve+van+buren.jpg

Can a man have too many nicknames? Usually that means one never sticks. Steve had tons of them; "Wham-Bam", "Moving Van", "Blockbuster", "Supersonic Steve", you get the idea. Though I imagine the favorite nicknames used by defenders who were left lying in the mud trying to drag the guy down were ones that I can't repeat on this board. I personally would call him "Melon Head", because, seriously, the guy's head looks like a space alien!

But seriously, Steve was a tenaciously strong bulldozer of a runner but had the outside speed of a genuine Halfback. He just had it all. He was the first guy to be genuinely used as a workhorse back and the second man to rush for a thousand yards in a single season(Beattie Feathers, the first, lived off a 8.4 yards-per-attempt average during his season, making him a wildly successful committee runner. Steve only averaged 4.6 with 200+ carries.) and also doubled as a highly effective returner, solving an initial problem about special teams. But his greatest achievements were during the championship games of '48 and '49, both played in appalling conditions. In '48 he would rush for nearly a hundred yards and the only touchdown in a driving snowstorm. In '49 he would gain 196 yards but no touchdowns in a muddy rainstorm. Clutch performances.

Would Halas neglect to use Van Buren as much as Philadelphia often did? That's a puzzler, but then, Halas hasn't had a runner this good since the days of Nagurski and Grange. His biggest flaw is that his eyesight(not too good) would keep him confined to the short passing game as a receiver, but that's something that can be accommodated. The better issue would be mileage. You know how running backs hit a wall and lose their production? Well, there's a reason we're taking Van Buren in '48 and not '49; he still had enough tread in his tires to put up another great season in '49 but would fall apart in 1950. A good rule of thumb about running backs; take them before their last great year, and with some exception, never during their career year. You want to make sure the guy can still go when called upon.

Starting Fullback: Pat Harder- 1946(Four Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency), Kicker(Alternate)
-5'11 203. Chicago Cardinals: 1946-50/ Detroit Lions: 1951-53

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Harder_1948_Bowman.jpg

A lackluster field at fullback dictates this choice. The days of Nagurski are gone and it will be a while before superstars emerge at this position. Harder just missed qualification(he was drafted in '44, but the war got in the way), but he's the only genuine fullback with any prominent showing. He was essentially the grinder and 'primary' ball carrier for the "Million Dollar Backfield" of Chicago, and would win a championship with them in 1947. He would demonstrate a willingness to do whatever it took on the field; in 1942, Harder was coming off an excellent rushing season at Wisconsin when he was asked to be a blocker for the newest acquisition; Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch. Harder obliged, never more so than in a tough scrap against a dominant Ohio State Buckeyes team, the first time Wisconsin ever upset a #1 ranked opponent in the nation. Harder was initially the bulldozer for Hirsch and company, until a key late drive where he tore up the Ohio State defense for big runs to secure a victory. That gives you an idea of his pedigree.

I'd just keep him off of defense however possible. He himself had some funny tales to say about the times he tried to play defense.

Starting Right Halfback: George McAfee- 1941
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency), Kick Returner(Secondary), Punt Returner(Primary), Punter(Alternate)
-6'0 178. Chicago Bears: 1940-41, 1945-50

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/6b8686e1-9bd1-466c-9f5c-7476a66da79e_1.17ae67c547c86676ec4930478898f966.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF

"One Play McAfee". That's what he was known by, and for good reason. Explosively fast for his time, McAfee was probably the best open-field runner of the decade, with only Hutson giving him a run for his money in terms of the damage he could do on the field. They were equally fast, having run 100 yard dashes in 9.7 seconds. (Spoiler Note: This is not the same as running the same time in a 100 meter dash. Would you believe me if I said a 100 meter dash is about eight yards more than a 100 yard dash?) McAfee however, would lost most of his prime to World War 2, returning in 1945 but playing sparingly for two seasons before returning to the fold in '47. He simply wasn't as explosive as in '40 and '41, though not by that much. As such we're going with the '41 McAfee on grounds of greater potential.

Starting Left End: Don Hutson- 1942
Secondary Positions: Safety(Emergency), Kicker(Alternate)
-6'1 183. Green Bay Packers: 1935-45

http://image.al.com/home/bama-media/width620/img/alphotos/photo/2016/06/30/20672504-large.jpg

There's really no getting around it; while there are some fine options at Left End, especially with the end of World War 2, Hutson is still the most effective of the bunch. There's nothing that needs to be said that we didn't already cover last decade.

Starting Left Tackle: Frank "Bruiser" Kinard- 1943
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Emergency), Backfield(Potential), Kicker(Alternate)
-6'1 216. Brooklyn Dodgers: 1938-44/ New York Yankees(AAFC): 1946-47

http://www.poorwilliam.net/pix/kinard-frank3.jpg

You shouldn't ever see a Tackle this thin, unless it was the 20's and you were a fledgling franchise trying not to fold. But Kinard made it work. His speed was highly exceptional for his position, enough so that in '43 the ball was sometimes thrown to him, and that actually putting him in the backfield isn't such an impossible thing to consider. Make no mistake, Brooklyn gameplanned around his blocking, making adjustments in order to get him one-on-one against a particular guy and he's mow them down. Even on defense he was the go-to guy who could make stops anywhere on the field. And while Brooklyn had fine seasons in '40 and '41, it's the dog years of '43 and '44 which are better barometers of Bruiser's reputation. He was still an All-NFL Tackle and was just as much of an iron man player as ever before.

Technically, Kinard qualifies as a special case, having spent two years in the AAFC, meriting All-AAFC honors in '46. He was a bench player in '47 however, making this an easy decision.

Starting Left Guard: Danny Fortmann- 1942(Four Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency)
-6'0 210. Chicago Bears: 1936-43

https://images.psacard.com/s3/cu-psa/autographfacts/dan-fortmann-signed-card-5253.jpg?h=300

The real star of the Qualified players at this spot is Riley Matheson, a similarly undersized man who played guard and linebacker. Matheson was more noted for his defense, but we're making an exception for Fortmann because he plays the same set of positions as Matheson, which guarantees both spots have an emergency backup should it be needed. Fortmann initially retired after '42, but was lured back for one more year. We can lure him back for one more game.

Starting Center: Clyde "Bulldog" Turner- 1946
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency)
-6'1 237. Chicago Bears: 1940-52

http://www.profootballhof.com/images/content/photos/1940turner2.jpg

Bulldog's a fine example of the conundrum that comes with taking iron-man players and having them play a platoon system; which side do you put someone on?

It's an easy thing to figure out for most, especially for the backfield and the ends- they are often rated far more for their offense than anything they do on defense. The trouble comes from the line, where stats are nonexistent and accolades are vague. Centers more than anyone. Is he rated more for his sterling blocking, or his ferocious tackling? Bulldog is the poster man for this riddle, having been rated as Elite on both sides of the ball. My conjecture is this; you can find players able enough to replicate what Turner did on defense... but he's the best offensive center.

No less than George Halas called him "perhaps the smartest player" he had in the 40 years he spent as Head Coach. He was described as a player who knew the assignment of every player on every player. While we could absolutely use those smarts on defense, I would rather have him anchoring the line and providing top-notch blocking.

Starting Right Guard: Ray Bray- 1942
Secondary Positions: Nose Guard(Emergency)
-6'0 237. Chicago Bears: 1939-42, 1946-51/ Green Bay Packers: 1952

https://www.footballcardgallery.com/1951_Bowman/50/Ray_Bray.jpg

Potentially more notable options for the spot included Len Younce of the Giants and Gerrard "Buster" Ramsey of the Cardinals(a four year exception, but still). The problem was both Younce and Ramsey played Linebacker. And we have Guard/Linebacker covered. What we need is someone who can cover the Nose Guard position on defense. Bray had a reputation as a champion arm wrestler and was one of the first to seriously take up weightlifting. Granted, when the platoons came Bray was pushed onto the defensive side, but finding another Right Guard who can play the line on defense is a bit of a tall order.

Starting Right Tackle: Al Wistert- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Emergency)
-6'1 214. Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles": 1943/ Philadelphia Eagles: 1944-51

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1947CardinalsEagles/AlWistertEagles.jpg

Wistert is much like Kinard from a physical standpoint; undersized for his position, but strong and quick. Deeply overshadowing his contemporaries, he was the go-to blocker for the bread-and-butter off-tackle slant play run by Steve Van Buren during those Eagles days, to say nothing of the other textbook blocking assignments he carried out. His defense was sterling enough despite the lack of bulk, and he was mobile enough that he was used like a linebacker during the '47 championship(protecting against the man-in-motion play). On special teams he was devastating while covering kicks. And his intangibles are such that he was the consensus captain through the Eagles' championship run. He was known as a "pepperpot" and could fire up his teammates like no one else- a very valuable attribute under these conditions.

He kept going past 1949, but he tore up his knee during the 1950 College All-Star Game(an exhibition between the defending NFL Champions and a cadre of Collegiate All-Stars. It lasted until the mid 70's when the gap between the pros and the college boys became too much to overcome) and while that was after the end of the '49 season and he continued to play regardless, I'd rather not risk getting that close to such an event.

Starting Right End: Pete Pihos- 1948(Three Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Emergency)
-6'1 210. Philadelphia Eagles: 1947-55

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BxZYREOgzLo/UP7kftTnY6I/AAAAAAAACHM/GtvAY5_LExg/s1600/pete+pihos+in+action.jpg

I went with Pihos last time because I didn't see anything else remarkable. This time there are a few others to consider. Mal Kutner of the Cardinals was an incredible pass catcher though like Pihos he also failed to truly qualify. Then there was George Wilson of the Bears, who started out the decade known far more for his line play than any receiving exploits, but by the end of his career he had become a key cog in the passing attack. Only Wilson qualified. Kutner fell off because he was more of a defensive back on the other side of the ball. Pihos played on the line, and was noteworthy enough that in 1952 he was shifted to defensive line to plug up a hole there. But between Pihos and Wilson, it was Pihos with the greater potential in the offensive game.

He wasn't too fast, but made up for it with sure hands, clever moves, and courage to spare. He ran like a fullback with the ball and was as hard a battler as they come when fighting for the ball. Tailor-made for the Right End position. He'd fit right in with the Bears' style of play, their Right Ends typically not Home Run hitters, but two-way warriors.



The Defensive Lineup:

11 Starters, once again. Though, I will admit that for most of the selections, a capacity to play on offense to some degree or another will be preferable.

Starting Left Defensive End: Larry Craig- 1944
Secondary Positions: End(Emergency)
-6'1 211. Green Bay Packers: 1939-49

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/gb/LCraigGB.jpg

No less an authority than Sammy Baugh himself labeled Craig as the player who gave him the most trouble when it came to passing the ball. Simply put, he was one of, if not the best defensive end of his time. You might remember his name from the last decade. No, he wasn't picked for the squad, but he was mentioned as part of the unusual arrangement which helped Don Hutson thrive(in short, Hutson was getting banged up defending on the line because ends did that in those days, so Craig was drafted to take over that spot). On offense, he was purely a blocker, but when the team reverted to the T-Formation, he couldn't be hidden as just a Blcoking Back anymore, so he lined up on End, sort of playing a "Blocking Tight End" type of role. In the modern day his role would be as part of the Goal Line package on the edge(if you got past his paltry weight).

If there's an issue, it's with the 5-3-3. Craig played in the 6-2-2-1, which put him out farther on the edge. Here, he's tucked in a little tighter and may be easier to contain. Maybe.

Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Buford "Baby" Ray- 1943
Secondary Positions: Tackle(Emergency)
-6'6 249. Green Bay Packers: 1938-48

http://www.teamspiritextras.com/Overtime/teams/Packers-images/Baby-Ray.gif

I'm kind of a sucker about size. While the Packers were not especially known for being a stalwart defensive unit, and while there were a number of other names, some of whom(Frank Cope, Fred Davis, Vic Sears) might be considered better options, I'm of the option that the 5-3-3 needs a little more meat on its bones to hold up at the line. Ray's the top-line performer whose size stands out the most. He wasn't just a sack of lard- he had been captain of Vanderbilt's track team when he was signed(undrafted) by Green Bay, if you can believe that! He was tough as nails and profoundly dependable.

Starting Nose Guard: Francis "Bucko" Kilroy- 1949
Secondary Positions: Right Guard(Emergency)
-6'2 243. Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles": 1943/ Philadelphia Eagles: 1944-55

https://www.footballcardgallery.com/1955_Bowman/29/Bucko_Kilroy.jpg

Bucko's position would be considered theoretical at best if not for the 5-2-4 formation in 1949. That works for me. He and Bray could, in theory, swap roles and Bucko could take care of the offensive duties. But if I had to wager on one or the other, Bucko's more ornery than Bray. He certainly was pilloried as one of the "dirtiest" players in the league, though he countered by saying that was the language of losers. The truth is, the league was hungrier and nastier back then due to a lack of available roster spots and social norms that had yet to be softened, so if anything Kilroy stepped over the line maybe once or twice, making him either misunderstood or considerably more subtle. Either way, he's the best choice to anchor this line.

Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Al Blozis- 1943(Two Year Exception)
Secondary Positions: Tackle(Emergency)
-6'6 250. New York Giants: 1942-44

http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Al-Blozis--1942-1944--new-york-giants-715605_185_250.jpg

There were nearly a thousand NFL Personnel who were called into the Armed Forces during World War 2. Nearly 700 of them were actual players. 21 of them never made it home. Blozis was one such man, and not only was he the most well-known, he was most likely the best of the lot.

He didn't have to be on the front lines in France in 1944, or in the service at all; his size enabled him to escape that if he so chose. But he persisted, and so he went. As a 2nd Lieutenant, he went out to search for two missing members of his platoon when he was Killed in Action. This was a month and a half after appearing in the 1944 Championship Game.

When it comes to exceptions outside of the twenties, I try my best to limit them to those who just missed the qualifying mark. Four years, maybe if there's something especially valauble there then three years. Blozis only qualified for two. He's the poster boy for careers cut short of the qualifying line due to the war ending his life. Yet, I selected him for this spot last time as well. He was certainly the best option of everyone else for this position, a natural two-way star who was a punishing blocker and tackler. In terms of the 5-3-3, he adds the interior size that would be helpful in holding the line together.

Starting Right Defensive End: Ed Sprinkle- 1949
Secondary Positions: Right End(Emergency)
-6'1 206. Chicago Bears: 1944-55

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/531/217/EdSprinkle_display_image.jpg?1345685525

This is honestly the only guy who could challenge Larry Craig for the title of the best Defensive End of the decade. George Halas called him the "greatest pass rusher I have ever seen." He was a bit slighter than Craig, but he did have a positive thing going for him; he was left-handed. Imagine you're on the edge of the line, whichever side places your dominant arm on the outside. You're going to find it difficult to get your dominant arm around to engage against your blocker, making it easier for him to contain and overpower you. Now switch sides. With your dominant arm on the inside, it will always be in position to engage against your blocker, putting your fight on equal terms. That's the advantage Sprinkle had. Combine that with his burst and his fierceness and you have quite the blitzer. The better news is since he comes from the Bears, he can handle himself in a 5-3-3.

Like Bucko Kilroy, Sprinkle was derided as being a dirty player. And much like Bucko, he was rarely caught and punished for it.

If there's one major positive Sprinkle had over Craig, it was that he was a bit more useful on offense; in the two-way era, Sprinkle was good enough to be a decent receiver for the Bears. That'll be helpful in dire emergencies.

Starting Linebacker: Ted Fritsch- 1944
Secondary Positions: Fullback(Emergency), Kicker(Alternate)
-5'10 210. Green Bay Packers: 1942-50

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Pk49mVrUKD0/SORLgqcmWpI/AAAAAAAAA_M/QXNyUWKwvQA/s400/ted-fritsch-1946.jpg

I had considered making Fritsch the starting fullback since Pat Harder failed to qualify, but Harder was the better runner. As far as defense goes, I am starting to be a little skeptical- Fritsch was more of a high-motor than effortlessly athletic, which could be a slight problem. But his intangibles are rock solid and he has a number of other skills that can be useful. His athleticism was actually deceiving, as he was good enough to have partook in Minor League Baseball and pre-NBA Basketball. Even more interesting, he had actually left the Packers in 1946(his career year) to join the Cleveland Browns, but he reconsidered and returned before the season began. Good for him, as he'd have been buried in the depth chart behind Marion Motley. '44 was a career year for him defensively(6 interceptions, 60% if his career total) and he had clutch accolades in the '44 Championship Game, providing both of Green Bay's touchdowns in their 14-7 victory. He's listed as a kicker, but he really started taking on that role after Don Hutson retired.

Starting Linebacker: Charley Brock- 1945
Secondary Positions: Center(Emergency)
-6'2 207. Green Bay Packers: 1939-47

http://www.packershistory.net/1942PACKERS/1942PACKERS-Bears9-27-Brock.jpg

I swear, I don't intend to come off as a homer.

It came down between Brock and Alex Wojciechowicz, a Center for Detroit and Philadelphia who made the Hall of Fame in 1968, yet had few honors bestowed upon him during his playing time in the 40's. I don't mean he was lacking in 1st Team All-Pro accolades; everyone was under the shadow of Bulldog Turner in that department. I mean he got few if any 2nd or 3rd Team mentions, while Brock was typically capable of getting at least one mention; and the GB Press Gazette hadn't been a force in the All-Pro selection process since the 20's. Granted, that's probably because the Packers were a contending team through the first half of the 40's while Woj was stuck with the Lions, a team that had become a doormat. Even looking at their skills they seemed dead even; both were solid blockers in their prime, both were very rangy linebackers with a gift for pass defense, both were dauntless and on the ball all the time. Woj had a longer career thanks to the Eagles using him mainly as a defender, and he had a bigger off-field presence(being one of the founders of the NFL Alumni Association and was elected president of that group in 1968). He was also apparently great comedic relief. Good for the locker room, but we have bench depth. Had we been stuck with 22 players this might've been a different choice.

In truth, I think Brock was slightly better(or at least more consistent) on defense when at his peak. And the lack of a good team pulling Woj down is a bit flimsy when you consider Bruiser Kinard still merited some honors even when Brooklyn fell into the cellar.

Starting Linebacker: Riley Matheson- 1945
Secondary Positions: Left Guard(Emergency)
-6'2 207. Cleveland Rams: 1939-42/ Detroit Lions: 1943/ Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams: 1944-47/ San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1948

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/crams/MathesonCle.jpg

They called him "Snake". The reason was he was a rancher in the off-season and had been bitten by rattlesnakes twice. Teammates joked that the snakes died.

Physically speaking, Matheson is a lot like Danny Fortmann; bit undersized, but very quick, and also a great diagnoser of plays. He would call the defensive plays and on occasion he would defend the pass at depths beyond his safety man. He was certainly capable of blocking, but he was far more known for his defensive skills, hence his position here. He was also one of the first players to end up in the Canadian Football League to wrap up his professional career.

An extra note; there's no negative reason as to why Matheson was with Detroit for a year between Ram stints. The Rams actually closed up shop for the '43 season and did not compete in the league. Players on the Rams went elsewhere, then returned to the team when it opened back up for 1944.

Starting Defensive Halfback: Ernie Steele- 1947
Secondary Positions: Left Halfback(Emergency), Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'0 187. Philadelphia Eagles: 1942/ Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles": 1943/ Philadelphia Eagles: 1944-48

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1948EaglesCardinals/ErnieSteeleEagles.jpg

I want you to understand, selecting the secondary is a headache and a half. I lucked out at defensive end, knowing of Larry Craig(being a Packers fan) and Ed Sprinkle(the first chronological name I had heard associated with the term "Monsters of the Midway"), but apart from easy choices at safety, there's even less to speak of at halfback. Interceptions became a traceable stat in the late 30's but I noticed a particular trend; Interception leaders at halfback were almost always mere backup players on offense. It makes sense, as the offensive dynamos would undoubtedly conserve energy on defense. The one exception to this rule is already on offense(George McAfee). "So why not just go with the defensive specialists since its platoon football?" Well, there are two reasons for it. The first is, these guys might be emergency reserves on offense, but I'd like for them to be more than warm bodies. And second, if these guys were as skilled as their defensive stats would imply, they'd have been more productive on offense. Vice-Versa, some of these offensive stars, had they dedicated themselves soley to defense, would have probably produced better numbers on that end.

Of course, knowing that, I still placed a defensive specialist in the lineup. I went with Steele for two reasons; one, a large chunk of his interceptions occurred after the war ended(15 of 24). And two, he was the only specialist to actually be effective as a rusher and receiver from a yards per attempt perspective. The actual interception leader was Irv Comp, a man who was legally blind in one eye, was primarily a mediocre passer(he was the last of the Packers to throw to Don Hutson), and by the end of the war had ceased to be of any worth on offense. "Indian" Jack Jacobs, the QB Lambeau signed to run the T-Formation in Green Bay, was also primarily a passer, and again he was middling at it. Howie Livingston was a poor man's Ward Cuff without the offensive production to show for it. Others either failed to qualify or actually played safety... or they made the team further down the line.

Starting Defensive Halfback: Richard Todd- 1946
Secondary Positions: Halfback(Emergency), Punt Returner(Secondary)
-5'11 172. Washington Redskins: 1939-42, 1945-48

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/washington/DToddWas.jpg

Nobody really called him Richard. I just can't type his actual name on this site, because it'll get all asterisked.

The remainder of the guys who could play defensive halfback were guys that also played great on offense, but Todd gets the nod as an actual starter because he had post-war consistency on defense(12 Interceptions in three years from '45-'47). He was a favorite target of Sammy Baugh(I only found this tidbit years ago and can't find it now, so I might have it incorrect) who called him a "slippery lil' devil". Todd transitioned through the Redskin backfield during his career, and would pop up as the team leader of a statistic or two almost every season. He was also an adept returner of punts, once making the Top 100 Touchdowns as determined by NFL Films(in the 90's, but still). He can still go on offense despite being 32 and near the downswing of his career.

Starting Safety: Sammy Baugh- 1943
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Emergency), Punter(Alternate)
-6'2 182. Washington Redskins: 1937-52

http://www.thehogs.net/History/legends/images/Baugh_Punts.jpg

With Luckman taking the reigns on offense, Baugh anchors the secondary on defense. 11 Interceptions in 1943 when he was playing real iron-man minutes(the Redskins were liberal substituters for their time) says it all, even if it was during the War. Baugh suffers a demotion as chief(heh) punter not for a lack of ability, but for the fact that the T Formation ruins the trickery of the short punt, a ploy that should've been outdated by now but Baugh still relied upon. That and Baugh not being the QB means you can't really gimmick it into the T anymore.



The Bench:

There is room for 13 more players on the roster. That is literally a "3rd Team" if one goes by Iron-Man standards. These players are meant to be as close to all-around as possible; equally capable of subbing in on offense or defense. There will likely be exceptions to this guideline.

Backup Quarterback: Bob Waterfield- 1945
Secondary Positions: Safety(Backup), Kicker(Primary), Punter(Primary)
-6'1 200. Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams: 1945-52

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1949EaglesRams/BobWaterfield.jpg

The third of the top quarterbacks of the decade(for the NFL anyways), Waterfield is a do-anything type. He's one of the most precise passers of his time, he was a remarkable runner out of the bootleg(though his rushing stats do not reflect it), was one of the premier safeties in the league before the onset of the platoons, and was almost immediately the go-to kicker and punter for the Rams. Apart from a marriage to actress Jane Russell(which didn't seem to go sour until the 60's), Waterfield largely stayed out of any controversy. His career would end rather unceremoniously by 1952, having spent the last three years more or less sharing his job with a youngster named Norm Van Brocklin.

While having three QB stars on the same team is asking for trouble, each one has major roles to play on the team. Luckman's on offense, Baugh's on defense, and Waterfield does the kicking while backing up the other two. You'll likely never see such a comfortable arrangement again. In addition, Waterfield comes with a perk; if Halas ever makes use of the 5-2-4, Waterfield can be placed alongside Sammy Baugh in the secondary. Given how good both are in pass coverage, that would probably be a net positive.

Backup Halfback: Tony Canadeo- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency), Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate), Punter(Alternate)
-5'11 190. Green Bay Packers: 1941-44, 1946-52

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/934/027/to_display_image.jpg?1305245779

In theory, if anything were to happen to Van Buren, this team could get along fine with an adjusted committee approach. But, just in case, we want someone who's experienced the burden of being a workhorse back, even if it's for a team plummeting to the bottom. Van Buren was the second man to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Canadeo was the third. He's the only option if you want an experienced workhorse backup.

Tony's had a weird career to say the least. Before he was called into service, he was a tailback in the Notre Dame Box, and easily the best runner the Packers had at that position in a long time, but he was also a pretty fair passer and did quite a bit of that as well. Hardy defender, though the stats are kinda meh, decent returner. When he came back from the war, his role changed. Now he was the primary runner for a team fallen from grace. So he toiled in partial obscurity. Van Buren was certainly more gifted in terms of athleticism, but Canadeo was neck-and-neck with him in terms of moxie.

Backup Halfback: Fred Gehrke- 1945
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Backup), Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'11 189. Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams: 1940, 1945-49/ Chicago Cardinals: 1950/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Fred_Gehrke_-_1948_Bowman.jpg/220px-Fred_Gehrke_-_1948_Bowman.jpg

So, to get this out of the way. Gehrke designed the first ever helmet logo, and the first full facemask. Both moments took place in the late 40's, well after the year in which we are taking Gehrke from.

Fred's responsible for the Horns that the Rams wear. Essentially, he used his art degree and single-handedly painted his team's helmets over the course of a summer. 75 helmets, for a dollar each. Good change back in 1948. Apparently the debut of the painted helmets sparked a spontaneous standing ovation from the home crowd. By the 1950's the painting design was baked into the new plastic helmets designed by Riddell and soon other teams were creating their own logos.

https://thechive.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/the-historical-revolution-of-the-rams-uniforms-15-photos-4.jpg?quality=85&strip=info&w=600

And that's the first facemask. Essentially it was stamped aluminum covered in leather. The helmet had to be cut in the back and given laces in order for it to be put on, and the sideways vision was obscured. Gehrke designed this for himself in 1947 in an attempt to stop having his nose broken(thrice in '46).

However, we can't really expect Gehrke form '45 to come up with anything similar for our team(it'd be a happy coincidence if he did), and that's fine. Fred was an underrated halfback with good production on the ground and in the air, and is probably the best of the defenders who played left halfback and still carried a prominent role on offense. Given that Canadeo is like Van Buren in that he's not utilized much in the passing game, Fred is more of a situational backup.

Backup Halfback: Ward Cuff- 1941
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Backup), Kicker(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'1 192. New York Giants: 1937-45/ Chicago Cardinals: 1946/ Green Bay Packers: 1947

https://www.bigblueinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/new-york-giants-history/1941-new-york-giants-photos/_cache/Leemans-Cuff-1941-200x200.jpg

Another tidbit that I found years ago and cannot re-locate now described Cuff having ice water in his veins. Essentially he was cool and composed and fearless. He was one of the more useful cogs in the A-Formation New York ran, capable of a devastating end-around run that wingbacks were expected to make during the single wing era. He was also described as one of the best defensive backs of the time, though the interception numbers don't fully back it up. At any rate, Cuff provides a good speedy option at Right Halfback, can hold his own on defense, and is the backup kicker. About the only recent news about him is an unearthed interview that essentially describes the year he spent with the Packers in '47 and how far Curly Lambeau had fallen by that point. He is far from flattering in his descriptions of Lambeau, and though I'm a Packers fan, I absolutely cannot dispute the things he says in regards to the coach. There are plenty of reasons why I stayed away from Lambeau for these All-Decade teams, but the 40's were the first decade where he truly was unappealing from the start.

Backup Halfback: "Bullet" Bill Dudley- 1946
Secondary Positions: Safety(Backup), Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate), Punter(Alternate)
-5'10 182. Pittsburgh Steelers: 1942, 1945-46/ Detroit Lions: 1947-49/ Washington Redskins: 1950-51, 1953

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8211984964_689a909c2b_n.jpg

The inclusion of Dudley is largely a luxury in the grand scheme of things. Often labeled as too short or too slow, The Bullet was the personification of the Maximum-Effort cliche. Give everything you got, and do so with efficiency in both body and mind. Dudley could grind out yards on the ground, or in the air, or returning kicks and punts. Given that he was primarily a Tailback, he was given the safety job on defense, something that hurt his chances of making the starting unit on defense, but is very good insurance on the bench, especially if the 5-2-4 is used and then both Baugh and Waterfield risk injury to themselves. If there was a guy likely to kill himself on the special teams units, it would be this guy. He can also throw, though his stats belay his sidearm motion and he should only be thrown in if there is no other choice.

I've said before that when it comes to runners you need to avoid the career years. I'll elaborate; more often than not, a runner's production significantly dips after that career year. There's simply too much wear and tear on the body to get back to that level... or even less, the level the runner was at before the career year. I'm of the opinion that such wear and tear would show itself even under the conditions we impose these teams upon. Now, while there are exceptions to this rule, Dudley did not make it onto that category. The thing is we don't get a complete version of Dudley without taking the career year thanks to the war gouging out his early prime and it was in '46 that he demonstrated superior defensive skills as well as pass receiving. You could go with '42 Dudley but you'd miss a couple of things that would make him useful on this squad.

Backup Fullback: Marshall Goldberg- 1941
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Backup), Kick Returner(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'11 190. Chicago Cardinals: 1939-43, 1946-48

http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/m_goldberg_IA.jpg

All things considered, this is a peak year for Goldberg on both offense and defense. What really puts him on this team is his sense of selflessness. Before the war, Goldberg had been a star at Pittsburgh University and went from Tailback to Fullback for the team because it was what they needed. In the NFL he became a key cog for the Cardinals at fullback. When he returned in '46 the Million Dollar Backfield was being assembled, and for a time he had a place on that particular unit as a halfback. But soon they needed him more on defense and Goldberg obliged. That's a good personal quality to have for a bench player.

Backup End: Ken Kavanaugh- 1947
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Emergency)
-6'3 207. Chicago Bears: 1940-41, 1945-50

http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/8790/10015213_1m.jpg?v=8CD55E994B3F2F0

Sid Luckman threw to a lot of Bears receivers and backs during his career, but I think Kavanaugh was the best home run hitter of the lot. Fast, elusive, and with a fantastic size and reach, Ken was a feared receiver during his day. The connection between Luckman and Kavanaugh was especially powerful on the deep routes, and kept defenses honest despite the grinding ground game the Bears employed. As far as I can tell, Ken was primarily an offensive player, with no description of his skills on the defensive side of the ball. Given the platoon style of play, that can be worked around. Ken will be the third receiving option behind Hutson and Pihos.

Backup End: George Wilson- 1943
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Backup)
-6'1 199. Chicago Bears: 1937-46

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/NFL Championship Games/1940BearsRedskins/OsmanskiRun-2.jpg
(He's the guy who threw the block)

That picture up there is honestly the lone point of Wilson's playing career that virtually anyone touches upon. Here's the set up; it's the 1940 NFL Championship. Yes. That one. 73-0. Those guys. This occurred while the score was still deadlocked at zero each. Fullback Bill Osmanski takes the handoff on the second play of the game, then cuts to the left towards the sideline, several Redskins in hot pursuit. George, playing right end, shot downfield and curved towards the sidelines, no Redskin on his tail. He's able to come in from the flank and smash into the closest pursuing Redskin, with the second closest crashing into the first from behind. Osmanski runs the rest of the way unopposed for the first score of the game. And from that point, Wilson might as well have fallen into a time warp and come out in the 1950's to become Head Coach for the Detroit Lions, for all that he's talked about.

There are better receiving options. Guys like Jim Benton for instance. But Wilson developed into a reasonable enough receiving option by the latter half of his career, and more importantly, there doesn't appear to be another option at End that seemed solid enough on defense to back up Craig and Sprinkle on the defensive side.

Backup Tackle: Vic Sears- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Backup)
-6'2 223. Philadelphia Eagles: 1941-42/ Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles": 1943/ Philadelphia Eagles: 1945-53

http://oregonsportshall.org/images/vicsears.jpg

It comes down to Sears or Frank Cope of the New York Giants. Both were excellent and rugged two-way players. The Hall of Fame selected Sears over Cope for their 1940's All-Decade Team, but they selected Cope for the 1930's Team and I'm pretty sure they didn't allow players to be a part of more than one team in their selections. Cope had a really crazy streak between two seasons where he blocked a punt for a touchdown in six straight games, but that was the extent of the really notable stuff. In the end, it came down to how much Greasy Neale valued Sears on the defensive side and by the fact that Sears was part of a championship winner twice over. As for why I'm not taking both, I need someone who's played Right Tackle for the other spot on this bench, like it or not(yes, I know it's interchangeable in theory...)

Backup Tackle: Chet Bulger- 1947
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Backup), Nose Guard(Theoretical)
-6'3 260. Chicago Cardinals: 1942-43/ Chicago-Pittsburgh "Card-Pitts": 1944/ Chicago Cardinals: 1945-49/ Detroit Lions: 1950

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/02/20/sports/football/20bulger_190.jpg

A lot of it comes down to filling niches. Bulger spent the first half of his career at Right Tackle before moving over to the left side, where he won a title in '47. His size(apparently not an exaggeration; Jimmy Conzelman had him on a diet of "beer and steaks") makes for a positive in the trenches, which also makes him a candidate for an emergency replacement at Nose Guard.

Backup Guard: Len Younce- 1944
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Backup), Punter(Alternate)
-6'1 208. New York Giants: 1941, 1943-44, 1946-48

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Len_Younce_-_1948_Bowman.jpg/175px-Len_Younce_-_1948_Bowman.jpg

The split nature of our guard positions dictates we get someone that can back up the linebacker spot on defense, and another that can backup the nose guard. Younce fulfills the former requirement, and is versatile enough to take snaps at either left or right guard. Basically, he was a scrapper(he once refused to be taken out of a game because it was below zero and he didn't want to freeze on the sidelines), and you always want scrappers on your bench.

Backup Guard: George Musso- 1943
Secondary Positions: Nose Guard(Backup)
-6'2 262. Chicago Bears: 1933-44

https://cdn.sportsmemorabilia.com/sports-product-image/2-t8283826-757.jpg

Musso was largely a bench player during the 40's, except for 1943. War Shortages forced him back into a starting role(this is the same year that saw Bronko Nagurski return to the Bears after six years in retirement to play Tackle). In terms of age Musso should not sniff a spot on this team, but he's an old hand at playing Nose Guard for the Bears, and that's enough for me.

Backup Center: Alex Wojciechowicz- 1944
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Backup)
-5'11 217. Detroit Lions: 1938-46/ Philadelphia Eagles: 1946-50

http://i23.ebayimg.com/08/i/001/2a/ca/a2bf_35.JPG

That stance is no exaggeration. Woj was known for having an incredibly wide stance on the line. Evidently it did not detract from his skills as a center. We covered a fair bit about Woj when discussing Charley Brock, but all in all he's an excellent backup for both center and linebacker and his comedic relief will be a good ice breaker for the locker room. About the only real tidbit we haven't discussed are his collegiate days at Fordham College. Ever head of the "Seven Blocks of Granite"? That was Fordham's line. Woj was a two-time All-American as part of that line(another member of that line was a plucky scrapper at guard known as Vincent Thomas Lombardi. Yeah. That Vince.)

Flying-Lombardi-1.jpg
("While we couldn't uncover proof that Vince could walk on water, we did at least find out he could fly. Here he is arriving for practice.")



The Discarded:

The same overall picture that made the discarded list rather shallow in the 1930's still exists. Nine or ten teams in the league at any given time and a roster size of 35 players.

There are actually passers left to choose from, though all but one are replaceable. Tommy Thompson is the best of the bunch, the longtime quarterback of Greasy Neale's Philadelphia Eagles. Another one-eyed guy and utterly slow and rickety(he once boasted that thanks to the T he could run plays in a rocking chair), Thompson's arm endeared him to Neale. This was fortunate as Tommy was a surly guy early on and when returning from the war had to contend with another passer in LeRoy Zimmerman for a short time. Neale traded Zimmerman elsewhere, and it was Tommy's team to run all the way to championships in '48 and '49. Zimmerman was a decent passer and capable safety and punter. Paul Cristman was the only member of the "Million Dollar Backfield" to actually qualify, but in truth he's of a lesser grade a passer to Thompson. The last name of note is Frank Filchock, an otherwise nondescript-but-occasionally-brilliant passer who's biggest claim to fame is being caught in a game-fixing scandal in 1946 and subsequently banned from the league.

Halfbacks are few and far between. The qualifiers that is. Byron "Whizzer" White, Tuffy Leemans, Charley Trippi and Elmer Angsman of the Cardinals... all would have to be exceptions. Of that lot, I would say Leemans and Trippi were the most likely to be courted, if we hadn't pillaged the playing pool of all the superior and more useful runners first. Of the remaining qualifiers, the best is probably a guy named Bosh(real name Abisha) Pritchard, a foxfast runner who was part of the Eagles backfield alongside Steve Van Buren. Beyond that you have mere role players; Merl Condit, Ray McLean, Bob Seymour, Dante Magnani, Richard Poillon... nothing really to write home about.

Fullbacks are about as shallow as Halfbacks but there aren't really many non-qualified players to fill out the field. The best of that bunch would be Joe Muha of the Eagles, and he's only useful as a blocking back and linebacker. Clarence "Pug" Manders, brother to "Automatic Jack" Manders, is perhaps the best line plunger and linebacker of the qualified group. Andy Farkas and Bill Paschal are rather productive fullbacks who are probably halfbacks in disguise(Farkas ran for Washington, which passed more often than ran... and Paschal played for the Giants. The A-Formation made Fullbacks out of Halfbacks, after all). Then there are a couple of Chicago Bears for old time's sake in Bill Osmanski and Gary Famiglietti(I believe I picked Osmanski last time around, but couldn't find the space this time).

But the most interesting name of the bunch was John Grigas. Not for any skill, but for what he endured in the infamously crappy year of 1944. The merger of the Steelers and Eagles the year before had been surprisingly successful, and circumstances conspired to require another merger. This time Pittsburgh combined with the equally miserable Chicago Cardinals, and the Frankenstein team would suffer a winless season that set records for ineptitude. Through most of it was Grigas, who went into the season as the team's best rusher, and then turned out to be the team's ONLY source of viable offense during the season. The "Card-Pitts", as they came to be known, would actually win a exhibition game against the Giants, all of which was due to Grigas and his legs. A hilarious season-long debacle at Quarterback combined with a defense that couldn't stop your grandmother led to loss after loss. By mid-season, the hapless Grigas wasn't just running the ball, he was also pressed into the main passing role at the same time. He did this while also working a factory job and practicing at night with the team. He had made it all the way to the final game of the season, where the strain finally was too much for him and he fled the team before the game. That he was able to recover and return to the NFL for three more years afterwards was probably nothing short of a miracle. If you thought players like him could've only existed during the days of the '76 Buccaneers you are sorely mistaken.

Only two qualified names at End or of any note; Jim Benton and Jack Ferrante. Benton was easily the best receiving Left End behind Don Hutson, and while he wasn't speedy he seemed to be especially adept at snatching the ball in mid-flight. Benton spent most of his time with the Rams but was loaned out to the Bears in '43(again, the Rams closed shop that year). Ferrante meanwhile was one of the mainstays of the Eagles during the 1940's and was probably the better two-way player though he too would be an offensive specialist. Beyond that, you have the exceptions; Mal Kutner played Right End for the Cardinals and was such an excellent receiver that he warranted major consideration for the starting Right End spot. Defensively he was an odd bird, playing a more secondary role. That would've suited him fine in a 6-2-2-1 if he had to play both ways, but in a 5-3-3 he would be useless. Perry Schwartz was another two-way star and was probably valued for his line blocking and defensive play than anything else. And then there was a latecomer to the scene in Los Angeles named Tom Fears. You'll probably find mention of him in the next decade.

As for the line, the best names left are Mel Hein(remember him?), Garrard "Buster" Ramsey(a four-year exception), and Frank Cope. Beyond that you have the usual range of decent players of varying shapes and sizes. Some are late-starters(Richard Huffman) some are long-timers(Augie Lio) and some are otherwise notable names derailed by the War(Lee Artoe).

Defensive Specialists are harder to find. We glossed over the likes of Irv Comp and Howie Livingston and "Indian" Jack Jacobs(who Ward Cuff gave glowing reviews as far as his defensive prowess went). Then there are others like Frank Reagan, who did next to nothing apart from becoming the Eagles' leading safety-man during their championship years. And like Tom Fears, there is another latecomer who will make considerable noise during the next decade in Emlen Tunnell.



The Scrimmagers:

Given the competing leagues and the shallow player pools, what I have arranged is a little different from the norm; apart from a single scrimmage, the NFL and AAFC squads will take each other on in a best-of-three(perhaps best-of-five) series to determine which team goes on to face the Aliens. This permits two things; a far greater sword-sharpening exercise, so to speak, and a conservation of the depleted player pools for each league.

The primary scrimmage partner will simply be an All-Star squad composed of what's left, and undoubtedly crafted in the mold of whomever we get to coach them. For the NFL, this undoubtedly means relying on Greasy Neale and his concepts of offense and defense. There will be no need for loans as in last decade. Apart from that, the same rules are applied; no five-year guideline.

1940's NFL All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Earle "Greasy" Neale- 1949
Offense: T-Formation
Defense: 5-2-4

Offense
QB: Tommy Thompson- 1948
LHB: Charley Trippi- 1948
FB: Bill Paschal- 1943
RHB: Elmer Angsman- 1948
LE: Jim Benton- 1945
LT: Frank Cope- 1944
LG: Augie Lio- 1945
C: Mel Hein- 1940
RG: Buster Ramsey- 1948
RT: Lee Artoe- 1942
RE: Mal Kutner- 1948
Defense
LDE: Perry Schwartz- 1940
LDT: Richard Huffman- 1948
NG: Willie Wilkin- 1941(Off-Position)
RDT: Fred Davis- 1947(Slightly Off-Position)
RDE: John Green- 1948
LLB: Joe Muha- 1948
RLB: Vince Banonis- 1949
DHB: Irv Comp- 1943
DHB: Howie Livingston- 1949
S: Frank Reagan- 1949
S: Jack Jacobs- 1947
Bench
QB: Roy Zimmerman- 1944
QB: Johnny Lujack- 1948
HB: Merl Condit- 1942
HB: Bosh Pritchard- 1948
FB: Andy Farkas- 1942
FB: Pug Manders- 1941
E: Jack Ferrante- 1949
E: Charley Mehelich- 1947
T: George Connor- 1949
T: Gil Bouley- 1947
G: Cliff Patton- 1949
G: Socko Wiethe- 1940
C: Chuck Bednarik- 1949

The offense is more an imitation of the Chicago Cardinals than the Philadelphia Eagles- a bit of a given considering Steve Van Buren isn't available for the remainders. The defense is the best possible replica of the 5-2-4, albeit with a rather huge question mark at Nose Guard(Wilkin played Left Tackle for Washington). There is a distinct Eagles presence on defense and on the bench, primarily due to the demands of the 5-2-4.



Final Tidbits:

Stadium Venue: Polo Grounds, New York City
Training Camp: Saranac High School Field/Eagles "Nest" Residence(Saranac Lake, New York)
Television Broadcast: ABC, announced by Harry Wismur

As far as broadcasts go, the NFL started televising games after the War. Of special note is the first televised championship game in 1948(yes, the one in a driving blizzard). The broadcast was done by ABC and commentated by Harry Wismur. With no distinct notable broadcast info until DuPont in the 1950's, this is as good as anything to go with.

 



Now I can get to work on the AAFC Squad! That should actually be faster!

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The 1940's AAFC All-Decade Team:

So there was this guy around the time by the name of Arch Ward. He was the Sports Editor for the Chicago Tribune(a newspaper. A newspaper is news printed on large sheets of foldable paper, in case there were some of you young whippersnappers who DIDN'T know), but moonlighted by creating special sports events. You know the concept of All-Star Games? Those dreary, boring affairs that showcase the supposed best talent in whatever league and sport they come from, but since those games count for nothing the players barely try at all? He created the first All-Star game for Major League baseball in 1933, meant to be a one-time affair that was part of the 1933 World's Fair based in Chicago. Did you use to speculate if the Cleveland Browns could beat the Alabama Crimson Tide? Ward created a special exhibition game in the 1930's where the defending NFL Champions would take on an All-Star team of Collegiates, most of whom where already drafted by NFL clubs but were delayed in joining their teams to fulfill this obligation(one of the smaller reasons why it didn't last). He certainly had the ear of the NFL around this time, and twice would be offered the position of NFL Commissioner(1941 definitely, and I'm guessing 1939). He also lobbied unsuccessfully for a blasphemous-at-the-time idea; Expansion.

Expansion is sort of a way of life these days, but back in the 30's and going all the way to the 60's(in the case of Baseball, the entire first half of the 20th Century), the big leagues of any American sport balked at the idea. A lot of it likely came down to massive jitters inspired by the Great Depression, at first. It wouldn't be until the explosion of the 50's when Greed and just-plain-old-fashioned pooh-poohing started to become overriding factors. But anyway, Ward's failures to induce the NFL to expand led him to becoming contentious. Soon his priorities changed; he wanted to create a competing league that might one day take on the NFL in a Championship Game akin to the World Series of Baseball.

Sounds familiar, right? Yeah, Ward dreamed of this a full decade and a half before the AFL took off in the 1960's and created the Super Bowl.

Ward managed to secure a number of prospective owners who couldn't break into the NFL for one reason or another. Some were in cities competing directly with the NFL(Chicago, New York, newly-arrived Los Angeles), some were in Cities that just lost an NFL team(Cleveland), others in places without an NFL presence(Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami). They even scored an upset by luring an NFL Franchise(the Brooklyn Dodgers). We know how the story ends; the league folds, a few franchises join the NFL, and the grand narrative Ward sought would be delayed for some time. That's the dimestore history of the AAFC.

This has been hashed over in the NFL section, but bears repeating; since the AAFC only lasted a mere four years before folding, the five year guideline is rescinded. The overall preference will be for players who spent four or even three years with the league, but exceptions will be made for those who served less time if they are talented enough or come with a unique skill. As the AAFC years took place after the War, there will be no complications on that score.

The primary complication will be that of Integration.

In the 1920's there were a small number of African-American players in the NFL(none made the 20's Team for various reasons). By the early 30's, they were all gone and a "color ban" of sorts was implemented by the league. This lasted until after the war, when the Los Angeles Rams added a couple of black players to the roster(as far as I can tell, this was a requirement in order for the team to use the Los Angeles Coliseum). Kenny Washington was the most noteworthy of the bunch... but largely the players involved were bit performers in the grand scheme of things. Integration was slow in the NFL, but largely steady. By the 1960's the only team that had yet to sign black players were the Washington Redskins, though many teams had ratios to some degree. By the 70's this was largely done away with and from then on the NFL was, if not a Black-Majority league, then far closer to actual equality than other sports.

The AAFC started off challenging the concept of segregation. Or rather, it was primarily the Cleveland Browns that did so. In 1946 players such as Marion Motley and Bill Willis joined the Browns, primarily because they had already played for teams coached by Paul Brown through the college ranks and during wartime. But in the case of Motley and Willis, they were not bit players. They were actual stars and were utilized as such. Motley was the most feared rusher in the AAFC. Willis jumpstarted the Browns defense on the line. Unlike the NFL, Black Players stood a real chance of getting starring roles in the AAFC during these first few years. Guys such as Buddy Young, Len Ford, and Joe "The Jet" Perry would join the fray in subsequent years.

It's a great story to be sure, but what it means for our selection process is we have to be on the lookout for players who might really resist the idea of playing with these guys in any capacity(such thoughts do not get crushed period, much less overnight).

Team Roster- The Cliffs Notes Version:

Head Coach: Paul Brown- 1949
Key Assistant: Blanton Collier- 1949
Backfield Coach: John Brickels- 1948
End Coach: Richard Gallagher- 1949
Tackle Coach: Bill Edwards- 1948
Guard Coach: Fritz Heisler- 1949
Center Coach: Red Conkright- 1946
Offense: T-Formation(Paul Brown Variant)
Defense: 5-3-3(Paul Brown Variant)

Offense
QB: Otto Graham- 1949
LH: Edgar "Special Delivery" Jones- 1948
FB: Marion Motley- 1948
RH: Johnny Strzykalski- 1947
LE: Mac Speedie- 1949
LT: Bob Reinhard- 1948
LG: Richard Barwegan- 1949
C: Frank Gatski- 1949
RG: Bruno Banducci- 1947
RT: Lou Rymkus- 1948
RE: Dante Lavelli- 1949
Defense

LDE: John Yonakor- 1946(Slightly Off-Position)
LDT: Martin Ruby- 1949
MG: Bill Willis- 1949
RDT: Arnold "Arnie" Weinmeister- 1949
RDE: Len Ford- 1949
LLB: Tony Adamle- 1949
MLB: Lou Saban- 1948
RLB: Alex Agase- 1949
LDH: Tommy Colella- 1947
RDH: Tommy James- 1949
S: Cliff Lewis- 1948
Bench

Backup QB: Yelberton Abraham "Y.A." Tittle- 1948
Backup HB: Glenn Dobbs- 1948(Off-Position)
Backup HB: Orban "Spec" Sanders- 1947(Off-Position)
Backup HB: Claude "Buddy" Young- 1947(Off-Position)
Backup FB: Joe Perry- 1949
Backup E: Horace Gillom- 1949
Backup DE: George Young- 1948
Backup T: Lou Groza- 1948
Backup DT: John Kissell- 1949
Backup G: Ed Ulinski- 1948
Backup MG: Forrest "Chubby" Grigg- 1949(Off-Position)
Backup C: Mike "Mo" Scarry- 1946
Backup DH: Warren Lahr- 1949



The Coaches and Strategies:

There's really only one choice for Head Coach. You've probably heard of him. He's actually the guy the Cleveland team is named for. I am of course speaking of Paul Brown.

(I am also not kidding about the name. Brown tried to fight it, rejecting the name the first time around, then rejecting the replacement("Panthers", the name of a prior failed team not in the NFL), and ultimately forcing Owner Arthur McBride to take the name "Browns" despite Brown's objections. Brown then spent about fifty years perpetuating the myth that the team name was actually short for "Brown Bombers", a tribute to Boxing Champion Joe "The Brown Bomber" Louis.)

It would be blissfully simple for me to say that Brown's near-perfect success in the AAFC and subsequent dominance in the NFL came down to simply using black players as stars- it would certainly make this section much shorter to write. But the truth is, Paul Brown was the atom bomb of innovation around this time.

The innovations largely came from Paul pondering such notions in his head during his storied career before joining the Browns' organization. He started his Coaching career at the High School level in the 1930's, first with a prep school named Severn, then most notably for Massillon High School for the rest of the decade. His success at that level labeled him as the "Miracle Man of Massillon." Small wonder a rebuilding Ohio State University sought him out for the Head Coaching position. Three seasons were spent at Ohio State before the war derailed things, and a National Title was won in '42. Then it was off to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station to coach the service team, called the Bluejackets. He would spend two years there until the war ended, but would ultimately opt not to return to Ohio State when McBride dangled a really juicy offer($17,500 a year, more than any coach on any level, plus an ownership stake in the team and a stipend while he remained in the military).

During this stretch of time Brown observed the professionals, borrowing game film from them. He grew to study the Bears T-Formation and Don Hutson's route running and timing. He also created the concept of the playbook and even as far back as his days at Massillon would grill his players on the matter contained within. Another thing he created during his time at Ohio State was the 40-Yard Dash. It was meant to emphasize quickness. (Brown made the measurement 40 yards because that was the distance typically covered on a punt). Even in places like Ohio State or the Bluejackets where he couldn't utilize his accumulated knowledge for true innovation, his organizational structure was second to none. In terms of preparation, he brought a machine gun to a knife fight.

So let's look at some of the innovations.

Offensively, Brown ran the T-Formation. Well, that's not entirely accurate. He didn't run the T-Formation like any of the NFL Teams did. In the first place, he distorted the T, creating multiple formations out of the arrangement. This involved pushing the halfbacks out of the backfield. For instance, here the Ends are split off while the halfbacks are pushed up into what we call 'slot' positions today;

https://archive.is/JW0mb/f1591b82a5cfe4cf8deaccdb2aadf1d625f98aa8.gif

Or here's one where the halfbacks are slotted out in a traditional "Double Wing" alignment;

https://archive.is/JW0mb/dd6a643c11a1e89c43e2311e9a63b1cce3f0d27e.gif

Then you could get batty with the variations; you could limit either of these looks to one side. You could have the 'slot' variation on the left and the 'wing' variation on the right, and vice-versa. Or you could just use the traditional T Look.

This kinda defeats the purpose of a balance rushing attack, but Cleveland didn't rely on that. Instead, the Browns utilized the short passing game to a calculated extent that Sammy Baugh couldn't match. Brown used what he learned from watching Hutson run routes and gameplanned his entire passing game around it. I don't mean for just the primary receiver while the others ran 'dummy routes', I mean every one of them ran precise routes and could potentially receive the pass if the Quarterback saw they were open. Like so;

https://archive.is/JW0mb/e9fd302a0e59752e98f8c822cc8a81db54766c08.gif

You can see the progression. First choice is the left end running a quick out- kind of the bread and butter of the short passing game as it gets the ball outside of the defender's reach if thrown correctly. If that's not open, the second choice is the left halfback in the 'slot' position, running an outside slant designed to juke his defender and either slip past the others covering the end or draw in the safety. The third option is the right end running a crossing route up the field, hopefully behind the rest of the defense having been drawn towards the two receivers on the left. (If I'm any kind of speculator, I would say the right halfback in the right 'slot' is the fourth option meant to be used only if the other three are covered, and likely not going to the left)

This relied upon placing the halfbacks in the 'slot' positions to get them into their pass routes faster, and also relied on the QB backpedaling about two or three steps while sizing up the defense- a refinement of the dropback pass. This could also be altered in two ways depending on the defense. If the defense was tightened up to combat the short passing game, a receiver could execute a double-move route while the QB made a pump-fake, resulting in an open receiver streaking behind the defenders for a big gain. The other way was via a draw play; the linemen block as if pass protecting but instead the ball is handed off to a runner. Draw plays are utilized largely to exploit a defense geared up to stop the pass, and happen with next to no warning. If a linebacker gets the jump on a running back executing a draw play, either he had no pass coverage responsibilities or he should be screened for psychic powers.

The defense is one I would equate to a Air Defensive 5-3-3. It would largely be the same as the refinement Clark Shaughnessy would create for the Bears in 1950. In short, the Middle Linebacker was largely the roamer while the outside linebackers covered the outside areas and focused on the short passing game, while the defensive halfbacks engaged the ends directly, while the safety either gave support on one side or another or directly covered a third option- either in a 'slot' or 'flanker' role. Given how Cleveland was typically the dominant pass defensive unit in the league despite being in the lead so often teams had to throw a lot against them, it's safe to say it worked.

Head Coach: Paul Brown- 1949
Offense: T-Formation(Paul Brown Variant)
Defense: 5-3-3(Paul Brown Variant)

Key Assistant: Blanton Collier- 1949
Backfield Coach: John Brickels- 1948
End Coach: Richard Gallagher- 1949
Tackle Coach: Bill Edwards- 1948
Guard Coach: Fritz Heisler- 1949
Center Coach: Red Conkright- 1946

Every assistant in those specific years worked under Paul Brown. This is vital. Under a Paul Brown team, only Paul Brown runs the show. The assistants are expected to teach their assigned positions and stay on the beam when it comes to the sheer organization and preparation the team utilized. Blanton Collier has a broader coaching assignment than the others, but only because he earned it via his extensive football knowledge. This is even more vital because Collier was sort of the Yin to Brown's coarse disciplinarian Yang- he was just as demanding, but warmer and softer about it. His patience serves as a needed vent.



The Offensive Lineup:

You know the drill already.

Starting Quarterback: Otto Graham- 1949
Secondary Positions: Safety(Emergency), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'1 196. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-55

http://www.theworldoffootball.com/Images/OttoGraham.jpg

There are three specific reasons to go with Graham over any other option at Quarterback. One, he played under Paul Brown through his entire professional career, only ever competing against him while enrolled at Northwestern, upsetting Ohio State twice in '41 and '43. Two, every single professional year Graham spent at the helm of the Browns Offense saw the team in the Championship game, a streak that ended when Otto retired. And Three, Paul Brown called the plays. All of them. He would alternate guards so they could relay the plays to Graham and he would run them. Even if you could find a superior QB, you likely couldn't find one that wouldn't chaffe under such direction(and on the flipside, Otto would struggle if paired up with a coach that let him run the plays).

You'd be hard-pressed to find a flaw in Otto's game. He was accurate and strong and had a very good touch for the long ball. His mobility in the pocket was one born from playing basketball(the sport he initially wanted to concentrate on while in college), and he had the speed to be useful as a runner or as a defender in the secondary(5 interceptions in '46). His vision was excellent(he would anticipate the route running of his receivers just from watching their shoulders, according to Paul Brown), he was consistent and tough, and his "one of the guys" mannerisms went a long way toward him being the uncontested leader of the team. This team just doesn't win without him.

Starting Left Halfback: Edgar "Special Delivery" Jones- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency)
-5'10 193. Chicago Bears: 1945/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/AAFC Championship Games/1947BrownsYankees/JonesSweeps10Y.jpg

Last time around I actually put a fullback at this spot in Joe "The Jet" Perry, because he had great speed and he wasn't sniffing the starting lineup at fullback. I have a better understanding of the position now, especially in regard to how Paul Brown's offense was run during this time. Even so, there were two other candidates who demonstrated a superiority at least in terms of stats. These were Chester "Chet" Mutryn of the Buffalo Bills(ANOTHER Buffalo Franchise before the AFL!), who was the primary ground gainer for the team, and then there was Orban "Spec" Sanders, a Tailback for the New York Yankees who was already an electrifying runner but was also tasked with passing the ball during his time. Both would probably be classified as superior runners in terms of athleticism. Mutryn was also a highly competent receiver, a must for the Browns offense(Sanders only really caught passes in '46 before becoming the primary passer, but would be considered competent as well).

I decided against Sanders as the starter, mainly to preserve him(he had a reputation for really hard running, which proved to burn his legs out) and to utilize him in a more complementary role as a utility player. Mutryn had a more legit problem; he was a Cleveland boy and was actually signed by the Browns in 1946... only to be traded to Buffalo before ever playing a down. There are no details as to why. If he had been traded for someone who would turn into something valuable, then it stands to reason that it would've come out somewhere. So the reluctant conclusion was that Paul Brown made a choice and deemed Mutryn expendable.

That brings me to Jones, who for the first three years was a key cog in the backfield. Often playing second fiddle to Otto Graham and Marion Motley, Jones wasn't rated as very fast, but was consistently great on short-yardage plays. Paul Brown said he was one of the finest clutch players he ever had. Great praise. Especially since he was someone willing to stand up to Brown. An experienced '48 Jones beats out a more dynamic '46 Jones since we're going with a Browns team whose strategies were developing during the course of the AAFC's existence. Some good news; the decline in his stats from '49 actually came from a mid-season collarbone injury rather than an actual athletic decline.

Starting Fullback: Marion Motley- 1948
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Situational), Kick Returner(Alternate)
-6'1 232. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-53/ Pittsburgh Steelers: 1955

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ac1394dbdcca6a36cbf486633b129cd813095ac3/r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2013/02/17/marion-motley-4_3.jpg

I could probably spend several paragraphs going over the racial climate of this time, and the sheer mountain guys like Motley had to climb in order to earn respect from the rest of the league and even the fans of the sport. The trouble is, that would make it seem like guys like Motley are only on these rosters because of the strain they were under and the scope of their perseverance.

As if those were the only reasons to take them!

You simply didn't find a more destructive back on the football field after Motley until the great Jim Brown(and even then some old-time Browns players would have preferred Motley). The man had a lineman's size but a proper speed for the backfield. The bread-and-butter play for him was the aforementioned draw play, but he ran the ball on other types of plays as well. His inside running was without peer; more than fast enough, his strength was good enough to truck defensive linemen, to say nothing of the hapless linebackers and halfbacks who were in the next line of defense(think Earl Campbell or better yet Marshawn Lynch). That speed also allowed him to have a presence in the outside running game. His hands were sure and he was often the safety valve of the Cleveland short passing game... y'know, when he wasn't being the best darn blocking back in the league. He was certainly the greatest pass protector of his time, Otto Graham's bodyguard, but he was also a force when it came to downfield blocking. I'm a bit surprised Paul Brown had him returning kicks during the early part of his career, but whatever works, right?

Motley's also a rare case during the platoon era where an offensive skill star is still rated highly on defense to the extent that he's still part of the defensive game plan. In Motley's case, he never stopped being the best-rated linebacker on the Browns; he just stopped playing defense full-time. He was often utilized in short-yardage situations, most probably on the goal line.

Starting Right Halfback: Johnny Strzykalski- 1947
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'9 190. San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1946-49/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950-52

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xnVSpmmAeK0/T1EUTH29cBI/AAAAAAAAARM/evgE7YyKMgM/s400/Stryzkowski_Johnny_49ers_display_image.jpg

The first Non-Brown on the roster. "Johnny Strike" (because you don't wanna keep typing his name over and over) is a rather underrated runner for his time. His athletic accolades are a bit like Edgar Jones in that he wasn't blinding fast. However, he was incredibly hard to knock down, even when he did get knocked down(rules at the time permitted you to get up and keep running if you were only knocked off your feet and not tackled). Resilient, tough, and fearless, Johnny was more of a team player than his stats indicated, largely being noted as a willing and capable blocker. It's a bit unusual for someone at Right Halfback to be the primary ground gainer(at least before Joe Perry came along), but it might help to point out that his QB, Frank Albert, was left handed.

If anything, Johnny is more a bonus than a key cog in the Cleveland attack because they really didn't have much production out of the position until 1949 when a guy named Dub Jones joined the team. He's most likely a genuine upgrade to Jones in all aspects with the possible exception of Home Run potential.

Starting Left End: Mac Speedie- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Emergency)
-6'2 203. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-52

https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/2014/05/mac-speedie-white-ball.jpg

That's not a nickname, or an assumed name, or anything of the like. That's the legit name Mac carried with him throughout his life.

As if that weren't ironic enough, Mac was unfortunate enough to be afflicted with Perthes Disease as a child. It's a bone deficiency disease, in this case located in the hip joint. Four years in leg braces helped to correct the condition, but it left one leg shorter and thinner than the other, and gave him a bit of an odd gait when he ran. That gait would help him when it came to faking defenders out in the open field, but the disease stoked a fire in him that never went out. Speedie was also affected by the war, in more way than one; he was very nearly signed by the Detroit Lions in '42 but the owner at the time(Fred Mandel) wanted to wait, and this is probably one of many reasons why you've never heard of Fred Mandel even if you're a Lions fan. In '45 Speedie started to get offers from AAFC clubs before their inaugural season started. The Browns were the latter of two teams, the other was the Chicago Rockets.(Weirdly in the two games he played where he got this attention, he wasn't a Split End. He played the T-Quarterback in the first game and Defensive End in the second.)

At any rate, once he settled down in Cleveland and began to mesh with Otto Graham and fellow end Dante Lavelli, Mac soon proved he was probably the best spiritual successor to the just- retired Don Hutson. Whether he was on Hutson's level in terms of pure speed is debatable, but he was Hutson's equal when it came to running routes and catching passes. In addition to that, he proved a capable blocker and he was lucky enough to be spared from two-way playing since the AAFC embraced the platoons more readily than the NFL did. There's just no one at Mac's position that could run with him in terms of talent and productivity.

One tidbit of note; Speedie is not in the Hall of Fame, but the reasons might be a tad petty. The claim is he was frozen out by Paul Brown because Speedie left for Canada in '53, effectively crossing Brown in the process. Not that their relationship was all that rosy to begin with; Mac had an independent streak which contested Brown's controlling nature.

Starting Left Tackle: Bob Reinhard- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Emergency), Punter(Alternate)
-6'4 234. Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1946-49/ Los Angeles Rams: 1950

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Bob_Reinhard_-_1950_Bowman.jpg

One, if they know of Cleveland Browns history, would expect Lou "The Toe" Groza to be the starting Left Tackle. There are three factors that work against him, however. First, it took two seasons at different positions(center and right tackle) before he settled in. Second, when he did settle in as a starting Left Tackle, his kicking stats inexplicably dropped. And Third, since we are in the era of Free Substitution, there's no requirement for our best kicker to actually be in the starting lineup. That's good, because we have two superior linemen to choose from at left tackle. Bob Reinhard of Los Angeles is one. The other would be Martin Ruby of Baltimore and New York. Both were excellent two-way players with no weaknesses to speak of- Ruby even spent seven years up in Canada where two-way football was still a thing and continued to thrive. So largely this is down to preference. Reinhard's a little thinner, but more interestingly, he had enough athletic burst to be sometimes used at Fullback. Not that Paul Brown really needs that particular gimmick, but it's enough of an excuse to have Reinhard on the offensive side and Ruby on the defense. Problem solved.

Starting Left Guard: Richard Barwegan- 1949
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency)
-6'1 227. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1947/ Baltimore Colts(AAFC): 1948-49/ Chicago Bears: 1950-52/ Baltimore Colts: 1953-54

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/d4/99/72d499ffd9991897d074da2b2fc1870e.jpg

Another relatively anonymous lineman who slipped through the cracks of history, Barwegan was an outstanding blocker for his time. He was quick enough to be a natural pulling guard and was a capable Linebacker in the short time he had to be a two-way player. His peak is a typical one for players who would normally slip between decades and not be selected by our current rule-set; it took place right at the fault line between two decades, weakening the case for him in either one- had the AAFC not made the 40's a special case anyways. Barwegan is the key choice to be the permanent guard on the offensive lineup.

Starting Center: Frank Gatski- 1949
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency)
-6'3 233. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-56/ Detroit Lions: 1957

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZf-YOBPZB8/V1Wyf0eVulI/AAAAAAAADG4/kGYNX0rctWQ-MkgY2P0VZJMRqZ3bMbjoQCLcB/s1600/2016-06-06_11-24-47.jpg

Gatski earned no accolades during his time in the AAFC, but he's pretty much indispensable to the game plan. They called him "Gunner" for his strength and speed on the line, and his reputation for toughness would be most notable in the 1950's when Paul Brown simply did not carry a backup center behind Gatski. He never complained about it. In fact, he handled the more coarse parts of Paul Brown's nature better than just about anybody on the team. As he put it, "As a professional, you're supposed to be able to take that crap."

Frank really didn't have a weakness in his game. He pass blocked for Otto Graham, and he opened holes for Marion Motley and the other runners. But he does have one particular fact; if you include the AAFC years, then Gatski was a part of eight different championship teams during his career, including his final season with the '57 Lions. The only other player to have been in as many titles as Frank was fellow teammate Lou Groza, but he spent two years in the beginning and the '64 Championship mainly as a kicking specialist.

Starting Right Guard: Bruno Banducci- 1947
Secondary Positions: Defensive Guard(Maybe), Linebacker(Maybe)
-5'11 216. Philadelphia Eagles: 1944-45/ San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1946-49/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950-54

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/9f/e9/32/9fe93254899bd85e43402caf0d5a6636--bruno-fame.jpg

Poor Bruno is starting Right Guard in name only. That's not for any fault of his own; he's screwed largely because of a preference Paul Brown had.

We've glanced at the topic before, but Paul Brown called the plays on offense. Not his Quarterback. Just him. This creates a bit of a problem when you consider the lack of communication from the field to the sidelines(the radio set in the helmet that we're all so familiar with? It would actually be first tried well into the 50's to rather lukewarm effect. Until then, Brown had to use another means to relay plays. For a while he used hand signals and the like, but with Free Substitution, he began to use Messenger Guards. Basically, it was a group of two guards who would typically play the same position on the line and would alternate between plays; the guard coming on the field would relay the play in the huddle to the rest of the team. Why a Guard? My guess is it was the most expendable position, a stance that, honestly, NFL Franchises still have to this day.

Bruno's great line play was hampered by the fact he was injured early on in '48 and hadn't recovered well enough by '49, robbing him of two further AAFC years that could've boosted his peak and made the idea of which guard position to use the relay on a much more difficult question to answer.

Starting Right Tackle: Lou Rymkus- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Emergency)
-6'4 231. Washington Redskins: 1943/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-51

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Lou_Rymkus%2C_American_football_tackle%2C_on_a_1950_football_card.jpg

They called him "The Battler". He called himself "The Heel", I guess as a comparison to Lou Groza, who called himself "The Toe." Beyond that, Lou was pretty easy to describe; an all-day all-night warrior who did his job and never missed a practice much less a game. By far he was the best pass protector on the Cleveland line, enough so that he was stripped of any defensive duties, despite being rated as the team's best defensive tackle(Lou didn't like being taken out of the game, naturally).

So what else was there? Well, he had a rather singular aim for success and a rather simplistic lack of modesty, which worked wonderfully when playing under Brown but kinda screwed him from time to time when he went into the coaching ranks. He spent the '46 season with his knee screwed up so bad that it would lock up about six times a game, but he was so workmanlike during this time that he stunned Paul Brown when he told him about it after the season ended. He was one of the inaugural Head Coaches of the AFL, running the Houston Oilers to the first ever AFL Championship, but he ran afoul of owner Bud Adams and was sacked mid-season in '61. Sometime before that he had been a part of the Green Bay Packers coaching staff from '54 to '57, back when they were mediocre-to-terrible, but in the meantime he had coached a number of future Hall-of-Famers in Forrest Gregg and Jim Ringo. It's worth wondering what might've happened if Rymkus had been picked to be the Head Coach in '58 instead of Ray "Scooter" McLean. Would the Packers have gone 1-10-1 and ended up with Vince Lombardi the following year?

Starting Right End: Dante Lavelli- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Emergency)
-6'0 191. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-56

http://www.clevelandseniors.com/photos/dante-lavelli/dante-lavelli-reception.jpg

If Speedie was the uber-athletic star of the receiving game, then Lavelli was the unsung hero. Not as fast or agile, Dante proved to have the best hands of the bunch- Browns Commentator Bob Neal called him "Gluefingers", though that sounds more like a token bad guy in a Hard-Boiled Detective Comic. No less than Paul Brown raved about his ability to come down with the ball in traffic, coining his own nickname; "Mr. Clutch."

Lavelli's dynamic in this offense is much like his role in Cleveland; while Speedie's the guy teams have to triple-cover, he's the guy running sure routes and hauling down contested passes and operating as Otto's personal safety valve. He did this by breaking out of his route and into the clear whenever he got a hint that the play was starting to go wrong. Sometimes he'd streak downfield, sometimes he would track back towards the Quarterback- the creation of the "come back" play receivers will do in this day and age. And if there was a cruical play late in the game, get the first down or touchdown or GO HOME, Lavelli's the man the team would lean on.

Again, there isn't too much to say; unlike Mac, Dante did not have an incident or a slowly eroding relationship with his coach, so there were no mishaps during his career. The most 'boat-rocking' thing he did was be part of the initial group of players that created what would be known as the National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA. Heck, the idea was hatched in his basement!



The Defensive Lineup:

There's a slight positive; since the AAFC embraced the Platoon style of play earlier than the NFL, there's a bit more to go on when finding quality defenders... though this section may be even more Brown-heavy than the offense.

Starting Left Defensive End: John Yonakor- 1946(Slightly Off-Position?)
Secondary Positions: End(Emergency)
-6'5 222. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ New York Yanks: 1950/ Washington Redskins: 1952

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/John_Yonakor%2C_American_football_end%2C_in_Cleveland_Browns_uniform.jpg

There are a fair amount of two-way ends in the rosters of the AAFC. There's a really big name that we'll get to on the right side of the line. There were a number of ends who seemed to play roles on defense better suited for the secondary; understandable given that the 6-2-2-1 was still in use. There were some two-way ends of some repute; Joe Aguirre had a lengthy career in the NFL but failed to qualify for the roster. Others like Jack Russell and Bruce Alford were also noteworthy during this time. None of them really had a word spoken of their defensive exploits, however. That's the key difference between them and John Yonakor; John was primarily used as a defensive end for Cleveland. That's not to say he couldn't catch a pass; He was a stalwart receiver in his collegiate days at Notre Dame, and would sometimes fill in at Offensive End in case of injury. But I'd say Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli are the main deterrents that kept John from getting bigger numbers.

It's not a complete fit; offensively he was either a nondescript end, or mainly Right End. He's pushed into this position thanks to our actual Right End, but I don't foresee any problems. The reason we're going with a rookie '46 Yonakor is that eventually he clashed with Paul Brown numerous times over contractural disputes. He would actually hold out for raises. This might be a key reason why he was eventually sold to the New York Yanks in 1950 rather than remain a Cleveland Brown.

Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Martin Ruby- 1949
Secondary Positions: Left Tackle(Emergency)
-6'4 249. Brooklyn Dodgers(AAFC): 1946-48/ New York Yankees(AAFC): 1949/ New York Yanks: 1950

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/MarvinRuby1950Bowman.jpg

We covered pretty much everything relevant about Ruby in the section about Bob Reinhard. Suffice it to say, he's the best we'll find for this spot.

There is a funny little tidbit that took place in Ruby's days in Canada. Jackie Parker, a Quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos and at the time a rookie out of the University of Tennessee, told a story of how the Edmonton coaching staff were desperately skimming through game film of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in order to find a weakness in Ruby's game. Supposedly they found it in his left foot. When Ruby was in a three-point stance, his left foot would do one of two things; when he wanted to charge straight ahead, his foot would be put in a forward position. When he wanted to cut left, his foot would be positioned back.

I'll give you three guesses as to how well that advance scouting worked out, but I think you'll only need one.

Starting Middle Guard: Bill Willis- 1949
Secondary Positions: Right Guard(Emergency)
-6'2 213. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-53

https://codeandfootball.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/220px-bill_willis_1951.jpg

So, it's 1946. Cleveland Browns Training Camp. Bill Willis is lined up directly across from center Mike "Mo" Scarry(Gatski's predecessor). Willis beats him every time. Badly. One time Scarry backpedaled so fast to contain Willis he stepped on Otto Graham's foot. And eventually people start complaining that Bill is jumping off-sides; his reaction time after the snap is so darn amazing it must be cheating of some sort. Paul Brown- who actually coached Willis at Ohio State, which was the main reason he got an invitation to camp to begin with, observes and concludes that Willis was not off-side. The thing was, Willis noted Scarry's fingers tightening on the ball just before he snapped it. He was already incredibly quick, but that hellacious jump on top of his athletic excellence put him in a class above all others. That was one of two reasons Willis played Middle Guard at a weight considered too light for the NFL. The other reason was a by-product of his life; his brother Claude had been an All-State Fullback in high school, and Bill did not want to be compared to Claude, so he eschewed the backfield and played on the line. That's quite the outlier.

Willis had a fantastic burst(he was nicknamed "Panther") but he also used that superior mobility to drop into coverage and defend the pass. In modern times he'd have been a straight-up linebacker with that kind of skill. It even contributed to the 1950 NFL Championship that Cleveland won; in the Eastern Division Finals, Cleveland won a hard-fought game against the New York Giants 8-3. They key defensive play was made by Willis, who ran down a running back in the open field named Gene Roberts to prevent a game-breaking touchdown. It also helps that Gene's nickname was "Choo-Choo"(I doubt it was purely because Roberts attended Chattenooga; and if you don't know why THAT'S relevant then you need to look up some Golden Oldies).

Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Arnold "Arnie" Weinmeister- 1949
Secondary Positions: Tackle(Emergency)
-6'4 235. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1948-49/ New York Giants: 1950-53

http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/weinmeister-arnie-6.jpg?53933

Guys who only spent two years in the AAFC are acceptable since the AAFC only lasted four years to begin with, but the guideline I try to live by is that such players are really talented enough to justify that. But you guys know that just as much as you guys know how often I step on such guidelines during these decades. I'm really just making a long-winded reasoning for why I have Weinmeister at this spot, when really, he's the greatest linemen of this time despite having such a short NFL Career.

Arnie wasn't that complicated a guy. He benefitted from two player wars; one waged by the NFL and the AAFC(Something that Arnie admits was the only reason he got into Pro Football, because the pay beforehand wasn't much). And then there was the second in the mid-50's that few people know about, when players were leaving the NFL and going north to Canada. Nowadays, the idea of an NFL star leaving the US and getting MORE money to play in the CFL is laughably absurd. Not then. Salaries had yet to really take off and players typically worked off-season jobs, which was often made worse whenever the NFL was alone on the summit of pro football. At any rate, in 1953 Arnie got $15,000 a year for the British Columbia Lions, one of the highest paid players in Canada, and $3,000 above what the Giants were paying him at that time. It also helped that Arnie lived in Seattle and the Lions played in Vancouver. Very close to home. And that's why his playing career in the US was only six seasons.

As to why he's in the Hall of Fame despite that, it's not hyperbole to claim that Weinmeister was the greatest lineman of his time. With the possible exception of Bill Willis, no one was faster on the line than Arnie. When he was with the Yankees, the only player faster than him was 5'4 Buddy Young. His speed actually had him used through College as a Fullback(he HAD been an All-City Tackle through high school), but he was placed back on the line once he turned pro. He was also highly strong and a great diagnoser of the opposition, which served to help him stop opposing plays. But his greatest skill was in pass rushing, and would serve to put a spotlight on him in an era where most defensive players toiled in anonymity.

Starting Right Defensive End: Len Ford- 1949
Secondary Positions: Right End(Emergency)
-6'4 245. Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-57/ Green Bay Packers: 1958

https://albersheims.com/ItemImages/000005/1625a_med.jpeg

Ford's a peculiarity in that he's recognized as an All-Time Brown from this era, but he wasn't with the team during its AAFC days. He was taken by Cleveland in the 1950 Dispersal Draft after two years in Los Angeles, where he played primarily two-way End even with Free Substitution in place. As such he was one of the best pass rushers in the league but also doubled as a reasonably dangerous receiver due to his size and athleticism. Once in Cleveland he was converted to Defensive End and became such a sterling player for his position that it eventually got him posthumously into the Hall of Fame(booze destroyed him after he retired, and a Heart Attack in '72 finished him off. He was inducted four years later).

It also helps that there is no comparable defensive talent in the AAFC at his position. Nobody comes close to his production or his athletic potential.

Starting Left Linebacker: Tony Adamle- 1949
Secondary Positions: Fullback(Emergency)
-6'0 215. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1947-49/Cleveland Browns: 1950-51, 1954

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d2/Tony_Adamle%2C_American_football_linebacker.jpg

While the AAFC embraced Platoon-style football, it's still important to emphasize offensive positions. Doing so will ensure reasonable depth all around. Take linebackers in a 5-3-3. You could very easily inset three linebackers who play center, and doing so might make your linebacking unit the best out of all the contenders, but you'll likely face a drought in positions such as fullback and guard. So ideally you still want a Fullback/Center/Guard combination for your starting linebackers.

The 5-3-3 system likely favors Cleveland linebackers above all else, mostly because while the responsibilities are still primitive, there's a bit more nuance than in a 6-2-2-1, especially for the outside linebackers, who take on some of the roles the ends in a 6-2-2-1 do. This brings us to Adamle, who came into the AAFC as a bruising short-yardage runner(he went with the Browns over the Bears, to give you some idea of how he was favored), but with Marion Motley on the team he primarily played on the defensive side, and by the end of the AAFC was one of the best at his position(Paul Brown would make him Defensive Captain for the 1950 season). He would come out of retirement for the Browns in '54 to help them win another title, then returned to his medical practices(another Doctor in the ranks!).

My evidence for Tony playing on the left side comes from some brief action in the first quarter of the 1950 Championship, one way showing the Rams throwing an edge pass to their right side and Adamle being the defending player to get very first crack at him. Left side on the defense equals right side on the offense, remember.

Starting Middle Linebacker: Lou Saban- 1948
Secondary Positions: Center(Emergency)
-6'0 202. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/AAFC Championship Games/1949Browns49ers/LouSabanBrowns.jpg

The name probably sounds familiar. Most of you are thinking about Nick Saban, the famous and infamous college coach and NFL Dud(they might have been distant cousins). A few learned bookworms among you might remember the name belonging to a long-time coach, one who would bounce everywhere from the High School Level to College to the Pros(two-time AFL Champion Buffalo Bills in '64 and '65) and back again(he even had two brief stints in the Arena Football League in the 90's). Nobody talks about his playing days, but that's a matter of how brief it was compared to how talented he was on the field.

When Lou left the Browns in 1950 to take the Head Coaching job at Case Western Reserve University, he had finished a four-year career as the Browns middle linebacker, and by the end of it, he was regarded as one of the very best in the league(much like Adamle). A lot of it was probably due to the insanely high success of the Browns in the AAFC, who had no rival capable of stunning them in a Championship game. But no linebacker in the AAFC intercepted more passes than Saban did(13 to be exact, almost doubling the nearest competitors). Lou manned the middle incredibly well when it came to pass defense, and with the line in front of him, concerns about his size can be set aside.

Saban announced his retirement as a player just before the '49 Championship. We could entice him to stay, but it might be best not to risk it.

Starting Right Linebacker: Alex Agase- 1949
Secondary Positions: Guard(Emergency)
-5'10 212. Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1947/ Chicago Rockets(AAFC): 1947/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-51/ Baltimore Colts: 1953

https://www.footballcardgallery.com/1951_Bowman/111/Alex_Agase.jpg

There are a distinct lack of Guards who played linebacker and showed up on interception stats, which implied they were more multi-dimensional than mere run-stoppers. Cleveland has two of the three main ones, the third being a one-year player. So it came down to Alex Agase or Weldon Humble, both of whom played for the Browns around this time. But ultimately, it came down to where they went in the lineup in 1950 when Cleveland joined the NFL. Agase was a Right Guard but played linebacker mainly, while Humble remained at left guard. Case closed.

There's honestly not that much to say. Agase had a reputation for ferociousness on the field while in College, and he did manage to hold his own in Cleveland as a defensive starter. If there was gonna be anyone who theoretically could take Agase's spot, it would likely be Barwegan, our starting Left Guard. But who plays Left Guard then?

Starting Left Defensive Halfback: Tommy Colella- 1947
Secondary Positions: Halfback(Emergency), Punter(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'0 187. Detroit Lions: 1942-43/ Cleveland Rams: 1944-45/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-48/ Buffalo Bills(AAFC): 1949

https://orleanshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/102018_Colella1944.jpg

There were some conditions I chose to make use of when determining the secondary. One was their proficiency during the latter half of the AAFC, from '48 to '49. The theory goes that the league was more developed during this time, and bolstered by the usage of Free Substitution, which would make interceptions a bit more valuable(because, again, defensive backs were not likely to earn All-Pro accolades just yet). Another was the position these players played in during the 1950's when Pro Football Reference finally got around to placing defensive players in exact positions. This part isn't very exact, because it's perfectly possible for a defensive halfback in the 40's to transition to safety in the 50's, and unless directly stated elsewhere, this information would basically be lost.

Left Halfback is a small betrayal of the first condition. Colella was an amazing defensive back in '46 and '47, but tapered off considerably by '48 and was traded from Cleveland to Buffalo to make room for a newcomer in Warren Lahr, who only played one year in the AAFC but seriously warranted consideration simply because of the earned reputation throughout his career- that and he actually filled in for a time at safety, which honestly is a major cap in his favor but we can find others to fill in at that spot. This Tommy is one of the few players who had a lengthy career of sorts in the NFL- he was another of the Cleveland Rams who did not go with the team to Los Angeles. He was a versatile player at every level and demonstrated as such when he'd fill in at halfback and punt returner and take on punting duties(apparently he was especially good at booting punts out of bounds and preventing opposing returners from gaining any yards).

Starting Right Defensive Halfback: Tommy James- 1949
Secondary Positions: Halfback(Theoretical)
-5'10 185. Detroit Lions: 1947/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-55/ Baltimore Colts: 1956

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aO6msWGpITI/TnXvaV4jZqI/AAAAAAAADOQ/e_74n8ZNEHM/s1600/James_Tommy1_Browns.jpg

James did play only two years in the AAFC, but he has something even more valuable; ample time spent with Paul Brown. Three years at Massillon High School and then 1942 at Ohio State University. It's actually a surprise that he signed with the Lions in 1947, but then it was the NFL. A broken arm sidelined him, and Detroit chose not to retain him. In came the Browns, and the rest his history.

By all accounts, James was an excellent defensive back even during his early days; great pass defender, and a sure tackler despite his small size(he's closer to 5'9). No holes to really speak of, though you might see that height and think you could beat him vertically and with superior reach. His offensive skills were only used in High School and in College; he got in with the Browns as the platoon style took off and thus was never given any responsibility on the offensive end- hence why he's "theoretical" rather than merely "emergency".

Starting Safety: Cliff Lewis- 1948
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Emergency), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'11 167. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/Cleveland Browns: 1950-51

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Cliff_Lewis%2C_American_football_quarterback%2C_in_1946.png

This guy is actually the first ever Quarterback to start for the Cleveland Browns. He started for a few games in '46, alternating with Otto Graham. Then Otto took over and Cliff became a backup on the offensive side. His passing numbers throughout his career look pedestrian, but clearly the team had no real problem when he had to fill in(he had been a triple-threat star in College and in the Service). He fits in as the emergency Quarterback, but he positively thrives on defense.

Cliff is the AAFC leader in interceptions, and apart from Tommy Colella, nobody else really comes close. His coverage skills are of a high quality and he could close in on the football better than most. He was also the primary punt returner, though his numbers don't look that hot. It's more likely he was the safest option rather than the most explosive, but given that the AAFC was still using formations like the Single Wing on several teams, he may have been guarding against short punts.



The Bench:

13 Players. You know the drill.

Backup Quarterback: Yelberton Abraham "Y.A." Tittle- 1948
Secondary Positions: None
-6'0 192. Baltimore Colts(AAFC): 1948-49/ Baltimore Colts: 1950/ San Francisco 49ers: 1951-60/ New York Giants: 1961-64

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/121718532128-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
https://etsn.fm/files/2012/08/y.a.-tittle_morris-berman_getty-538x630.jpg
(You probably know the second picture better)

Cliff Lewis was a solid enough backup for Cleveland, but that's not enough. Not against a threat not of this world. Of the remaining T-Formation QBs that participated in the AAFC, only two are noteworthy enough to warrant consideration. Tittle is one, Frank Albert of San Francisco is another.

In truth, it should be a slam dunk for Albert, who played the full four years of the league, leading San Francisco to a mostly positive performance overall, enough to challenge Cleveland in the '49 Championship. He was known as the "wizard" of the T, mastering in the style of faking and spinning a la Carl Brumbaugh(he had been the starting QB for the '40 Stanford team that brought the T to College Football). His passing skills were of a high quality, though a bit erratic, but he could run and created the Bootleg play as a result. In addition, he was a top-notch punter and could be found in the defensive secondary in key games(though no stats seem to come from it). He was also left-handed.

Tittle is more limited. He's not quite the runner that Albert is. He didn't play defense. He didn't punt. But he had three things in his favor.

First is, in terms of pure passing ability, Tittle was probably already superior to Albert as a rookie. The second is, both wikipedia and Coffin Corner give evidence that Tittle was initially a Cleveland Brown, but an effort to 'balance' the AAFC in '48 forced Cleveland to give Tittle away to the Baltimore Colts. So we know he has Paul Brown's interest. The third is a quote from Tittle himself; "I was a strict, straight-arrow quarterback when I came to the 49ers. I learned to become free…I had always tried to please every coach I ever played for, I guess to the point I became their mirror image." And now we know that the rookie Tittle will do everything he can to do things the "Paul Brown" way, making him much more malleable than Albert, who may have too much of the Riverboat Gambler in him to mesh well with Brown.

Backup Halfback: Glenn Dobbs- 1948(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Backup), Defensive Halfback(Backup), Safety(Backup), Punter(Backup)
-6'4 210. Brooklyn Dodgers(AAFC): 1946-47/ Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1947-49

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/380758311746-0-1/s-l1000.jpg

Even as the T-Formation swept into Professional Football, there were still stalwarts of the old Single-Wing plying their trade. Dobbs was one such man. A typical multi-tier threat, Dobbs was a passer, runner, and punter from Tulsa and into the pros. He could also defend the pass, and until the platoon system came around he was one of the better secondary players. The problem in this case is the T-Formation itself. When he was traded to the Dons in '47, Dobbs was thrust into the traditional QB role of the T. He struggled openly. In '48, new coach Jimmy Phelan created something called the "Phelan Spread" for Dobbs to run. You've seen the Empty-Backfield Shotgun from today? That's the Spread. It was designed to not only give numerous receiving options, it also placed principal running responsibilities upon the passer, essentially the Tailback role on steroids.

Certain formations of Paul Brown's T might resemble the Phelan Spread with just a fullback added to the backfield, but the QB always took snaps from under center for the Browns. So even this won't offer much help in terms of transition. Even so, Dobbs was such an all-around talent that one can take him and try to place him anywhere he can contribute. He can certainly scramble with an ability equal or superior to Graham and has the added bonus of being accurate while on the run. He didn't catch passes, being the passer, but one ought to presume he'd be capable of that. His defensive position is vague, but I'd say his height is better suited for safety. As for Punting, his numbers are so ferocious, but even those dropped while he was under the T, giving credence to the suspicion that he, like Sammy Baugh, was a proponent of the short punting game.

Backup Halfback: Orban "Spec" Sanders- 1947(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Emergency), Defensive Halfback(Backup), Safety(Backup), Kick Returner(Primary), Punt Returner(Primary)
-6'1 196. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1946-48/ New York Yanks: 1950

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7143176249_3748d7b4e0_o.jpg

Like I mentioned before, I want to save Spec's legs by using him in more of a utility role. As the primary backup for the Halfback positions, he can play relatively sparingly in that department. And by making him the main returner(though safer options are still on the table), I can still use him as a weapon. When he came back to Pro Football in '50, it was purely as a safety, but there's no evidence he played that or defensive halfback while in the AAFC. Given that the only 'known' defensive halfbacks from this time are Browns players, I'll have to take what I can get.

Backup Halfback: Claude "Buddy" Young- 1947(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Fullback(Emergency), Kick Returner(Backup), Punt Returner(Backup)
-5'4 175. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1947-49/ New York Yanks: 1950-51/ Dallas Texans: 1952/ Baltimore Colts: 1953-55

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2448340.1448644257!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/lvjerseys28s-5-web.jpg

Oh, the height isn't a typo;
https://www.stampsfans.com/attachments/img_1393-jpg.362/

Buddy was seriously that small. He was so small, that he claimed he faced greater prejudice over his size than for the color of his skin. He was probably pulling the leg on that one; his personality was positive and bubbly enough to make him popular after a time. But even so, the size wasn't much of a deterrent for Buddy, who was a Track Star at the National level and earned the sobriquet "Bronze Bullet". But he was even more electrifying on the football field, where he was highly elusive and possessed great courage. He was always the home run threat on his teams, a quality that would probably serve him well here.

There are limitations, of course. He did not play on defense, and while he was listed as a Fullback, he wasn't playing the traditional role that the position required(the Yankees did a lot of faking, according to Spec Sanders, so they didn't need a big brute at Fullback). But he translates quite well to halfback(he makes the receiving game even more dangerous with his speed), and will be partnered with Sanders in the return game.

Backup Fullback: Joe Perry- 1949
Secondary Positions: Kick Returner(Alternate)
-6'0 200. San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1948-49/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950-60/ Baltimore Colts: 1961-62/ San Francisco 49ers: 1963

http://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nfl.hall.of.famers.not.drafted/images/joe-perry.jpg

Here's what Paul Brown expected of his fullbacks; good pass protecting, capable of catching passes out of the backfield, adept at the inside running game. When Perry came into the AAFC, he was primarily a straight-ahead runner with world-class speed(he was nicknamed "The Jet" for a reason). It took a short time to adjust, but we don't know exactly when he turned the corner. He was learning how to catch passes by the end of the AAFC, so there was that. There was no evidence that he was a reluctant or bad blocker. If anything he was too good a runner to use in that capacity. He also had no defensive position apart from some spare time in '48. As for inside running, he wasn't a rough-and-tumble beast. Rather, he used a mixture of power, speed, and  elusiveness, more akin to a race car.

The best thing Perry offers this team is a frightening concept; the change-of-pace back. A bit like Buddy Young at Halfback, Perry's speed works incredibly well in contrast with Marion Motley's all-around bruising spectacle. Motley tenderizes the opposing defense and leaves them flinching and mentally bracing for impact... then Perry steps in and shoots through the line almost as soon as the ball is snapped and he eludes those same defenders who are psychologically locked into the violent collisions because of Motley and are slow to pick up on Perry eluding them instead of crashing into them.

And for fun, here's a couple of daffy facemasks worn by Perry during his carrer!
https://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/Perry-Joe-2.jpg?53549
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/4517923144_75f7fb8463_o.jpg

Backup End: Horace Gillom- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Backup), Punter(Primary)
-6'1 221. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1947-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-56

http://clevelandbrownsfootballcards.com/browns1951cards/horacegillomrookie1951bowmancard.jpg

The lack of bench spots(an unbelievable thing to say while accounting for thirteen players to fill them) and a need to cover multiple positions at once come back to haunt us. We had a maximum of two spots that could be used for purely one-sided players, and which we used on Joe Perry and Buddy Young, along with an extra spot for Y.A. Tittle which we've already compensated for and them some. This means we're now losing out on several ends of debatable all-around skills, none more so than Alyn Beals, whom could be more dangerous as a receiver than Speedie or Lavelli but simply didn't register as a defender. Again, there are a stable of E/DE players, most of whom played 6-2-2-1 and could actually have played defensive back. Horace Gillom is another Cleveland Brown player, but he gets this spot over the others simply because of his punting skills.

His yards per average isn't that great compared to others like Glenn Dobbs or Frank Albert, but his real specialty was hang time. You probably know the term; hang time is how long a punt remains in the air before it is fielded by the returner. The longer it stays up in the air, the more time your players have to cover the distance. I'll put it this way; a high punt that goes a mere 40 yards is far more likely to be received as a fair catch, where the returner surrenders all rights to forward possession in order to be protected from hits by the opposition. A lower angled punt that travels fifty yards or further will have less time spent in the air, and if the returner fields it cleanly and facing the opposition, he likely has some room to gain yardage. This carries the risk of the returner breaking off a long gain or even a touchdown. So the hang-time punt is a safe and sure means of ensuring the opposition does not alter the momentum in an instant.

Apart from that, Gillom was good enough to be a valuable backup to Speedie and Lavelli at End, and also good enough to fill in at defensive end. If the roster size was set to modern standards the choice would be drastically different.

Backup Defensive End: George Young- 1948
Secondary Positions: End(Emergency)
-6'3 214. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-53

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/George_Young%2C_American_football_defensive_end.jpg

Again, it's the 5-3-3 that dictates things. In truth, George is the actual Left End of Cleveland's defense, and can replace Yonakor if need be, but I find Yonakor to have the greater potential and stouter size for the position. Either way, with Young I have a defensive end well-versed in the 5-3-3, and was good enough to remain a starter on said defense for several years after the team joined the NFL. Plus he's another Brown; I don't overstate their dominance of this league one iota.

Backup Tackle: Lou Groza- 1948
Secondary Position: Defensive Tackle(Emergency), Kicker(Primary)
-6'3 240. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-59, 1961-67

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Lou_Groza%2C_American_football_placekicker%2C_on_a_1950_football_card.jpg/220px-Lou_Groza%2C_American_football_placekicker%2C_on_a_1950_football_card.jpg

They call him "The Toe." Which is kind of a stupid nickname to give a kicker because you'd break your toe if you ever really used it without protection to kick a dang football. Note Lou's shoe in the photo. It's got a flat edge on the front of it, meaning the boot is designed for kicking- punters and kickers who played other positions would actually have to change shoes mid-game in order to kick. But I'm digressing. They called him "The Toe". Fine. Whatever. I'd have called him "The Boot" to be honest, but that's just me.

Groza's time in the AAFC wasn't really spent as the unbeatable gold standard for his specialty. In fact, he had some notably bad years, including a paltry 2-for-9 season in '49. Some contemporaries posted better accuracy stats, but a detailed stat has didn't exist at the time gives a clue as to why Groza is still the superior kicker of the bunch. Pro Football Reference, as far as their kicking/punting stats go, has a collection of stats centered around a kicker's makes and attempts from certain yards out. You can expect a good kicker to make a large amount of their attempts from within thirty yards. And that accuracy naturally dwindles the further you go from that. In fact, long-range accuracy begins to be a vital skill in determining the best kickers of their respective times, but those stats won't exist until the 1960's(as Groza's profile on PFR demonstrates). If they existed for the AAFC, they would show that not only was Groza probably the most accurate at about fifty yards, but that apart from a handful of tries, he was probably the only one to routinely try from that far out. From forty to fifty yards out, his ability to make kicks gave the Browns an extra weapon that reduced the defense's room to bend against them.

A quick word about his longetivity. Groza's real playing career was only about fourteen years and ended in 1959. I say "real" because he was still the team's starting Left Tackle during that time. When he came back in '61, it was purely as a placekicker. If you only count players who played more than just kicker and punter, Groza ranks 12th all time in games played, though that drops drastically when not including the pure specialist days.

Backup Defensive Tackle: John Kissell- 1949
Secondary Position: Tackle(Backup)
-6'3 245. Buffalo Bills(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-52, 1954-56

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d3/John_Kissell%2C_American_football_defensive_tackle.png/220px-John_Kissell%2C_American_football_defensive_tackle.png

We're starting to scrape the bottom of the notoriety barrel. Kissel's one of the few players who actually got All-Pro accolades as a defensive player during this time. Like Len Ford, Kissell was a Browns acquisition after the team joined the NFL(he was part of a "trade" deal so the owner of the Bills, James Brueil, could get a minority stake in the Browns before his own team went belly-up). He was one of the group of players who fled north to Canada, and played a season for the Ottawa Roughriders before things were settled and he returned to Cleveland. He had a reputation, especially in the 50's, of being a strong, mean, and "a little bit rowdy" guy.

Beyond that, Kissell's the main defensive backup in the interior of the line, though he's joined by one other.

Backup Guard: Ed Ulinski- 1948
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Backup)
-5'11 203. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49

https://www.bcshof.org/halloffamers/ulinski1990.jpg

The best of the remaining lot of guards. Ulinski was a trusted member of the Browns, first as a player, then as a long-time assistant coach with the team. Clearly, he had been an excellent student of the game. As it turns out, he was also capable playing linebacker back when it was mostly two-way, and could still fill the same role here, though to be honest, he's likely to be used as a messenger guard, alternating with Bruno Banducci, even if on the opposite side of where he usually played.

Backup Middle Guard: Forrest "Chubby" Grigg- 1949(Off-Position)
Secondary Position: Tackle(Backup), Defensive Tackle(Backup), Kicker(DESPERATE Emergency)
-6'2 294. Buffalo Bills(AAFC): 1946/ Chicago Rockets(AAFC): 1947/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-51/ Dallas Texans: 1952

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Chubby_Grigg%2C_American_football_tackle.png

The weight isn't accurate. When Chubby arrived in the AAFC, would you believe he weighed in at about 330 pounds? He was so fat his coach would tell his teammates to "take two laps around Grigg." His best playing weight was around 275 pounds, to which Paul Brown once gave him a $500 bonus for showing up that thin, then promised another $500 if he'd keep himself at that weight. When Lou Groza was unable to kick for the Browns during a vital opening game against the defending champion Eagles in 1950, guess who they had do the kicking? According to Grigg, one could've planted a carrot in the hole he dug during the kick.

Of course, Grigg never played Middle Guard. He was strictly a tackle. But there are a distinct lack of viable Middle Guards in the AAFC(Again, the 5-3-3 was not widely used), with only one candidate in Visco Grgich of San Francisco. But we're going with Grigg here because Paul Brown actually went to the trouble of acquiring him, weight problems and all. And who's to say he wasn't the fill-in if Bill Willis were to ever go down?

Backup Center: Mike "Mo" Scarry- 1946
Secondary Position: Linebacker(Backup)
-6'0 214. Cleveland Rams: 1944-45/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-47

(No Photo Available)

When Scarry remained in Cleveland while the Rams went to Los Angeles, it was a bit of a big deal; he had been the Captain of the Rams during their championship run in '45. So the Browns got quite the steal when they signed him. He would last only two years before a physical decline and an offer to coach the football team at Western Reserve University(he was already coaching the basketball team) led to his retirement and passing his job onto Frank Gatski.

Scarry earned the job as the defensive signal caller midway through the '46 season, and I have to assume that's not just given to the linemen. Hence he makes perfect sense to back up both Gatski and Saban on both sides of the ball.

Backup Defensive Halfback: Warren Lahr- 1949
Secondary Position: None
-5'11 189. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1949/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-59

https://www.footballcardgallery.com/1954_Bowman/74/Warren_Lahr.jpg

FINE! I'll take a One-Year player to wrap up the roster! Well, it's not entirely true; Lahr was with Cleveland in '48 but was out of commission due to injury. Otherwise he would've warranted a starting spot alongside Tommy James as a two-year man.

Lahr's record in the 1950's goes a long way to warranting his selection. Not just in his ability, but in the certainty of his position. He primarily played Left Defensive Halfback, but for two separate years he played Left Safety, whether due to someone else being injured or his own decline. That's a valuable amount of versatility, but more importantly, it's a known quantity. Everyone else in the remaining player pool is utterly vague. With that we're virtually assured of at least one ironclad backup at every secondary position.

So, out of 35 roster spots, Browns players account for 22, with 2 more becoming future Browns after this decade. So, yeah, as expected of an utterly dominant team during any decade. There will be other All-Decade Teams laced with their respective dynasty teams, though hopefully not to this extent.



The Discarded:

If you thought the NFL's discarded list was shallow, I may as well not even have this section for the AAFC. Almost everyone who warranted mention I already had mentioned. Albert, Mutryn, Beals... those kinds of names won't be seen here.

Passers are pretty much tapped out. If Otto Graham and Frank Albert are the #1 and #2 of T Quarterbacks in the AAFC, with Y.A. Tittle a #3, then George Ratterman is the distant fourth place. George took the reigns for Buffalo, and toiled in the NFL in relative obscurity, at least until Otto Graham retired, where George was one of several hopefuls attempting to take his place. He failed to live up to such lofty expectations. Another George, Taliaferro, would have a middling career in the 50's but nothing to speak of. The last name of any repute is Bob Hoernschemeyer, a Tailback who was passed around the AAFC but eventually found a second life as a supporting role in the Detroit Lions during the 50's(he ceased to pass the ball by then, converted to a pure halfback).

The lone rusher not yet discussed was Norm Standlee. A bruising fullback, Norm actually debuted for the Bears in 1941, and would go on to lose an astounding five years to the war. Coming back in '46, he surprisingly eschewed the Bears(who considered him the heir apparent to Bronko Nagurski) for the 49ers. For a time he was a two-way player, eventually shifting over to linebacker fulltime when Joe Perry arrived. Ultimately, Norm was a bit too limited in scope; he was a fierce line-plunger on offense and that was about it. He was rarely if ever used in the passing game, and might have lacked range on defense which would've limited him to a rushing defender. I suppose I ought to mention Steve Juzwik, a one-year wonder for the Bills in '46 who petered out in subsequent years.

Oh, right. There was one more. It's easy to forget "Crazylegs" Hirsch ever started out as a halfback, though the stats sure imply he wasn't any good at rushing the ball. Even in lackluster offenses like in Chicago he had been used far more often as a receiver out of the backfield. My speculation was the Rockets used his breakaway speed as an open field receiving threat, leaving others like Bob Hoernschemeyer to do the heavy lifting on the ground.

Ends, eh. Well, the natural receiving types seem to be plentiful, though evidence of defensive prowess is lacking. There are some like Lamar Davis, who seemed to be athletically proficient(enough to be a ballhawk on defense). Some are old hands, like Joe Aguirre, who kicked and received for the Redskins prior to the AAFC. But as always, it came down to defensive position. Either they were more at home in the secondary(which I ultimately was stocked on), or they were ends on a six man line and had less responsibility in the trenches.

The remainder on the line are a dull lot. Weldon Humble was a Browns guard who ultimately fell short of the mark. Chet Adams was a key player of the "remain in Cleveland" bunch because the Rams sued for his services. But ultimately, Adams got to remain in Cleveland for the Browns. He's only noteworthy because he would've been the backup kicker for this team. Alas, we needed Kissell for his defensive line play. Another Tackle/Kicker was Harvey Johnson, who certainly made more often than he missed, but was essentially a middling player and to make matters weirder, it's unsure whether he played defensive tackle or linebacker on defense. A guy named Robert Nelson(who is next to impossible to find information online) of Los Angeles was the best remaining Center on the board, followed by a guy named Fred Negus of Chicago, who seemed more apt at defense than offense. Visco Grgich we did mention briefly, but needs a bit more clarification- I don't believe he has the athletic skills that made Bill Willis such a terror at Middle Guard. Without that, and with Grgich actually being smaller, I needed some size in the middle. Which is a shame because Grgich was one of the best 'rah-rah' guys you could have to make a pre-game pep talk.

The guys in the secondary, they're a mixed bunch. You have guys like Otto Schnellbacher of New York and Jim Cason of San Francisco, who showed up as safeties in the 50's and might have played the same role in the AAFC. Then you have guys who only played in the AAFC and are an eternal mystery, such as Eddie Carr, who had two seasons of seven interceptions with the 49ers, and then just vanished from the game.



The Scrimmagers:

This is virtually the same arrangement as the NFL Scrimmagers.

1940's AAFC All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Lawrence "Buck" Shaw- 1949
Offense: T-Formation
Defense: 5-3-3

Offense
QB: Frank Albert- 1949
LHB: Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch- 1946(Off-Position)
FB: Norm Standlee- 1946
RHB: Chet Mutryn- 1948(Off-Position)
LE: Jack Russell- 1948
LT: Bob Bryant- 1948
LG: Don Clark- 1949
C: Robert Nelson- 1948
RG: Lin Houston- 1949
RT: John Woudenberg- 1948
RE: Alyn Beals- 1949
Defense

LDE: Hal Shoener- 1949
LDT: Derrell Palmer- 1949
MG: Visco Grgich- 1949
RDT: Paul Mitchell- 1949
RDE: Gail Bruce- 1949
LLB: Bill Reinhard- 1948
MLB: Fred Negus- 1949
RLB: Weldon Humble- 1949
LDH: Eddie Carr- 1949
RDH: Jim Cason- 1949(Maybe Off-Position?)
S: Otto Schnellbacher- 1949
Bench

QB: George Ratterman- 1949
HB: Len Eshmont- 1949
HB: Steve Juzwik- 1946
FB: Vic Kulbitski- 1946
E: Al Baldwin- 1949
E: Van Davis- 1948
T: Chet Adams- 1949
T: John Kerns- 1949
G: Joe Signaigo- 1949
G: Abe Gibron- 1949
C: Felto Prewitt- 1946
B: Pete Layden- 1949
B: Bob Hoernschemeyer- 1948

The Offense is explicitly designed to be that of the 49ers, who were at the end of the league the second best team to utilize the T-Formation(and the second best team period). Mutryn and Hirsch have swapped spots in the backfield specifically because Albert is left-handed(the stats back this up; the Left-Half was utilized far less than the Right-Half). The backfield will swap back to their natural places if Ratterman or even Hoernschemeyer are under center. The defense isn't really from the 49ers, mostly because there's no guarantee they ran the 5-3-3 and at any rate, their defense was good mainly against the run- they were mortal against the pass. So this is really a 5-3-3 meant to imitate the Cleveland model if at all possible. The few remaining Cleveland Players of any note(Palmer, Houston, Gibron) are sprinkled amongst the roster. The majority of the trench players are from the 49ers, at least on the starting lineups.



Final Tidbits:

Stadium Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium


Training Camp: Bowling Green State(Bowling Green, OH)
Television Broadcast: ABC, announced by Harry Wismur

It's a heavily-Cleveland team, so we might as well have them stay put in Cleveland. And we might as well have the same guys who broadcasted the NFL Tune-Up do the same here.

 

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On 5/28/2019 at 5:08 PM, Zycho32 said:

The 1940's AAFC All-Decade Team:

So there was this guy around the time by the name of Arch Ward. He was the Sports Editor for the Chicago Tribune(a newspaper. A newspaper is news printed on large sheets of foldable paper, in case there were some of you young whippersnappers who DIDN'T know), but moonlighted by creating special sports events. You know the concept of All-Star Games? Those dreary, boring affairs that showcase the supposed best talent in whatever league and sport they come from, but since those games count for nothing the players barely try at all? He created the first All-Star game for Major League baseball in 1933, meant to be a one-time affair that was part of the 1933 World's Fair based in Chicago. Did you use to speculate if the Cleveland Browns could beat the Alabama Crimson Tide? Ward created a special exhibition game in the 1930's where the defending NFL Champions would take on an All-Star team of Collegiates, most of whom where already drafted by NFL clubs but were delayed in joining their teams to fulfill this obligation(one of the smaller reasons why it didn't last). He certainly had the ear of the NFL around this time, and twice would be offered the position of NFL Commissioner(1941 definitely, and I'm guessing 1939). He also lobbied unsuccessfully for a blasphemous-at-the-time idea; Expansion.

Expansion is sort of a way of life these days, but back in the 30's and going all the way to the 60's(in the case of Baseball, the entire first half of the 20th Century), the big leagues of any American sport balked at the idea. A lot of it likely came down to massive jitters inspired by the Great Depression, at first. It wouldn't be until the explosion of the 50's when Greed and just-plain-old-fashioned pooh-poohing started to become overriding factors. But anyway, Ward's failures to induce the NFL to expand led him to becoming contentious. Soon his priorities changed; he wanted to create a competing league that might one day take on the NFL in a Championship Game akin to the World Series of Baseball.

Sounds familiar, right? Yeah, Ward dreamed of this a full decade and a half before the AFL took off in the 1960's and created the Super Bowl.

Ward managed to secure a number of prospective owners who couldn't break into the NFL for one reason or another. Some were in cities competing directly with the NFL(Chicago, New York, newly-arrived Los Angeles), some were in Cities that just lost an NFL team(Cleveland), others in places without an NFL presence(Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami). They even scored an upset by luring an NFL Franchise(the Brooklyn Dodgers). We know how the story ends; the league folds, a few franchises join the NFL, and the grand narrative Ward sought would be delayed for some time. That's the dimestore history of the AAFC.

This has been hashed over in the NFL section, but bears repeating; since the AAFC only lasted a mere four years before folding, the five year guideline is rescinded. The overall preference will be for players who spent four or even three years with the league, but exceptions will be made for those who served less time if they are talented enough or come with a unique skill. As the AAFC years took place after the War, there will be no complications on that score.

The primary complication will be that of Integration.

In the 1920's there were a small number of African-American players in the NFL(none made the 20's Team for various reasons). By the early 30's, they were all gone and a "color ban" of sorts was implemented by the league. This lasted until after the war, when the Los Angeles Rams added a couple of black players to the roster(as far as I can tell, this was a requirement in order for the team to use the Los Angeles Coliseum). Kenny Washington was the most noteworthy of the bunch... but largely the players involved were bit performers in the grand scheme of things. Integration was slow in the NFL, but largely steady. By the 1960's the only team that had yet to sign black players were the Washington Redskins, though many teams had ratios to some degree. By the 70's this was largely done away with and from then on the NFL was, if not a Black-Majority league, then far closer to actual equality than other sports.

The AAFC started off challenging the concept of segregation. Or rather, it was primarily the Cleveland Browns that did so. In 1946 players such as Marion Motley and Bill Willis joined the Browns, primarily because they had already played for teams coached by Paul Brown through the college ranks and during wartime. But in the case of Motley and Willis, they were not bit players. They were actual stars and were utilized as such. Motley was the most feared rusher in the AAFC. Willis jumpstarted the Browns defense on the line. Unlike the NFL, Black Players stood a real chance of getting starring roles in the AAFC during these first few years. Guys such as Buddy Young, Len Ford, and Joe "The Jet" Perry would join the fray in subsequent years.

It's a great story to be sure, but what it means for our selection process is we have to be on the lookout for players who might really resist the idea of playing with these guys in any capacity(such thoughts do not get crushed period, much less overnight).

Team Roster- The Cliffs Notes Version:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

Head Coach: Paul Brown- 1949
Key Assistant: Blanton Collier- 1949
Backfield Coach: John Brickels- 1948
End Coach: Richard Gallagher- 1949
Tackle Coach: Bill Edwards- 1948
Guard Coach: Fritz Heisler- 1949
Center Coach: Red Conkright- 1946
Offense: T-Formation(Paul Brown Variant)
Defense: 5-3-3(Paul Brown Variant)

Offense
QB: Otto Graham- 1949
LH: Edgar "Special Delivery" Jones- 1948
FB: Marion Motley- 1948
RH: Johnny Strzykalski- 1947
LE: Mac Speedie- 1949
LT: Bob Reinhard- 1948
LG: Richard Barwegan- 1949
C: Frank Gatski- 1949
RG: Bruno Banducci- 1947
RT: Lou Rymkus- 1948
RE: Dante Lavelli- 1949
Defense

LDE: John Yonakor- 1946(Slightly Off-Position)
LDT: Martin Ruby- 1949
MG: Bill Willis- 1949
RDT: Arnold "Arnie" Weinmeister- 1949
RDE: Len Ford- 1949
LLB: Tony Adamle- 1949
MLB: Lou Saban- 1948
RLB: Alex Agase- 1949
LDH: Tommy Colella- 1947
RDH: Tommy James- 1949
S: Cliff Lewis- 1948
Bench

Backup QB: Yelberton Abraham "Y.A." Tittle- 1948
Backup HB: Glenn Dobbs- 1948(Off-Position)
Backup HB: Orban "Spec" Sanders- 1947(Off-Position)
Backup HB: Claude "Buddy" Young- 1947(Off-Position)
Backup FB: Joe Perry- 1949
Backup E: Horace Gillom- 1949
Backup DE: George Young- 1948
Backup T: Lou Groza- 1948
Backup DT: John Kissell- 1949
Backup G: Ed Ulinski- 1948
Backup MG: Forrest "Chubby" Grigg- 1949(Off-Position)
Backup C: Mike "Mo" Scarry- 1946
Backup DH: Warren Lahr- 1949



The Coaches and Strategies:
 

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There's really only one choice for Head Coach. You've probably heard of him. He's actually the guy the Cleveland team is named for. I am of course speaking of Paul Brown.

(I am also not kidding about the name. Brown tried to fight it, rejecting the name the first time around, then rejecting the replacement("Panthers", the name of a prior failed team not in the NFL), and ultimately forcing Owner Arthur McBride to take the name "Browns" despite Brown's objections. Brown then spent about fifty years perpetuating the myth that the team name was actually short for "Brown Bombers", a tribute to Boxing Champion Joe "The Brown Bomber" Louis.)

It would be blissfully simple for me to say that Brown's near-perfect success in the AAFC and subsequent dominance in the NFL came down to simply using black players as stars- it would certainly make this section much shorter to write. But the truth is, Paul Brown was the atom bomb of innovation around this time.

The innovations largely came from Paul pondering such notions in his head during his storied career before joining the Browns' organization. He started his Coaching career at the High School level in the 1930's, first with a prep school named Severn, then most notably for Massillon High School for the rest of the decade. His success at that level labeled him as the "Miracle Man of Massillon." Small wonder a rebuilding Ohio State University sought him out for the Head Coaching position. Three seasons were spent at Ohio State before the war derailed things, and a National Title was won in '42. Then it was off to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station to coach the service team, called the Bluejackets. He would spend two years there until the war ended, but would ultimately opt not to return to Ohio State when McBride dangled a really juicy offer($17,500 a year, more than any coach on any level, plus an ownership stake in the team and a stipend while he remained in the military).

During this stretch of time Brown observed the professionals, borrowing game film from them. He grew to study the Bears T-Formation and Don Hutson's route running and timing. He also created the concept of the playbook and even as far back as his days at Massillon would grill his players on the matter contained within. Another thing he created during his time at Ohio State was the 40-Yard Dash. It was meant to emphasize quickness. (Brown made the measurement 40 yards because that was the distance typically covered on a punt). Even in places like Ohio State or the Bluejackets where he couldn't utilize his accumulated knowledge for true innovation, his organizational structure was second to none. In terms of preparation, he brought a machine gun to a knife fight.

So let's look at some of the innovations.

Offensively, Brown ran the T-Formation. Well, that's not entirely accurate. He didn't run the T-Formation like any of the NFL Teams did. In the first place, he distorted the T, creating multiple formations out of the arrangement. This involved pushing the halfbacks out of the backfield. For instance, here the Ends are split off while the halfbacks are pushed up into what we call 'slot' positions today;

https://archive.is/JW0mb/f1591b82a5cfe4cf8deaccdb2aadf1d625f98aa8.gif

Or here's one where the halfbacks are slotted out in a traditional "Double Wing" alignment;

https://archive.is/JW0mb/dd6a643c11a1e89c43e2311e9a63b1cce3f0d27e.gif

Then you could get batty with the variations; you could limit either of these looks to one side. You could have the 'slot' variation on the left and the 'wing' variation on the right, and vice-versa. Or you could just use the traditional T Look.

This kinda defeats the purpose of a balance rushing attack, but Cleveland didn't rely on that. Instead, the Browns utilized the short passing game to a calculated extent that Sammy Baugh couldn't match. Brown used what he learned from watching Hutson run routes and gameplanned his entire passing game around it. I don't mean for just the primary receiver while the others ran 'dummy routes', I mean every one of them ran precise routes and could potentially receive the pass if the Quarterback saw they were open. Like so;

https://archive.is/JW0mb/e9fd302a0e59752e98f8c822cc8a81db54766c08.gif

You can see the progression. First choice is the left end running a quick out- kind of the bread and butter of the short passing game as it gets the ball outside of the defender's reach if thrown correctly. If that's not open, the second choice is the left halfback in the 'slot' position, running an outside slant designed to juke his defender and either slip past the others covering the end or draw in the safety. The third option is the right end running a crossing route up the field, hopefully behind the rest of the defense having been drawn towards the two receivers on the left. (If I'm any kind of speculator, I would say the right halfback in the right 'slot' is the fourth option meant to be used only if the other three are covered, and likely not going to the left)

This relied upon placing the halfbacks in the 'slot' positions to get them into their pass routes faster, and also relied on the QB backpedaling about two or three steps while sizing up the defense- a refinement of the dropback pass. This could also be altered in two ways depending on the defense. If the defense was tightened up to combat the short passing game, a receiver could execute a double-move route while the QB made a pump-fake, resulting in an open receiver streaking behind the defenders for a big gain. The other way was via a draw play; the linemen block as if pass protecting but instead the ball is handed off to a runner. Draw plays are utilized largely to exploit a defense geared up to stop the pass, and happen with next to no warning. If a linebacker gets the jump on a running back executing a draw play, either he had no pass coverage responsibilities or he should be screened for psychic powers.

The defense is one I would equate to a Air Defensive 5-3-3. It would largely be the same as the refinement Clark Shaughnessy would create for the Bears in 1950. In short, the Middle Linebacker was largely the roamer while the outside linebackers covered the outside areas and focused on the short passing game, while the defensive halfbacks engaged the ends directly, while the safety either gave support on one side or another or directly covered a third option- either in a 'slot' or 'flanker' role. Given how Cleveland was typically the dominant pass defensive unit in the league despite being in the lead so often teams had to throw a lot against them, it's safe to say it worked.

Head Coach: Paul Brown- 1949
Offense: T-Formation(Paul Brown Variant)
Defense: 5-3-3(Paul Brown Variant)

Key Assistant: Blanton Collier- 1949
Backfield Coach: John Brickels- 1948
End Coach: Richard Gallagher- 1949
Tackle Coach: Bill Edwards- 1948
Guard Coach: Fritz Heisler- 1949
Center Coach: Red Conkright- 1946

Every assistant in those specific years worked under Paul Brown. This is vital. Under a Paul Brown team, only Paul Brown runs the show. The assistants are expected to teach their assigned positions and stay on the beam when it comes to the sheer organization and preparation the team utilized. Blanton Collier has a broader coaching assignment than the others, but only because he earned it via his extensive football knowledge. This is even more vital because Collier was sort of the Yin to Brown's coarse disciplinarian Yang- he was just as demanding, but warmer and softer about it. His patience serves as a needed vent.



The Offensive Lineup:
 

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You know the drill already.

Starting Quarterback: Otto Graham- 1949
Secondary Positions: Safety(Emergency), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'1 196. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-55

http://www.theworldoffootball.com/Images/OttoGraham.jpg

There are three specific reasons to go with Graham over any other option at Quarterback. One, he played under Paul Brown through his entire professional career, only ever competing against him while enrolled at Northwestern, upsetting Ohio State twice in '41 and '43. Two, every single professional year Graham spent at the helm of the Browns Offense saw the team in the Championship game, a streak that ended when Otto retired. And Three, Paul Brown called the plays. All of them. He would alternate guards so they could relay the plays to Graham and he would run them. Even if you could find a superior QB, you likely couldn't find one that wouldn't chaffe under such direction(and on the flipside, Otto would struggle if paired up with a coach that let him run the plays).

You'd be hard-pressed to find a flaw in Otto's game. He was accurate and strong and had a very good touch for the long ball. His mobility in the pocket was one born from playing basketball(the sport he initially wanted to concentrate on while in college), and he had the speed to be useful as a runner or as a defender in the secondary(5 interceptions in '46). His vision was excellent(he would anticipate the route running of his receivers just from watching their shoulders, according to Paul Brown), he was consistent and tough, and his "one of the guys" mannerisms went a long way toward him being the uncontested leader of the team. This team just doesn't win without him.

Starting Left Halfback: Edgar "Special Delivery" Jones- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency)
-5'10 193. Chicago Bears: 1945/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/AAFC Championship Games/1947BrownsYankees/JonesSweeps10Y.jpg

Last time around I actually put a fullback at this spot in Joe "The Jet" Perry, because he had great speed and he wasn't sniffing the starting lineup at fullback. I have a better understanding of the position now, especially in regard to how Paul Brown's offense was run during this time. Even so, there were two other candidates who demonstrated a superiority at least in terms of stats. These were Chester "Chet" Mutryn of the Buffalo Bills(ANOTHER Buffalo Franchise before the AFL!), who was the primary ground gainer for the team, and then there was Orban "Spec" Sanders, a Tailback for the New York Yankees who was already an electrifying runner but was also tasked with passing the ball during his time. Both would probably be classified as superior runners in terms of athleticism. Mutryn was also a highly competent receiver, a must for the Browns offense(Sanders only really caught passes in '46 before becoming the primary passer, but would be considered competent as well).

I decided against Sanders as the starter, mainly to preserve him(he had a reputation for really hard running, which proved to burn his legs out) and to utilize him in a more complementary role as a utility player. Mutryn had a more legit problem; he was a Cleveland boy and was actually signed by the Browns in 1946... only to be traded to Buffalo before ever playing a down. There are no details as to why. If he had been traded for someone who would turn into something valuable, then it stands to reason that it would've come out somewhere. So the reluctant conclusion was that Paul Brown made a choice and deemed Mutryn expendable.

That brings me to Jones, who for the first three years was a key cog in the backfield. Often playing second fiddle to Otto Graham and Marion Motley, Jones wasn't rated as very fast, but was consistently great on short-yardage plays. Paul Brown said he was one of the finest clutch players he ever had. Great praise. Especially since he was someone willing to stand up to Brown. An experienced '48 Jones beats out a more dynamic '46 Jones since we're going with a Browns team whose strategies were developing during the course of the AAFC's existence. Some good news; the decline in his stats from '49 actually came from a mid-season collarbone injury rather than an actual athletic decline.

Starting Fullback: Marion Motley- 1948
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Situational), Kick Returner(Alternate)
-6'1 232. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-53/ Pittsburgh Steelers: 1955

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ac1394dbdcca6a36cbf486633b129cd813095ac3/r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2013/02/17/marion-motley-4_3.jpg

I could probably spend several paragraphs going over the racial climate of this time, and the sheer mountain guys like Motley had to climb in order to earn respect from the rest of the league and even the fans of the sport. The trouble is, that would make it seem like guys like Motley are only on these rosters because of the strain they were under and the scope of their perseverance.

As if those were the only reasons to take them!

You simply didn't find a more destructive back on the football field after Motley until the great Jim Brown(and even then some old-time Browns players would have preferred Motley). The man had a lineman's size but a proper speed for the backfield. The bread-and-butter play for him was the aforementioned draw play, but he ran the ball on other types of plays as well. His inside running was without peer; more than fast enough, his strength was good enough to truck defensive linemen, to say nothing of the hapless linebackers and halfbacks who were in the next line of defense(think Earl Campbell or better yet Marshawn Lynch). That speed also allowed him to have a presence in the outside running game. His hands were sure and he was often the safety valve of the Cleveland short passing game... y'know, when he wasn't being the best darn blocking back in the league. He was certainly the greatest pass protector of his time, Otto Graham's bodyguard, but he was also a force when it came to downfield blocking. I'm a bit surprised Paul Brown had him returning kicks during the early part of his career, but whatever works, right?

Motley's also a rare case during the platoon era where an offensive skill star is still rated highly on defense to the extent that he's still part of the defensive game plan. In Motley's case, he never stopped being the best-rated linebacker on the Browns; he just stopped playing defense full-time. He was often utilized in short-yardage situations, most probably on the goal line.

Starting Right Halfback: Johnny Strzykalski- 1947
Secondary Positions: Defensive Halfback(Emergency), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'9 190. San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1946-49/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950-52

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xnVSpmmAeK0/T1EUTH29cBI/AAAAAAAAARM/evgE7YyKMgM/s400/Stryzkowski_Johnny_49ers_display_image.jpg

The first Non-Brown on the roster. "Johnny Strike" (because you don't wanna keep typing his name over and over) is a rather underrated runner for his time. His athletic accolades are a bit like Edgar Jones in that he wasn't blinding fast. However, he was incredibly hard to knock down, even when he did get knocked down(rules at the time permitted you to get up and keep running if you were only knocked off your feet and not tackled). Resilient, tough, and fearless, Johnny was more of a team player than his stats indicated, largely being noted as a willing and capable blocker. It's a bit unusual for someone at Right Halfback to be the primary ground gainer(at least before Joe Perry came along), but it might help to point out that his QB, Frank Albert, was left handed.

If anything, Johnny is more a bonus than a key cog in the Cleveland attack because they really didn't have much production out of the position until 1949 when a guy named Dub Jones joined the team. He's most likely a genuine upgrade to Jones in all aspects with the possible exception of Home Run potential.

Starting Left End: Mac Speedie- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Emergency)
-6'2 203. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-52

https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/2014/05/mac-speedie-white-ball.jpg

That's not a nickname, or an assumed name, or anything of the like. That's the legit name Mac carried with him throughout his life.

As if that weren't ironic enough, Mac was unfortunate enough to be afflicted with Perthes Disease as a child. It's a bone deficiency disease, in this case located in the hip joint. Four years in leg braces helped to correct the condition, but it left one leg shorter and thinner than the other, and gave him a bit of an odd gait when he ran. That gait would help him when it came to faking defenders out in the open field, but the disease stoked a fire in him that never went out. Speedie was also affected by the war, in more way than one; he was very nearly signed by the Detroit Lions in '42 but the owner at the time(Fred Mandel) wanted to wait, and this is probably one of many reasons why you've never heard of Fred Mandel even if you're a Lions fan. In '45 Speedie started to get offers from AAFC clubs before their inaugural season started. The Browns were the latter of two teams, the other was the Chicago Rockets.(Weirdly in the two games he played where he got this attention, he wasn't a Split End. He played the T-Quarterback in the first game and Defensive End in the second.)

At any rate, once he settled down in Cleveland and began to mesh with Otto Graham and fellow end Dante Lavelli, Mac soon proved he was probably the best spiritual successor to the just- retired Don Hutson. Whether he was on Hutson's level in terms of pure speed is debatable, but he was Hutson's equal when it came to running routes and catching passes. In addition to that, he proved a capable blocker and he was lucky enough to be spared from two-way playing since the AAFC embraced the platoons more readily than the NFL did. There's just no one at Mac's position that could run with him in terms of talent and productivity.

One tidbit of note; Speedie is not in the Hall of Fame, but the reasons might be a tad petty. The claim is he was frozen out by Paul Brown because Speedie left for Canada in '53, effectively crossing Brown in the process. Not that their relationship was all that rosy to begin with; Mac had an independent streak which contested Brown's controlling nature.

Starting Left Tackle: Bob Reinhard- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Emergency), Punter(Alternate)
-6'4 234. Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1946-49/ Los Angeles Rams: 1950

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Bob_Reinhard_-_1950_Bowman.jpg

One, if they know of Cleveland Browns history, would expect Lou "The Toe" Groza to be the starting Left Tackle. There are three factors that work against him, however. First, it took two seasons at different positions(center and right tackle) before he settled in. Second, when he did settle in as a starting Left Tackle, his kicking stats inexplicably dropped. And Third, since we are in the era of Free Substitution, there's no requirement for our best kicker to actually be in the starting lineup. That's good, because we have two superior linemen to choose from at left tackle. Bob Reinhard of Los Angeles is one. The other would be Martin Ruby of Baltimore and New York. Both were excellent two-way players with no weaknesses to speak of- Ruby even spent seven years up in Canada where two-way football was still a thing and continued to thrive. So largely this is down to preference. Reinhard's a little thinner, but more interestingly, he had enough athletic burst to be sometimes used at Fullback. Not that Paul Brown really needs that particular gimmick, but it's enough of an excuse to have Reinhard on the offensive side and Ruby on the defense. Problem solved.

Starting Left Guard: Richard Barwegan- 1949
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency)
-6'1 227. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1947/ Baltimore Colts(AAFC): 1948-49/ Chicago Bears: 1950-52/ Baltimore Colts: 1953-54

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/d4/99/72d499ffd9991897d074da2b2fc1870e.jpg

Another relatively anonymous lineman who slipped through the cracks of history, Barwegan was an outstanding blocker for his time. He was quick enough to be a natural pulling guard and was a capable Linebacker in the short time he had to be a two-way player. His peak is a typical one for players who would normally slip between decades and not be selected by our current rule-set; it took place right at the fault line between two decades, weakening the case for him in either one- had the AAFC not made the 40's a special case anyways. Barwegan is the key choice to be the permanent guard on the offensive lineup.

Starting Center: Frank Gatski- 1949
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Emergency)
-6'3 233. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-56/ Detroit Lions: 1957

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZf-YOBPZB8/V1Wyf0eVulI/AAAAAAAADG4/kGYNX0rctWQ-MkgY2P0VZJMRqZ3bMbjoQCLcB/s1600/2016-06-06_11-24-47.jpg

Gatski earned no accolades during his time in the AAFC, but he's pretty much indispensable to the game plan. They called him "Gunner" for his strength and speed on the line, and his reputation for toughness would be most notable in the 1950's when Paul Brown simply did not carry a backup center behind Gatski. He never complained about it. In fact, he handled the more coarse parts of Paul Brown's nature better than just about anybody on the team. As he put it, "As a professional, you're supposed to be able to take that crap."

Frank really didn't have a weakness in his game. He pass blocked for Otto Graham, and he opened holes for Marion Motley and the other runners. But he does have one particular fact; if you include the AAFC years, then Gatski was a part of eight different championship teams during his career, including his final season with the '57 Lions. The only other player to have been in as many titles as Frank was fellow teammate Lou Groza, but he spent two years in the beginning and the '64 Championship mainly as a kicking specialist.

Starting Right Guard: Bruno Banducci- 1947
Secondary Positions: Defensive Guard(Maybe), Linebacker(Maybe)
-5'11 216. Philadelphia Eagles: 1944-45/ San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1946-49/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950-54

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/9f/e9/32/9fe93254899bd85e43402caf0d5a6636--bruno-fame.jpg

Poor Bruno is starting Right Guard in name only. That's not for any fault of his own; he's screwed largely because of a preference Paul Brown had.

We've glanced at the topic before, but Paul Brown called the plays on offense. Not his Quarterback. Just him. This creates a bit of a problem when you consider the lack of communication from the field to the sidelines(the radio set in the helmet that we're all so familiar with? It would actually be first tried well into the 50's to rather lukewarm effect. Until then, Brown had to use another means to relay plays. For a while he used hand signals and the like, but with Free Substitution, he began to use Messenger Guards. Basically, it was a group of two guards who would typically play the same position on the line and would alternate between plays; the guard coming on the field would relay the play in the huddle to the rest of the team. Why a Guard? My guess is it was the most expendable position, a stance that, honestly, NFL Franchises still have to this day.

Bruno's great line play was hampered by the fact he was injured early on in '48 and hadn't recovered well enough by '49, robbing him of two further AAFC years that could've boosted his peak and made the idea of which guard position to use the relay on a much more difficult question to answer.

Starting Right Tackle: Lou Rymkus- 1948
Secondary Positions: Defensive Tackle(Emergency)
-6'4 231. Washington Redskins: 1943/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-51

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Lou_Rymkus%2C_American_football_tackle%2C_on_a_1950_football_card.jpg

They called him "The Battler". He called himself "The Heel", I guess as a comparison to Lou Groza, who called himself "The Toe." Beyond that, Lou was pretty easy to describe; an all-day all-night warrior who did his job and never missed a practice much less a game. By far he was the best pass protector on the Cleveland line, enough so that he was stripped of any defensive duties, despite being rated as the team's best defensive tackle(Lou didn't like being taken out of the game, naturally).

So what else was there? Well, he had a rather singular aim for success and a rather simplistic lack of modesty, which worked wonderfully when playing under Brown but kinda screwed him from time to time when he went into the coaching ranks. He spent the '46 season with his knee screwed up so bad that it would lock up about six times a game, but he was so workmanlike during this time that he stunned Paul Brown when he told him about it after the season ended. He was one of the inaugural Head Coaches of the AFL, running the Houston Oilers to the first ever AFL Championship, but he ran afoul of owner Bud Adams and was sacked mid-season in '61. Sometime before that he had been a part of the Green Bay Packers coaching staff from '54 to '57, back when they were mediocre-to-terrible, but in the meantime he had coached a number of future Hall-of-Famers in Forrest Gregg and Jim Ringo. It's worth wondering what might've happened if Rymkus had been picked to be the Head Coach in '58 instead of Ray "Scooter" McLean. Would the Packers have gone 1-10-1 and ended up with Vince Lombardi the following year?

Starting Right End: Dante Lavelli- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Emergency)
-6'0 191. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-56

http://www.clevelandseniors.com/photos/dante-lavelli/dante-lavelli-reception.jpg

If Speedie was the uber-athletic star of the receiving game, then Lavelli was the unsung hero. Not as fast or agile, Dante proved to have the best hands of the bunch- Browns Commentator Bob Neal called him "Gluefingers", though that sounds more like a token bad guy in a Hard-Boiled Detective Comic. No less than Paul Brown raved about his ability to come down with the ball in traffic, coining his own nickname; "Mr. Clutch."

Lavelli's dynamic in this offense is much like his role in Cleveland; while Speedie's the guy teams have to triple-cover, he's the guy running sure routes and hauling down contested passes and operating as Otto's personal safety valve. He did this by breaking out of his route and into the clear whenever he got a hint that the play was starting to go wrong. Sometimes he'd streak downfield, sometimes he would track back towards the Quarterback- the creation of the "come back" play receivers will do in this day and age. And if there was a cruical play late in the game, get the first down or touchdown or GO HOME, Lavelli's the man the team would lean on.

Again, there isn't too much to say; unlike Mac, Dante did not have an incident or a slowly eroding relationship with his coach, so there were no mishaps during his career. The most 'boat-rocking' thing he did was be part of the initial group of players that created what would be known as the National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA. Heck, the idea was hatched in his basement!



The Defensive Lineup:
 

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There's a slight positive; since the AAFC embraced the Platoon style of play earlier than the NFL, there's a bit more to go on when finding quality defenders... though this section may be even more Brown-heavy than the offense.

Starting Left Defensive End: John Yonakor- 1946(Slightly Off-Position?)
Secondary Positions: End(Emergency)
-6'5 222. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ New York Yanks: 1950/ Washington Redskins: 1952

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/John_Yonakor%2C_American_football_end%2C_in_Cleveland_Browns_uniform.jpg

There are a fair amount of two-way ends in the rosters of the AAFC. There's a really big name that we'll get to on the right side of the line. There were a number of ends who seemed to play roles on defense better suited for the secondary; understandable given that the 6-2-2-1 was still in use. There were some two-way ends of some repute; Joe Aguirre had a lengthy career in the NFL but failed to qualify for the roster. Others like Jack Russell and Bruce Alford were also noteworthy during this time. None of them really had a word spoken of their defensive exploits, however. That's the key difference between them and John Yonakor; John was primarily used as a defensive end for Cleveland. That's not to say he couldn't catch a pass; He was a stalwart receiver in his collegiate days at Notre Dame, and would sometimes fill in at Offensive End in case of injury. But I'd say Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli are the main deterrents that kept John from getting bigger numbers.

It's not a complete fit; offensively he was either a nondescript end, or mainly Right End. He's pushed into this position thanks to our actual Right End, but I don't foresee any problems. The reason we're going with a rookie '46 Yonakor is that eventually he clashed with Paul Brown numerous times over contractural disputes. He would actually hold out for raises. This might be a key reason why he was eventually sold to the New York Yanks in 1950 rather than remain a Cleveland Brown.

Starting Left Defensive Tackle: Martin Ruby- 1949
Secondary Positions: Left Tackle(Emergency)
-6'4 249. Brooklyn Dodgers(AAFC): 1946-48/ New York Yankees(AAFC): 1949/ New York Yanks: 1950

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/MarvinRuby1950Bowman.jpg

We covered pretty much everything relevant about Ruby in the section about Bob Reinhard. Suffice it to say, he's the best we'll find for this spot.

There is a funny little tidbit that took place in Ruby's days in Canada. Jackie Parker, a Quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos and at the time a rookie out of the University of Tennessee, told a story of how the Edmonton coaching staff were desperately skimming through game film of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in order to find a weakness in Ruby's game. Supposedly they found it in his left foot. When Ruby was in a three-point stance, his left foot would do one of two things; when he wanted to charge straight ahead, his foot would be put in a forward position. When he wanted to cut left, his foot would be positioned back.

I'll give you three guesses as to how well that advance scouting worked out, but I think you'll only need one.

Starting Middle Guard: Bill Willis- 1949
Secondary Positions: Right Guard(Emergency)
-6'2 213. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-53

https://codeandfootball.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/220px-bill_willis_1951.jpg

So, it's 1946. Cleveland Browns Training Camp. Bill Willis is lined up directly across from center Mike "Mo" Scarry(Gatski's predecessor). Willis beats him every time. Badly. One time Scarry backpedaled so fast to contain Willis he stepped on Otto Graham's foot. And eventually people start complaining that Bill is jumping off-sides; his reaction time after the snap is so darn amazing it must be cheating of some sort. Paul Brown- who actually coached Willis at Ohio State, which was the main reason he got an invitation to camp to begin with, observes and concludes that Willis was not off-side. The thing was, Willis noted Scarry's fingers tightening on the ball just before he snapped it. He was already incredibly quick, but that hellacious jump on top of his athletic excellence put him in a class above all others. That was one of two reasons Willis played Middle Guard at a weight considered too light for the NFL. The other reason was a by-product of his life; his brother Claude had been an All-State Fullback in high school, and Bill did not want to be compared to Claude, so he eschewed the backfield and played on the line. That's quite the outlier.

Willis had a fantastic burst(he was nicknamed "Panther") but he also used that superior mobility to drop into coverage and defend the pass. In modern times he'd have been a straight-up linebacker with that kind of skill. It even contributed to the 1950 NFL Championship that Cleveland won; in the Eastern Division Finals, Cleveland won a hard-fought game against the New York Giants 8-3. They key defensive play was made by Willis, who ran down a running back in the open field named Gene Roberts to prevent a game-breaking touchdown. It also helps that Gene's nickname was "Choo-Choo"(I doubt it was purely because Roberts attended Chattenooga; and if you don't know why THAT'S relevant then you need to look up some Golden Oldies).

Starting Right Defensive Tackle: Arnold "Arnie" Weinmeister- 1949
Secondary Positions: Tackle(Emergency)
-6'4 235. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1948-49/ New York Giants: 1950-53

http://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/weinmeister-arnie-6.jpg?53933

Guys who only spent two years in the AAFC are acceptable since the AAFC only lasted four years to begin with, but the guideline I try to live by is that such players are really talented enough to justify that. But you guys know that just as much as you guys know how often I step on such guidelines during these decades. I'm really just making a long-winded reasoning for why I have Weinmeister at this spot, when really, he's the greatest linemen of this time despite having such a short NFL Career.

Arnie wasn't that complicated a guy. He benefitted from two player wars; one waged by the NFL and the AAFC(Something that Arnie admits was the only reason he got into Pro Football, because the pay beforehand wasn't much). And then there was the second in the mid-50's that few people know about, when players were leaving the NFL and going north to Canada. Nowadays, the idea of an NFL star leaving the US and getting MORE money to play in the CFL is laughably absurd. Not then. Salaries had yet to really take off and players typically worked off-season jobs, which was often made worse whenever the NFL was alone on the summit of pro football. At any rate, in 1953 Arnie got $15,000 a year for the British Columbia Lions, one of the highest paid players in Canada, and $3,000 above what the Giants were paying him at that time. It also helped that Arnie lived in Seattle and the Lions played in Vancouver. Very close to home. And that's why his playing career in the US was only six seasons.

As to why he's in the Hall of Fame despite that, it's not hyperbole to claim that Weinmeister was the greatest lineman of his time. With the possible exception of Bill Willis, no one was faster on the line than Arnie. When he was with the Yankees, the only player faster than him was 5'4 Buddy Young. His speed actually had him used through College as a Fullback(he HAD been an All-City Tackle through high school), but he was placed back on the line once he turned pro. He was also highly strong and a great diagnoser of the opposition, which served to help him stop opposing plays. But his greatest skill was in pass rushing, and would serve to put a spotlight on him in an era where most defensive players toiled in anonymity.

Starting Right Defensive End: Len Ford- 1949
Secondary Positions: Right End(Emergency)
-6'4 245. Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-57/ Green Bay Packers: 1958

https://albersheims.com/ItemImages/000005/1625a_med.jpeg

Ford's a peculiarity in that he's recognized as an All-Time Brown from this era, but he wasn't with the team during its AAFC days. He was taken by Cleveland in the 1950 Dispersal Draft after two years in Los Angeles, where he played primarily two-way End even with Free Substitution in place. As such he was one of the best pass rushers in the league but also doubled as a reasonably dangerous receiver due to his size and athleticism. Once in Cleveland he was converted to Defensive End and became such a sterling player for his position that it eventually got him posthumously into the Hall of Fame(booze destroyed him after he retired, and a Heart Attack in '72 finished him off. He was inducted four years later).

It also helps that there is no comparable defensive talent in the AAFC at his position. Nobody comes close to his production or his athletic potential.

Starting Left Linebacker: Tony Adamle- 1949
Secondary Positions: Fullback(Emergency)
-6'0 215. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1947-49/Cleveland Browns: 1950-51, 1954

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d2/Tony_Adamle%2C_American_football_linebacker.jpg

While the AAFC embraced Platoon-style football, it's still important to emphasize offensive positions. Doing so will ensure reasonable depth all around. Take linebackers in a 5-3-3. You could very easily inset three linebackers who play center, and doing so might make your linebacking unit the best out of all the contenders, but you'll likely face a drought in positions such as fullback and guard. So ideally you still want a Fullback/Center/Guard combination for your starting linebackers.

The 5-3-3 system likely favors Cleveland linebackers above all else, mostly because while the responsibilities are still primitive, there's a bit more nuance than in a 6-2-2-1, especially for the outside linebackers, who take on some of the roles the ends in a 6-2-2-1 do. This brings us to Adamle, who came into the AAFC as a bruising short-yardage runner(he went with the Browns over the Bears, to give you some idea of how he was favored), but with Marion Motley on the team he primarily played on the defensive side, and by the end of the AAFC was one of the best at his position(Paul Brown would make him Defensive Captain for the 1950 season). He would come out of retirement for the Browns in '54 to help them win another title, then returned to his medical practices(another Doctor in the ranks!).

My evidence for Tony playing on the left side comes from some brief action in the first quarter of the 1950 Championship, one way showing the Rams throwing an edge pass to their right side and Adamle being the defending player to get very first crack at him. Left side on the defense equals right side on the offense, remember.

Starting Middle Linebacker: Lou Saban- 1948
Secondary Positions: Center(Emergency)
-6'0 202. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49

http://goldenrankings.com/Football Pictures 2/AAFC Championship Games/1949Browns49ers/LouSabanBrowns.jpg

The name probably sounds familiar. Most of you are thinking about Nick Saban, the famous and infamous college coach and NFL Dud(they might have been distant cousins). A few learned bookworms among you might remember the name belonging to a long-time coach, one who would bounce everywhere from the High School Level to College to the Pros(two-time AFL Champion Buffalo Bills in '64 and '65) and back again(he even had two brief stints in the Arena Football League in the 90's). Nobody talks about his playing days, but that's a matter of how brief it was compared to how talented he was on the field.

When Lou left the Browns in 1950 to take the Head Coaching job at Case Western Reserve University, he had finished a four-year career as the Browns middle linebacker, and by the end of it, he was regarded as one of the very best in the league(much like Adamle). A lot of it was probably due to the insanely high success of the Browns in the AAFC, who had no rival capable of stunning them in a Championship game. But no linebacker in the AAFC intercepted more passes than Saban did(13 to be exact, almost doubling the nearest competitors). Lou manned the middle incredibly well when it came to pass defense, and with the line in front of him, concerns about his size can be set aside.

Saban announced his retirement as a player just before the '49 Championship. We could entice him to stay, but it might be best not to risk it.

Starting Right Linebacker: Alex Agase- 1949
Secondary Positions: Guard(Emergency)
-5'10 212. Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1947/ Chicago Rockets(AAFC): 1947/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-51/ Baltimore Colts: 1953

https://www.footballcardgallery.com/1951_Bowman/111/Alex_Agase.jpg

There are a distinct lack of Guards who played linebacker and showed up on interception stats, which implied they were more multi-dimensional than mere run-stoppers. Cleveland has two of the three main ones, the third being a one-year player. So it came down to Alex Agase or Weldon Humble, both of whom played for the Browns around this time. But ultimately, it came down to where they went in the lineup in 1950 when Cleveland joined the NFL. Agase was a Right Guard but played linebacker mainly, while Humble remained at left guard. Case closed.

There's honestly not that much to say. Agase had a reputation for ferociousness on the field while in College, and he did manage to hold his own in Cleveland as a defensive starter. If there was gonna be anyone who theoretically could take Agase's spot, it would likely be Barwegan, our starting Left Guard. But who plays Left Guard then?

Starting Left Defensive Halfback: Tommy Colella- 1947
Secondary Positions: Halfback(Emergency), Punter(Alternate), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-6'0 187. Detroit Lions: 1942-43/ Cleveland Rams: 1944-45/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-48/ Buffalo Bills(AAFC): 1949

https://orleanshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/102018_Colella1944.jpg

There were some conditions I chose to make use of when determining the secondary. One was their proficiency during the latter half of the AAFC, from '48 to '49. The theory goes that the league was more developed during this time, and bolstered by the usage of Free Substitution, which would make interceptions a bit more valuable(because, again, defensive backs were not likely to earn All-Pro accolades just yet). Another was the position these players played in during the 1950's when Pro Football Reference finally got around to placing defensive players in exact positions. This part isn't very exact, because it's perfectly possible for a defensive halfback in the 40's to transition to safety in the 50's, and unless directly stated elsewhere, this information would basically be lost.

Left Halfback is a small betrayal of the first condition. Colella was an amazing defensive back in '46 and '47, but tapered off considerably by '48 and was traded from Cleveland to Buffalo to make room for a newcomer in Warren Lahr, who only played one year in the AAFC but seriously warranted consideration simply because of the earned reputation throughout his career- that and he actually filled in for a time at safety, which honestly is a major cap in his favor but we can find others to fill in at that spot. This Tommy is one of the few players who had a lengthy career of sorts in the NFL- he was another of the Cleveland Rams who did not go with the team to Los Angeles. He was a versatile player at every level and demonstrated as such when he'd fill in at halfback and punt returner and take on punting duties(apparently he was especially good at booting punts out of bounds and preventing opposing returners from gaining any yards).

Starting Right Defensive Halfback: Tommy James- 1949
Secondary Positions: Halfback(Theoretical)
-5'10 185. Detroit Lions: 1947/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-55/ Baltimore Colts: 1956

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aO6msWGpITI/TnXvaV4jZqI/AAAAAAAADOQ/e_74n8ZNEHM/s1600/James_Tommy1_Browns.jpg

James did play only two years in the AAFC, but he has something even more valuable; ample time spent with Paul Brown. Three years at Massillon High School and then 1942 at Ohio State University. It's actually a surprise that he signed with the Lions in 1947, but then it was the NFL. A broken arm sidelined him, and Detroit chose not to retain him. In came the Browns, and the rest his history.

By all accounts, James was an excellent defensive back even during his early days; great pass defender, and a sure tackler despite his small size(he's closer to 5'9). No holes to really speak of, though you might see that height and think you could beat him vertically and with superior reach. His offensive skills were only used in High School and in College; he got in with the Browns as the platoon style took off and thus was never given any responsibility on the offensive end- hence why he's "theoretical" rather than merely "emergency".

Starting Safety: Cliff Lewis- 1948
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Emergency), Punt Returner(Alternate)
-5'11 167. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/Cleveland Browns: 1950-51

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Cliff_Lewis%2C_American_football_quarterback%2C_in_1946.png

This guy is actually the first ever Quarterback to start for the Cleveland Browns. He started for a few games in '46, alternating with Otto Graham. Then Otto took over and Cliff became a backup on the offensive side. His passing numbers throughout his career look pedestrian, but clearly the team had no real problem when he had to fill in(he had been a triple-threat star in College and in the Service). He fits in as the emergency Quarterback, but he positively thrives on defense.

Cliff is the AAFC leader in interceptions, and apart from Tommy Colella, nobody else really comes close. His coverage skills are of a high quality and he could close in on the football better than most. He was also the primary punt returner, though his numbers don't look that hot. It's more likely he was the safest option rather than the most explosive, but given that the AAFC was still using formations like the Single Wing on several teams, he may have been guarding against short punts.



The Bench:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

13 Players. You know the drill.

Backup Quarterback: Yelberton Abraham "Y.A." Tittle- 1948
Secondary Positions: None
-6'0 192. Baltimore Colts(AAFC): 1948-49/ Baltimore Colts: 1950/ San Francisco 49ers: 1951-60/ New York Giants: 1961-64

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/121718532128-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
https://etsn.fm/files/2012/08/y.a.-tittle_morris-berman_getty-538x630.jpg
(You probably know the second picture better)

Cliff Lewis was a solid enough backup for Cleveland, but that's not enough. Not against a threat not of this world. Of the remaining T-Formation QBs that participated in the AAFC, only two are noteworthy enough to warrant consideration. Tittle is one, Frank Albert of San Francisco is another.

In truth, it should be a slam dunk for Albert, who played the full four years of the league, leading San Francisco to a mostly positive performance overall, enough to challenge Cleveland in the '49 Championship. He was known as the "wizard" of the T, mastering in the style of faking and spinning a la Carl Brumbaugh(he had been the starting QB for the '40 Stanford team that brought the T to College Football). His passing skills were of a high quality, though a bit erratic, but he could run and created the Bootleg play as a result. In addition, he was a top-notch punter and could be found in the defensive secondary in key games(though no stats seem to come from it). He was also left-handed.

Tittle is more limited. He's not quite the runner that Albert is. He didn't play defense. He didn't punt. But he had three things in his favor.

First is, in terms of pure passing ability, Tittle was probably already superior to Albert as a rookie. The second is, both wikipedia and Coffin Corner give evidence that Tittle was initially a Cleveland Brown, but an effort to 'balance' the AAFC in '48 forced Cleveland to give Tittle away to the Baltimore Colts. So we know he has Paul Brown's interest. The third is a quote from Tittle himself; "I was a strict, straight-arrow quarterback when I came to the 49ers. I learned to become free…I had always tried to please every coach I ever played for, I guess to the point I became their mirror image." And now we know that the rookie Tittle will do everything he can to do things the "Paul Brown" way, making him much more malleable than Albert, who may have too much of the Riverboat Gambler in him to mesh well with Brown.

Backup Halfback: Glenn Dobbs- 1948(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Backup), Defensive Halfback(Backup), Safety(Backup), Punter(Backup)
-6'4 210. Brooklyn Dodgers(AAFC): 1946-47/ Los Angeles Dons(AAFC): 1947-49

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/380758311746-0-1/s-l1000.jpg

Even as the T-Formation swept into Professional Football, there were still stalwarts of the old Single-Wing plying their trade. Dobbs was one such man. A typical multi-tier threat, Dobbs was a passer, runner, and punter from Tulsa and into the pros. He could also defend the pass, and until the platoon system came around he was one of the better secondary players. The problem in this case is the T-Formation itself. When he was traded to the Dons in '47, Dobbs was thrust into the traditional QB role of the T. He struggled openly. In '48, new coach Jimmy Phelan created something called the "Phelan Spread" for Dobbs to run. You've seen the Empty-Backfield Shotgun from today? That's the Spread. It was designed to not only give numerous receiving options, it also placed principal running responsibilities upon the passer, essentially the Tailback role on steroids.

Certain formations of Paul Brown's T might resemble the Phelan Spread with just a fullback added to the backfield, but the QB always took snaps from under center for the Browns. So even this won't offer much help in terms of transition. Even so, Dobbs was such an all-around talent that one can take him and try to place him anywhere he can contribute. He can certainly scramble with an ability equal or superior to Graham and has the added bonus of being accurate while on the run. He didn't catch passes, being the passer, but one ought to presume he'd be capable of that. His defensive position is vague, but I'd say his height is better suited for safety. As for Punting, his numbers are so ferocious, but even those dropped while he was under the T, giving credence to the suspicion that he, like Sammy Baugh, was a proponent of the short punting game.

Backup Halfback: Orban "Spec" Sanders- 1947(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Quarterback(Emergency), Defensive Halfback(Backup), Safety(Backup), Kick Returner(Primary), Punt Returner(Primary)
-6'1 196. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1946-48/ New York Yanks: 1950

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7143176249_3748d7b4e0_o.jpg

Like I mentioned before, I want to save Spec's legs by using him in more of a utility role. As the primary backup for the Halfback positions, he can play relatively sparingly in that department. And by making him the main returner(though safer options are still on the table), I can still use him as a weapon. When he came back to Pro Football in '50, it was purely as a safety, but there's no evidence he played that or defensive halfback while in the AAFC. Given that the only 'known' defensive halfbacks from this time are Browns players, I'll have to take what I can get.

Backup Halfback: Claude "Buddy" Young- 1947(Off-Position)
Secondary Positions: Fullback(Emergency), Kick Returner(Backup), Punt Returner(Backup)
-5'4 175. New York Yankees(AAFC): 1947-49/ New York Yanks: 1950-51/ Dallas Texans: 1952/ Baltimore Colts: 1953-55

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2448340.1448644257!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/lvjerseys28s-5-web.jpg

Oh, the height isn't a typo;
https://www.stampsfans.com/attachments/img_1393-jpg.362/

Buddy was seriously that small. He was so small, that he claimed he faced greater prejudice over his size than for the color of his skin. He was probably pulling the leg on that one; his personality was positive and bubbly enough to make him popular after a time. But even so, the size wasn't much of a deterrent for Buddy, who was a Track Star at the National level and earned the sobriquet "Bronze Bullet". But he was even more electrifying on the football field, where he was highly elusive and possessed great courage. He was always the home run threat on his teams, a quality that would probably serve him well here.

There are limitations, of course. He did not play on defense, and while he was listed as a Fullback, he wasn't playing the traditional role that the position required(the Yankees did a lot of faking, according to Spec Sanders, so they didn't need a big brute at Fullback). But he translates quite well to halfback(he makes the receiving game even more dangerous with his speed), and will be partnered with Sanders in the return game.

Backup Fullback: Joe Perry- 1949
Secondary Positions: Kick Returner(Alternate)
-6'0 200. San Francisco 49ers(AAFC): 1948-49/ San Francisco 49ers: 1950-60/ Baltimore Colts: 1961-62/ San Francisco 49ers: 1963

http://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/nfl.hall.of.famers.not.drafted/images/joe-perry.jpg

Here's what Paul Brown expected of his fullbacks; good pass protecting, capable of catching passes out of the backfield, adept at the inside running game. When Perry came into the AAFC, he was primarily a straight-ahead runner with world-class speed(he was nicknamed "The Jet" for a reason). It took a short time to adjust, but we don't know exactly when he turned the corner. He was learning how to catch passes by the end of the AAFC, so there was that. There was no evidence that he was a reluctant or bad blocker. If anything he was too good a runner to use in that capacity. He also had no defensive position apart from some spare time in '48. As for inside running, he wasn't a rough-and-tumble beast. Rather, he used a mixture of power, speed, and  elusiveness, more akin to a race car.

The best thing Perry offers this team is a frightening concept; the change-of-pace back. A bit like Buddy Young at Halfback, Perry's speed works incredibly well in contrast with Marion Motley's all-around bruising spectacle. Motley tenderizes the opposing defense and leaves them flinching and mentally bracing for impact... then Perry steps in and shoots through the line almost as soon as the ball is snapped and he eludes those same defenders who are psychologically locked into the violent collisions because of Motley and are slow to pick up on Perry eluding them instead of crashing into them.

And for fun, here's a couple of daffy facemasks worn by Perry during his carrer!
https://www.profootballhof.com/assets/1/26/Perry-Joe-2.jpg?53549
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/4517923144_75f7fb8463_o.jpg

Backup End: Horace Gillom- 1949
Secondary Positions: Defensive End(Backup), Punter(Primary)
-6'1 221. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1947-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-56

http://clevelandbrownsfootballcards.com/browns1951cards/horacegillomrookie1951bowmancard.jpg

The lack of bench spots(an unbelievable thing to say while accounting for thirteen players to fill them) and a need to cover multiple positions at once come back to haunt us. We had a maximum of two spots that could be used for purely one-sided players, and which we used on Joe Perry and Buddy Young, along with an extra spot for Y.A. Tittle which we've already compensated for and them some. This means we're now losing out on several ends of debatable all-around skills, none more so than Alyn Beals, whom could be more dangerous as a receiver than Speedie or Lavelli but simply didn't register as a defender. Again, there are a stable of E/DE players, most of whom played 6-2-2-1 and could actually have played defensive back. Horace Gillom is another Cleveland Brown player, but he gets this spot over the others simply because of his punting skills.

His yards per average isn't that great compared to others like Glenn Dobbs or Frank Albert, but his real specialty was hang time. You probably know the term; hang time is how long a punt remains in the air before it is fielded by the returner. The longer it stays up in the air, the more time your players have to cover the distance. I'll put it this way; a high punt that goes a mere 40 yards is far more likely to be received as a fair catch, where the returner surrenders all rights to forward possession in order to be protected from hits by the opposition. A lower angled punt that travels fifty yards or further will have less time spent in the air, and if the returner fields it cleanly and facing the opposition, he likely has some room to gain yardage. This carries the risk of the returner breaking off a long gain or even a touchdown. So the hang-time punt is a safe and sure means of ensuring the opposition does not alter the momentum in an instant.

Apart from that, Gillom was good enough to be a valuable backup to Speedie and Lavelli at End, and also good enough to fill in at defensive end. If the roster size was set to modern standards the choice would be drastically different.

Backup Defensive End: George Young- 1948
Secondary Positions: End(Emergency)
-6'3 214. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-53

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/George_Young%2C_American_football_defensive_end.jpg

Again, it's the 5-3-3 that dictates things. In truth, George is the actual Left End of Cleveland's defense, and can replace Yonakor if need be, but I find Yonakor to have the greater potential and stouter size for the position. Either way, with Young I have a defensive end well-versed in the 5-3-3, and was good enough to remain a starter on said defense for several years after the team joined the NFL. Plus he's another Brown; I don't overstate their dominance of this league one iota.

Backup Tackle: Lou Groza- 1948
Secondary Position: Defensive Tackle(Emergency), Kicker(Primary)
-6'3 240. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-59, 1961-67

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Lou_Groza%2C_American_football_placekicker%2C_on_a_1950_football_card.jpg/220px-Lou_Groza%2C_American_football_placekicker%2C_on_a_1950_football_card.jpg

They call him "The Toe." Which is kind of a stupid nickname to give a kicker because you'd break your toe if you ever really used it without protection to kick a dang football. Note Lou's shoe in the photo. It's got a flat edge on the front of it, meaning the boot is designed for kicking- punters and kickers who played other positions would actually have to change shoes mid-game in order to kick. But I'm digressing. They called him "The Toe". Fine. Whatever. I'd have called him "The Boot" to be honest, but that's just me.

Groza's time in the AAFC wasn't really spent as the unbeatable gold standard for his specialty. In fact, he had some notably bad years, including a paltry 2-for-9 season in '49. Some contemporaries posted better accuracy stats, but a detailed stat has didn't exist at the time gives a clue as to why Groza is still the superior kicker of the bunch. Pro Football Reference, as far as their kicking/punting stats go, has a collection of stats centered around a kicker's makes and attempts from certain yards out. You can expect a good kicker to make a large amount of their attempts from within thirty yards. And that accuracy naturally dwindles the further you go from that. In fact, long-range accuracy begins to be a vital skill in determining the best kickers of their respective times, but those stats won't exist until the 1960's(as Groza's profile on PFR demonstrates). If they existed for the AAFC, they would show that not only was Groza probably the most accurate at about fifty yards, but that apart from a handful of tries, he was probably the only one to routinely try from that far out. From forty to fifty yards out, his ability to make kicks gave the Browns an extra weapon that reduced the defense's room to bend against them.

A quick word about his longetivity. Groza's real playing career was only about fourteen years and ended in 1959. I say "real" because he was still the team's starting Left Tackle during that time. When he came back in '61, it was purely as a placekicker. If you only count players who played more than just kicker and punter, Groza ranks 12th all time in games played, though that drops drastically when not including the pure specialist days.

Backup Defensive Tackle: John Kissell- 1949
Secondary Position: Tackle(Backup)
-6'3 245. Buffalo Bills(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-52, 1954-56

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d3/John_Kissell%2C_American_football_defensive_tackle.png/220px-John_Kissell%2C_American_football_defensive_tackle.png

We're starting to scrape the bottom of the notoriety barrel. Kissel's one of the few players who actually got All-Pro accolades as a defensive player during this time. Like Len Ford, Kissell was a Browns acquisition after the team joined the NFL(he was part of a "trade" deal so the owner of the Bills, James Brueil, could get a minority stake in the Browns before his own team went belly-up). He was one of the group of players who fled north to Canada, and played a season for the Ottawa Roughriders before things were settled and he returned to Cleveland. He had a reputation, especially in the 50's, of being a strong, mean, and "a little bit rowdy" guy.

Beyond that, Kissell's the main defensive backup in the interior of the line, though he's joined by one other.

Backup Guard: Ed Ulinski- 1948
Secondary Positions: Linebacker(Backup)
-5'11 203. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-49

https://www.bcshof.org/halloffamers/ulinski1990.jpg

The best of the remaining lot of guards. Ulinski was a trusted member of the Browns, first as a player, then as a long-time assistant coach with the team. Clearly, he had been an excellent student of the game. As it turns out, he was also capable playing linebacker back when it was mostly two-way, and could still fill the same role here, though to be honest, he's likely to be used as a messenger guard, alternating with Bruno Banducci, even if on the opposite side of where he usually played.

Backup Middle Guard: Forrest "Chubby" Grigg- 1949(Off-Position)
Secondary Position: Tackle(Backup), Defensive Tackle(Backup), Kicker(DESPERATE Emergency)
-6'2 294. Buffalo Bills(AAFC): 1946/ Chicago Rockets(AAFC): 1947/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1948-49/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-51/ Dallas Texans: 1952

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Chubby_Grigg%2C_American_football_tackle.png

The weight isn't accurate. When Chubby arrived in the AAFC, would you believe he weighed in at about 330 pounds? He was so fat his coach would tell his teammates to "take two laps around Grigg." His best playing weight was around 275 pounds, to which Paul Brown once gave him a $500 bonus for showing up that thin, then promised another $500 if he'd keep himself at that weight. When Lou Groza was unable to kick for the Browns during a vital opening game against the defending champion Eagles in 1950, guess who they had do the kicking? According to Grigg, one could've planted a carrot in the hole he dug during the kick.

Of course, Grigg never played Middle Guard. He was strictly a tackle. But there are a distinct lack of viable Middle Guards in the AAFC(Again, the 5-3-3 was not widely used), with only one candidate in Visco Grgich of San Francisco. But we're going with Grigg here because Paul Brown actually went to the trouble of acquiring him, weight problems and all. And who's to say he wasn't the fill-in if Bill Willis were to ever go down?

Backup Center: Mike "Mo" Scarry- 1946
Secondary Position: Linebacker(Backup)
-6'0 214. Cleveland Rams: 1944-45/ Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1946-47

(No Photo Available)

When Scarry remained in Cleveland while the Rams went to Los Angeles, it was a bit of a big deal; he had been the Captain of the Rams during their championship run in '45. So the Browns got quite the steal when they signed him. He would last only two years before a physical decline and an offer to coach the football team at Western Reserve University(he was already coaching the basketball team) led to his retirement and passing his job onto Frank Gatski.

Scarry earned the job as the defensive signal caller midway through the '46 season, and I have to assume that's not just given to the linemen. Hence he makes perfect sense to back up both Gatski and Saban on both sides of the ball.

Backup Defensive Halfback: Warren Lahr- 1949
Secondary Position: None
-5'11 189. Cleveland Browns(AAFC): 1949/ Cleveland Browns: 1950-59

https://www.footballcardgallery.com/1954_Bowman/74/Warren_Lahr.jpg

FINE! I'll take a One-Year player to wrap up the roster! Well, it's not entirely true; Lahr was with Cleveland in '48 but was out of commission due to injury. Otherwise he would've warranted a starting spot alongside Tommy James as a two-year man.

Lahr's record in the 1950's goes a long way to warranting his selection. Not just in his ability, but in the certainty of his position. He primarily played Left Defensive Halfback, but for two separate years he played Left Safety, whether due to someone else being injured or his own decline. That's a valuable amount of versatility, but more importantly, it's a known quantity. Everyone else in the remaining player pool is utterly vague. With that we're virtually assured of at least one ironclad backup at every secondary position.

So, out of 35 roster spots, Browns players account for 22, with 2 more becoming future Browns after this decade. So, yeah, as expected of an utterly dominant team during any decade. There will be other All-Decade Teams laced with their respective dynasty teams, though hopefully not to this extent.



The Discarded:
 

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If you thought the NFL's discarded list was shallow, I may as well not even have this section for the AAFC. Almost everyone who warranted mention I already had mentioned. Albert, Mutryn, Beals... those kinds of names won't be seen here.

Passers are pretty much tapped out. If Otto Graham and Frank Albert are the #1 and #2 of T Quarterbacks in the AAFC, with Y.A. Tittle a #3, then George Ratterman is the distant fourth place. George took the reigns for Buffalo, and toiled in the NFL in relative obscurity, at least until Otto Graham retired, where George was one of several hopefuls attempting to take his place. He failed to live up to such lofty expectations. Another George, Taliaferro, would have a middling career in the 50's but nothing to speak of. The last name of any repute is Bob Hoernschemeyer, a Tailback who was passed around the AAFC but eventually found a second life as a supporting role in the Detroit Lions during the 50's(he ceased to pass the ball by then, converted to a pure halfback).

The lone rusher not yet discussed was Norm Standlee. A bruising fullback, Norm actually debuted for the Bears in 1941, and would go on to lose an astounding five years to the war. Coming back in '46, he surprisingly eschewed the Bears(who considered him the heir apparent to Bronko Nagurski) for the 49ers. For a time he was a two-way player, eventually shifting over to linebacker fulltime when Joe Perry arrived. Ultimately, Norm was a bit too limited in scope; he was a fierce line-plunger on offense and that was about it. He was rarely if ever used in the passing game, and might have lacked range on defense which would've limited him to a rushing defender. I suppose I ought to mention Steve Juzwik, a one-year wonder for the Bills in '46 who petered out in subsequent years.

Oh, right. There was one more. It's easy to forget "Crazylegs" Hirsch ever started out as a halfback, though the stats sure imply he wasn't any good at rushing the ball. Even in lackluster offenses like in Chicago he had been used far more often as a receiver out of the backfield. My speculation was the Rockets used his breakaway speed as an open field receiving threat, leaving others like Bob Hoernschemeyer to do the heavy lifting on the ground.

Ends, eh. Well, the natural receiving types seem to be plentiful, though evidence of defensive prowess is lacking. There are some like Lamar Davis, who seemed to be athletically proficient(enough to be a ballhawk on defense). Some are old hands, like Joe Aguirre, who kicked and received for the Redskins prior to the AAFC. But as always, it came down to defensive position. Either they were more at home in the secondary(which I ultimately was stocked on), or they were ends on a six man line and had less responsibility in the trenches.

The remainder on the line are a dull lot. Weldon Humble was a Browns guard who ultimately fell short of the mark. Chet Adams was a key player of the "remain in Cleveland" bunch because the Rams sued for his services. But ultimately, Adams got to remain in Cleveland for the Browns. He's only noteworthy because he would've been the backup kicker for this team. Alas, we needed Kissell for his defensive line play. Another Tackle/Kicker was Harvey Johnson, who certainly made more often than he missed, but was essentially a middling player and to make matters weirder, it's unsure whether he played defensive tackle or linebacker on defense. A guy named Robert Nelson(who is next to impossible to find information online) of Los Angeles was the best remaining Center on the board, followed by a guy named Fred Negus of Chicago, who seemed more apt at defense than offense. Visco Grgich we did mention briefly, but needs a bit more clarification- I don't believe he has the athletic skills that made Bill Willis such a terror at Middle Guard. Without that, and with Grgich actually being smaller, I needed some size in the middle. Which is a shame because Grgich was one of the best 'rah-rah' guys you could have to make a pre-game pep talk.

The guys in the secondary, they're a mixed bunch. You have guys like Otto Schnellbacher of New York and Jim Cason of San Francisco, who showed up as safeties in the 50's and might have played the same role in the AAFC. Then you have guys who only played in the AAFC and are an eternal mystery, such as Eddie Carr, who had two seasons of seven interceptions with the 49ers, and then just vanished from the game.



The Scrimmagers:
 

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This is virtually the same arrangement as the NFL Scrimmagers.

1940's AAFC All-Decade Remainders:
Head Coach: Lawrence "Buck" Shaw- 1949
Offense: T-Formation
Defense: 5-3-3

Offense
QB: Frank Albert- 1949
LHB: Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch- 1946(Off-Position)
FB: Norm Standlee- 1946
RHB: Chet Mutryn- 1948(Off-Position)
LE: Jack Russell- 1948
LT: Bob Bryant- 1948
LG: Don Clark- 1949
C: Robert Nelson- 1948
RG: Lin Houston- 1949
RT: John Woudenberg- 1948
RE: Alyn Beals- 1949
Defense

LDE: Hal Shoener- 1949
LDT: Derrell Palmer- 1949
MG: Visco Grgich- 1949
RDT: Paul Mitchell- 1949
RDE: Gail Bruce- 1949
LLB: Bill Reinhard- 1948
MLB: Fred Negus- 1949
RLB: Weldon Humble- 1949
LDH: Eddie Carr- 1949
RDH: Jim Cason- 1949(Maybe Off-Position?)
S: Otto Schnellbacher- 1949
Bench

QB: George Ratterman- 1949
HB: Len Eshmont- 1949
HB: Steve Juzwik- 1946
FB: Vic Kulbitski- 1946
E: Al Baldwin- 1949
E: Van Davis- 1948
T: Chet Adams- 1949
T: John Kerns- 1949
G: Joe Signaigo- 1949
G: Abe Gibron- 1949
C: Felto Prewitt- 1946
B: Pete Layden- 1949
B: Bob Hoernschemeyer- 1948

The Offense is explicitly designed to be that of the 49ers, who were at the end of the league the second best team to utilize the T-Formation(and the second best team period). Mutryn and Hirsch have swapped spots in the backfield specifically because Albert is left-handed(the stats back this up; the Left-Half was utilized far less than the Right-Half). The backfield will swap back to their natural places if Ratterman or even Hoernschemeyer are under center. The defense isn't really from the 49ers, mostly because there's no guarantee they ran the 5-3-3 and at any rate, their defense was good mainly against the run- they were mortal against the pass. So this is really a 5-3-3 meant to imitate the Cleveland model if at all possible. The few remaining Cleveland Players of any note(Palmer, Houston, Gibron) are sprinkled amongst the roster. The majority of the trench players are from the 49ers, at least on the starting lineups.



Final Tidbits:
 

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Stadium Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium


Training Camp: Bowling Green State(Bowling Green, OH)
Television Broadcast: ABC, announced by Harry Wismur

It's a heavily-Cleveland team, so we might as well have them stay put in Cleveland. And we might as well have the same guys who broadcasted the NFL Tune-Up do the same here.

 

 

This is just... amazing, wow!

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Not gonna bother with spoiler tags here. You'll just have to suck it up.

The NFL 1940's All-Decade Team vs The AAFC All-Decade Team:

The big question would be, why are we settling things in this fashion? Most of us who have seen colossal crossovers in various media have no doubt seen the competing sides oppose one another, if only at first. And you've no doubt agonized over why they didn't just band together from the start. You have to remember that the NFL and AAFC did not have a benign relationship with one another. While the AAFC only had teams competing with NFL clubs for attendance and money in three cities only, and largely set up shop in places the NFL didn't touch or in the case of Cleveland abandoned, they were still competing with one another over the services of players involved. Of equal importance to the competition was the natural pecking order. Can you honestly see anyone from the NFL standing aside for someone from the AAFC? They spent those four years constantly deriding the AAFC and implying they would fall to pieces against the big boys(the common claim was that the Browns would be easily defeated by the worst NFL teams). As for the AAFC, why would they take such criticism and concede anything to the NFL? It's hard to imagine these days, but these were teams owned by guys who for one reason or another wanted to get into Professional Football but were barred from entry by the NFL, with rosters full of players who were either rejected by the NFL, discarded by the NFL, or never would have sniffed the NFL.

Would an Alien invasion drastically change the dynamic? One would like to think so. These days we call that sort of thing Competence Porn. You have that impulse every time you watch a sci-fi/horror kind of movie because inevitably either the gathered team breaks down or the solitary heroes make dumb decisions for dramatic reasons. We want to believe saner, more composed people would make better decisions in those areas.

I'm a bit more cynical. So we have this solution; have the leagues face each other in a best-of series(which doubles as the remainder of the tune-up schedule) and let the victor take on the Aliens.

The Games:

I've said it can either be a best-of-three or a best-of-five series. I'll go with the latter, if only because there's a decent chance a best-of-three series will only go two games, leaving only three tune-ups altogether. All games are Broadcast by ABC and commentated by Harry Wismur.

Game 1: Polo Grounds, New York City, NY
Game 2: Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Game 3: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Game 4: Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA
Game 5: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

The Polo Grounds and Cleveland Municipal Stadium are the main venues used by the NFL Team and the AAFC Team respectively. Wrigley Field is the second NFL Venue, used because the Bears play there, and the NFL team is run by George Halas. Kezar Stadium is the second AAFC Venue, chosen largely because we don't need to go to New York a second time(even if it's Yankee Stadium) and the 49ers did end the AAFC as the second best team. The final venue was chosen because it was the lone venue that housed both an NFL(Rams) and AAFC(Dons) team at the same time. It's the best possible neutral ground we will find?

So Who Wins?:

I'll be honest; I don't see the NFL pulling this off. I would say the AAFC takes it three games to one.

I say this, because it sort of already happened in real life.

1950. The AAFC is dead. Three franchises have joined the NFL, one of whom is the Cleveland Browns. Everyone in the NFL camp says the Browns will have a rude awakening. It's set up to be so; their Opening Day matchup is against the defending NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles. That the Eagles are going to be without Steve Van Buren and Bosh Pritchard, among a couple others, is not seen as a concern. Even Greasy Neale is pooh-poohing the Browns, stating that all they do is pass. Given that he runs a 5-2-4 which is supposed to be good against air attacks, perhaps he has good reason.

Cleveland demolishes them 35-10. It's not even as close as the score indicates. Philadelphia's defense is carved up over and over again by the Browns. Even if they were at full strength, Philadelphia would have likely been unable to keep up and would've fallen short, maybe by a score of 35-24 or something like that. It was a humiliating day for the NFL.

In truth, it was a humiliating season. While the 49ers and Colts bungled their way to miserable records, the Browns continued to thrive, posting a 10-2 record. Those two losses offered a glimmer of hope and revenge for the NFL, as both came against the New York Giants, who unleashed their newly-created Umbrella Defense(basically a 6-2-2-1 that used the Ends to cover the short passing game) and largely stifled the Browns. The Giants did good enough to meet the Browns in the Eastern Division Playoffs. There they held Cleveland to merely eight points. A fantastic defensive effort... if only their offense didn't suck. Cleveland prevailed 8-3. That left the NFL Championship and the Los Angeles Rams as the lone obstacle. The Rams had an electrifying offense of their own, and the two teams would trade blows with one another for four quarters until a final drive was sealed with the clutchest of clutch field goals by Lou "The Toe" Groza, winning the game for Cleveland 30-28. The upstarts had conquered the NFL. And while they would never be perfect in championship games at the NFL level, they were always the Eastern Division representative through 1955.

Given that the AAFC team is basically the best of the Browns with some upgrades thrown in, can an All-Star NFL team pull enough power from its britches to prevail? The key problem is one of strategy. Go back and compare the NFL strategy to the AAFC strategy. The AAFC was far more advanced on offense, not reliant on the talent of singular players to make plays, but designing plays that involved everyone. The Giants stifled them initially because they game-planned heavily around pass defense, something that the NFL Team would struggle to do- even changing to a 5-2-4 defense isn't guaranteed to help, as it didn't help Philadelphia. The NFL defense will be too reliant on the ballhawking skills of Sammy Baugh(and maybe Bob Waterfield), their halfbacks will likely struggle containing Speedie and Lavelli, and while there are linebackers like Charley Brock and Riley Matheson who can defend the pass, they too will have their hands full containing the AAFC halfbacks, especially when the reserves come in and kick things up a notch. The line might be bolstered on the inside with Blozis, Ray, and Kilroy, but Craig will be swallowed up by Rymkus and even if they break the AAFC line they still have to get past Motley's pass blocking and the quick passing game as run by Otto Graham.

The NFL offense has a small advantage in that the AAFC defense is more pass oriented and can be beaten somewhat on the ground. But beyond that the offense is more primitive. Ends are expected to be islands unto themselves. Don Hutson will likely be corralled by a combination of Tommy James, Lou Saban, and Cliff Lewis. He'll get free, he'll gain yardage. Pete Pihos can catch contested balls and will make either Tony Adamle or Tom Colella miserable. And there George McAfee. So Sid Luckman has options in the passing game. But all that and the bruising running of Steve Van Buren? It's manageable. It'll be annoying, and the defense will leak at times, but the AAFC can weather that kind of assault.

I won't bother with scores. I'll just say that the NFL team could probably take one game from the AAFC when the chips are down, but not two.

But What About a Unified Team?:

...alright already! I didn't want to get into this, but...

We'll just break this down into separate categories. This won't be a complete and detailed list, merely speculative rambling on my part. You could probably do much better.

NFL Dominant Team, Five Year Guideline maintained:

The only players on the AAFC Team that spent years in the NFL that qualified(needed to have played in at least half of their team's games in a season) were Bruno Banducci, Lou Rymkus, and Tom Colella. Banducci probably doesn't warrant a spot, as he played in Philadelphia before the 5-2-4 and therefore is a question mark on defense. Rymkus will likely be put at starting defensive tackle, putting out Al Blozis. Colella miiiiight warrant a spot on the bench, or he might replace Richard Todd in the secondary.

And while we maintain the guideline we still have exceptions. But assuming the NFL team is willing to have black players, then Marion Motley is the definitive upgrade over Pat Harder. Bill Willis could likely replace Bucko Kilroy, but that'll just move Kilroy offer to Right Guard, bump Ray Bray to the bench, and get rid of George Musso entirely.

NFL Dominant Team, Five Year Guideline abolished:

Adding onto the above names, Richard Barwegan might unseat Danny Fortmann. Len Ford likely bumps Ed Sprinkle onto the bench and removes George Wilson from the lineup. Arnie Weinmeister bumps either Baby Ray or Rymkus onto the bench, which knocks Chet Bulger from the roster. Tony Adamle could potentially rub out Marshall Goldberg, either by taking his spot on the bench or bumping Ted Fritsch from the starting lineup. Spec Sanders and Buddy Young are electrifying enough to nab a couple of bench spots(Richard Todd and maybe Ward Cuff would be left out). Tommy James could take the remaining defensive halfback spot from Ernie Steele, and Steele would be gone too.

Sadly, the Cleveland passing attack is virtually ignored, largely because they would unseat Bears players.

AAFC Dominant Team, Five Year Guideline abolished:

There aren't too many NFL players, amazingly, who'd jump in on the starting lineup. Steve Van Buren would be questionable as he wouldn't be utilized as much, but he could still be an upgrade at Left Halfback. George McAfee even more so at Right Halfback, thanks to his speed. Bruiser Kinard at Left Tackle and Bulldog Turner at Center are really the only players on the line who could jump in. Larry Craig and Ed Sprinkle are worth consideration against the likes of John Yonakor and George Young, but it's kind of a push. Riley Matheson might be the lone guy at linebacker. Sammy Baugh would be the definitive upgrade at safety, as would Bob Waterfield. On the bench, I could largely see Bucko Kilroy as the backup at Right Guard and Middle Guard.


Next up will be the 1950's, without a competing league to boot!

 

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