View source for Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)

{{short description|American football team in the National Football League (1930–1943)}}
{{for|the AAFC team|Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox Pre-modern NFL team
| name = Brooklyn Dodgers
| bgcolor = #00693E
| fontcolor = silver
| helmet = 
| logo = BrooklynTigers45.png
| founded = 1930
| suspended = 1945
| folded = Players assigned to [[Boston Yanks]]
| relocated = 
| location = [[Brooklyn, New York]], United States
| field = [[Ebbets Field]] (1930–1944) <br> [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] (1945)
| league = [[National Football League]]
| division = [[Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933–69|Eastern Division]]
| colors = Blue, silver, white (1930–1937) <br> {{Color box|blue|border=silver}}{{Color box|silver|border=silver}}{{Color box|white|border=silver}} <br>
Red, blue, silver, white (1937–1943) <br> {{Color box|red|border=silver}}{{Color box|blue|border=silver}}{{Color box|silver|border=silver}}{{Color box|white|border=silver}} <br>
Burnt orange, black, white (1944) <br> {{Color box|#DE6108|border=silver}}{{Color box|black|border=silver}}{{Color box|#FFFFFF|border=silver}}
| history = '''Brooklyn Dodgers (1930–1943)''' <br> '''Brooklyn Tigers (1944)''' <br> '''Yanks (1945)'''
| nickname = 
| coach = [[Jack Depler]] (1930–1931) <br>[[Benny Friedman]] (1932) <br> [[Cap McEwan]] (1933–1934) <br> [[Paul Schissler]] (1935–1936) <br>[[Potsy Clark]] (1937–1939) <br> [[Jock Sutherland]] (1940–1941)<br>[[Mike Getto]] (1942)<br>[[Pete Cawthon]] (1943–1944)<br>[[Ed Kubale]] (1944)<br>[[Frank Bridges]] (1944)
| manager = [[Tom Gallery]] (1944)
| owner = [[Bill Dwyer (mobster)|Bill Dwyer]] & [[Jack Depler]] (1930–1933) <br>[[Chris Cagle (American football)|Chris Cagle]] & [[John Simms Kelly|John Simms "Shipwreck" Kelly]] (1934) <br> John Simms "Shipwreck" Kelly & [[Dan Topping]] (1934–1945)
| championships = 
| mascot = 
| website =
}}

The '''Brooklyn Dodgers''' were an [[American football]] team that played in the [[National Football League]] from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the '''Brooklyn Tigers'''. The team played its home games at [[Ebbets Field]] of the baseball [[National League (baseball)|National League]]'s team, the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]. In 1945, because of financial difficulties and the increasing scarcity of major league-level players because of the war-time defense requirements at the height of [[World War II]], the team was merged with the [[Boston Yanks]] and were known as the '''Yanks''' for that season.

This franchise was not related to the earlier (second incarnation) [[American Football League (1936)|American Football League]] II with a franchise that played as the [[Rochester Tigers|Brooklyn Tigers]] for the first half of the 1936 season before moving to [[Rochester, New York]] and playing as the Rochester Tigers. Another NFL team that played in the Brooklyn borough was the Brooklyn Lions (which became the [[Brooklyn Horsemen]] after merging with a team from an earlier first incarnation [[American Football League (1926)|AFL]]  of the same name) in 1926.

In 1946, co-owner and partner [[Dan Topping]] (1912–1974) pulled the Tigers team out of the NFL and placed it in the newly established rival professional league – the [[All-America Football Conference]], which shortly lasted until 1949, until three teams from the AAFC merged with and entered a reorganized NFL in 1950.

==History==
===Early years===
The team began play in 1930 after two Brooklyn businessmen bought the [[Dayton Triangles]] for $2,500 and moved the NFL franchise to Ebbets Field. These two individuals were [[Bill Dwyer (mobster)|Bill Dwyer]], a past owner of the [[New York Americans]] and [[Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL)|Pittsburgh Pirates]] of the [[National Hockey League]], and [[Jack Depler]], a player-coach for the NFL's [[Orange Tornadoes]].  Dwyer and Depler then renamed the Triangles the Brooklyn Dodgers, borrowing the former name of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Robins]], Brooklyn's major league baseball team, who had been named the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers in 1911 and 1912. The Brooklyn baseball team would again adopt the name Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932.

[[File:Friedman 1929 Giants.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[Benny Friedman]]]]
While operating under the Triangles franchise, the Dodgers were essentially a new team. The roster was dominated by players from the 1929 Tornadoes, with most of the 1929 Triangles roster riding the bench. Many former Triangles were unable to relocate their families during the Great Depression. The Dodgers finished fourth in the NFL with a 7–4–1 record, a massive improvement upon the Triangles' disastrous final seasons in Dayton. The high point of their season consisted of a 7–6 upset over the [[New York Giants]] at the end of November. The Dodgers star back was [[Jack McBride]], a former Giant. He led the league in scoring with a total of 56 points in 1930. The 1931 season saw the Dodgers post a 2–12 record. Once the season ended, [[Benny Friedman]] was brought in as the team's new [[player-coach]].

The 1932 season started off promising with wins over the [[Staten Island Stapletons]] and the new [[Washington Commanders|Boston Braves]] (later renamed the Redskins). The team soon hit a five-game losing streak. The streak ended with a 3–0 win over the [[Chicago Cardinals]], followed by four more losses. They ended the season 3–9.

===Post-Dwyer era===

At the end of the 1932 season, Bill Dwyer had enough of professional football. His three years with the Dodgers had cost him an estimated $30,000. The Dodgers were then purchased by two former New York Giants players, [[Chris Cagle (football player)|Chris Cagle]] and [[John Simms Kelly]] for $25,000. [[Cap McEwen]], a successful college football coach, was then brought in to replace Friedman, who would continue to play [[Halfback (American football)|tailback]] for the Dodgers through half of the upcoming season. The 1933 season also saw the NFL split into two divisions. The Dodgers were placed in the Eastern Division and had a chance for first place, by posting a 5–2–1 record. A 10–0 loss to the Giants in front of 28,000 Brooklyn fans at Ebbets Field ended that chance in November.

The following season, [[Dan Topping]] bought Chris Cagle's half of the team. Topping would later become an owner and president of baseball's [[New York Yankees]]. Meanwhile, Cagle continued to play in the Brooklyn backfield. Brooklyn signed [[Ralph Kercheval]], who later became one of the great NFL kickers. He returned to play for Brooklyn for the next seven seasons and scored every Dodgers point in their last six games as they finished with a 4–7 record.

In 1935, [[Paul Schissler]]. the former coach of the [[Chicago Cardinals]], took over as the Dodgers coach. Stars Cagle, Friedman, and Kelly all retired. As a result, the Dodgers line-up consisted of 15 rookies. The 1935 season did show the team posting a 5–6–1 record and second place in the Eastern Division. Over the next four seasons, the Dodgers placed either in the fourth or third place in the Eastern standings. Several of the star players to wear a Dodgers uniform during this time included [[Harold Hill (American Football)|Harold "Bunker" Hill]], [[Bob Wilson (American football)|Bob Wilson]], and [[Bill Lee (American football)|Bill Lee]]. The roster also included future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Famers]], [[Red Badgro]] and [[Ace Parker]]. Both men had played professional baseball in the [[Major League Baseball|majors]]. Badgro played for the [[St. Louis Browns]] before playing in the NFL for the Giants and [[New York Yankees (NFL)|Yankees]]. Meanwhile, Parker played under [[Connie Mack]], while as a member of the [[Philadelphia Athletics]]. He is best known for hitting a [[home run]] his first time at bat as a pinch hitter, becoming the first player in [[American League]] history to do so. Another future Hall of Famer joined the team in 1938, [[Frank Kinard]]. Kinard would play for Brooklyn for the rest of the franchise's history.

The Dodgers made NFL history on October 22, 1939. That day, at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers played the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] in the first NFL game shown on television. The Dodgers won the game 23–14.

===Jock Sutherland era===
[[File:Sutherland Owl1939.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Dr. John B. "Jock" Sutherland, coach of the Dodgers from 1940.]]

In 1940, the Dodgers chose [[Jock Sutherland]] as their team's next coach. Sutherland brought to Brooklyn the [[Single-wing formation]], which [[Sutherland single-wing|he had used]] at [[Lafayette College]] and [[University of Pittsburgh|Pitt]]. Under Sutherland, Brooklyn finished in second place in the Eastern standings behind the Redskins. Meanwhile, Parker was awarded the [[NFL MVP Award|Joseph Carr Trophy]] as the league's Official Most Valuable Player. During this time, Dodger staples [[Mike Gussie]] All American from West Virginia University, [[Dick Cassiano]] and [[Ben Kish]], who played for Sutherland at Pitt; [[George Cafego]] and [[Banks McFadden]] were signed by the team.

[[File:Tigers-Redskins-gameprogram-441112.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Game program from Brooklyn's penultimate season as the "Tigers".]]
In 1941, the team again landed in second place of the Eastern Division, behind only the Giants. Dodger [[Pug Manders|Clarence "Pug" Manders]] won the NFL rushing title that season with 486 yards. His title still represents the smallest number of yards carried to ever win this title. [[Warren Alfson]] and [[Merlyn Condit]] joined the team that season. Sutherland's 1940 and 1941 campaigns would be the most successful during the franchise's history.

===Decline===

Beginning in 1942, the team went into a steep decline, as World War II caused a shortage of players and fans. Coach Sutherland, along with Ace Parker and several other players left the team to join the [[United States Military|military]] and Mike Getto took over as coach. With the core of the team gone, the Dodgers sank to a 3–8–0 record. A year later, they won only two games. In 1944, Dan Topping chose [[Tom Gallery]] to run the team while he was serving in the armed forces.<ref>{{cite news |title=Topping Names Gallery |work=The New York Times |date=April 11, 1944}}</ref>

In 1944, the team was renamed the Tigers, but suffered an 0–10 regular season record. In a desperate attempt for survival, the team merged with the [[Boston Yanks]] for the 1945 season. The merged team played four home games in Boston and one in New York, but fans from neither city cared as they finished with a 3–6–1 record. The merger occurred on April 10, 1945<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19450410&id=aBhGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uugMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1215,4907753 Brooklyn Tigers and Boston Yanks may become one eleven], [[Lawrence Journal-World]], April 10, 1945</ref> after the [[1945 NFL draft]].

==Topping, the Dodgers and the AAFC==

In December 1945, Topping announced his intentions to accept the [[All-America Football Conference]]'s [[New York Yankees (AAFC)|New York franchise]]. In response to this defection, the NFL immediately cancelled his NFL team franchise, and all of its players were assigned to Boston.

Meanwhile, the AAFC planted another team in Brooklyn called the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Dodgers]], and the two teams would merge in 1949. Topping's Yankees employed several former Dodgers players in 1946 and 1947 such as Parker, Kinard and Manders, and the Yankees reached the AAFC Championship Game in both years (being beaten by the [[Cleveland Browns]] in both games).

==Indirect ties to the Indianapolis Colts==
The sequence of events begun by the demise of the Brooklyn Dodgers NFL team eventually resulted in the creation of what is now the [[Indianapolis Colts]].

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

After the 1951 season, Yanks owner Ted Collins sold the franchise back to the league. The NFL then sold it to a new owner, Giles Miller, who moved the team to Dallas and renamed it the [[Dallas Texans (NFL)|Dallas Texans]]. Miller returned his franchise to the league in the middle of the 1952 season, and the NFL operated it as a [[traveling team]] before folding it at the end of the season. In 1953, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to a [[Baltimore]]-based group and awarded it the remains of the Texans organization. The team, named the Colts, relocated to Indianapolis in 1984. The NFL does not consider the Colts a continuation of the Dodgers.

==First-round draft selections==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers|border=2}};"|Year
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers|border=2}};"|Pick
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers|border=2}};"|Player
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers|border=2}};"|College
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers|border=2}};"|Position
!class=unsortable style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers|border=2}};"|Notes
|- 
|[[1936 NFL draft|1936]]
|4
|[[Dick Crayne]]
|[[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]]
|Fullback
|
|-
|[[1937 NFL draft|1937]]
|2
|[[Ed Goddard]]
|[[Washington State Cougars football|Washington State]]
|Back
|
|-
|[[1938 NFL draft|1938]]
|3
|[[Boyd Brumbaugh]]
|[[Duquesne Dukes football|Duquesne]]
|Back
|
|-
|[[1939 NFL draft|1939]]
|5
|[[Bob MacLeod]]
|[[Dartmouth Big Green football|Dartmouth]]
|Back
|
|-
|[[1940 NFL draft|1940]]
|4
|[[Banks McFadden]]
|[[Clemson Tigers football|Clemson]]
|Back
|
|-
|[[1941 NFL draft|1941]]
|8
|[[Dean McAdams]]
|[[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]
|Halfback
|
|-
|[[1942 NFL draft|1942]]
|7
|[[Bobby Robertson]]
|[[USC Trojans football|Southern California]]
|Runningback
|
|-
|[[1943 NFL draft|1943]]
|4
|[[Paul Governali]]
|[[Columbia Lions football|Columbia]]
|Quarterback
|
|-
|[[1944 NFL draft|1944]]
|3
|[[Creighton Miller]]
|[[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]
|Halfback
|
|-
|[[1945 NFL draft|1945]]
|3
|[[Joe Renfroe]]
|[[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]]
|Back
|
|}

==Pro Football Hall of Famers==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers}};"|Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers Hall of Famers
|-
! colspan="5" style="{{NFLAltPrimaryStyle|Brooklyn Dodgers}};"|Players
|-
! No.
! Name
! Position
! Tenure
! Inducted
|-
| 17 || [[Morris Badgro|Morris "Red" Badgro]] || [[End (American football)|End]] || 1936 || 1981
|-
| — || [[Benny Friedman]] || [[Quarterback|QB]]/Coach || 1932–1934 || 2005
|-
| — || [[Frank Kinard|Frank "Bruiser" Kinard]] || [[Tackle (American football)|T]] || 1938–1944 || 1971
|-
| — || [[Clarence Parker|Clarence "Ace" Parker]] || [[Quarterback|QB]]/[[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || 1937–1941 || 1972
|}

==Multi-time Pro Bowlers==
The Dodgers are the only defunct franchise to send a player to the Pro Bowl/All-Star Game multiple times apart from the [[New York Yanks]]' [[Brad Ecklund]].<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=1938&year_max=1951&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&league_id=&team_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_qb=Y&pos_is_rb=Y&pos_is_wr=Y&pos_is_te=Y&pos_is_e=Y&pos_is_t=Y&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_ol=Y&pos_is_dt=Y&pos_is_de=Y&pos_is_dl=Y&pos_is_ilb=Y&pos_is_olb=Y&pos_is_lb=Y&pos_is_cb=Y&pos_is_s=Y&pos_is_db=Y&pos_is_k=Y&pos_is_p=Y&c1stat=pro_bowls&c1comp=gt&c1val=2&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5comp=&c5gtlt=lt&c6mult=1.0&c6comp=&order_by=pro_bowls&draft=0&draft_year_min=1936&draft_year_max=2015&type=&draft_round_min=0&draft_round_max=99&draft_slot_min=1&draft_slot_max=500&draft_pick_in_round=0&draft_league_id=&draft_team_id=&college_id=all&conference=any&draft_pos_is_qb=Y&draft_pos_is_rb=Y&draft_pos_is_wr=Y&draft_pos_is_te=Y&draft_pos_is_e=Y&draft_pos_is_t=Y&draft_pos_is_g=Y&draft_pos_is_c=Y&draft_pos_is_ol=Y&draft_pos_is_dt=Y&draft_pos_is_de=Y&draft_pos_is_dl=Y&draft_pos_is_ilb=Y&draft_pos_is_olb=Y&draft_pos_is_lb=Y&draft_pos_is_cb=Y&draft_pos_is_s=Y&draft_pos_is_db=Y&draft_pos_is_k=Y&draft_pos_is_p=Y Multi-time Pro Bowlers, 1938–1951. Pro-Football-Reference.]</ref>
*[[Frank Kinard|Frank "Bruiser" Kinard]] (5 times)
*[[Perry Schwartz]] (4 times)
*[[Clarence "Pug" Manders]] (3 times)

==Season-by-season==
[[Image:BrooklynTigers2.png|right|framed|Brooklyn Tigers logo]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! Year !! W !! L !! T !! Finish!! Coach
|-
!rowspan="14"| Brooklyn Dodgers
| [[1930 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1930]] || 7 || 4 || 1 || 4th||rowspan=2|[[Jack Depler]]
|-
| [[1931 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1931]] || 2 || 12 || 0 || 9th
|-
| [[1932 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1932]] || 3 || 9 || 0 || 6th ||[[Benny Friedman]]
|-
| [[1933 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1933]] || 5 || 4 || 1 || 2nd East||rowspan=2|[[Cap McEwen]]
|-
| [[1934 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1934]] || 4 || 7 || 0 || 3rd East
|-
| [[1935 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1935]] || 5 || 6 || 1 || 2nd East||rowspan=2|[[Paul J. Schissler]]
|-
| [[1936 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1936]] || 3 || 8 || 1 || 4th East
|-
| [[1937 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1937]] || 3 || 7 || 1 || 4th East||rowspan=3|[[Potsy Clark]]
|-
| [[1938 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1938]] || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3rd East
|-
| [[1939 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1939]] || 4 || 6 || 1 || 3rd East
|-
| [[1940 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1940]] || 8 || 3 || 0 || 2nd East||rowspan=2|[[Jock Sutherland]]
|-
| [[1941 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1941]] || 7 || 4 || 0 || 2nd East
|-
| [[1942 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1942]] || 3 || 8 || 0 || 4th East||[[Mike Getto]]
|-
| [[1943 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1943]] || 2 || 8 || 0 || 4th East||[[Pete Cawthon]]
|-
! Brooklyn Tigers
| [[1944 Brooklyn Tigers season|1944]] || 0 || 10 || 0 || 5th East|| Pete Cawthon, [[Ed Kubale]], [[Frank Bridges]]
|-
! Yanks (merged with Boston Yanks)
| [[1945 Boston Yanks season|1945]] || 3 || 6 || 1 || 3rd East|| [[Herb Kopf]]
|-
| Total ||[[1930 NFL season|1930]]–[[1945 NFL season|1945]]|| 63 || 106 ||  10 ||
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==

* Bob Carroll, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130617111756/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/17-05-621.pdf "How to get from Dayton to Indianapolis By Way Brooklyn, Boston, New York, Dallas, Hershey and Baltimore,"] Professional Football Researchers Association, ''Coffin Corner,'' vol. 17, no. 5 (1995), pp. 1–6.
* Roger A. Godin, ''Brooklyn Football Dodgers: The Other Bums.'' Haworth, NJ: St. Johann Press, 2003.
* Stan Grosshandler, [https://web.archive.org/web/20101009083102/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/12-03-399.pdf "The Brooklyn Dodgers,"] Professional Football Researchers Association, ''Coffin Corner,'' vol. 12, no. 3 (1990), pp. 1–7.
* Jack Ziegler, [https://web.archive.org/web/20101127014358/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/12-03-400.pdf "Close But No Cigar,"] Professional Football Researchers Association, ''Coffin Corner,'' vol. 12, no. 3 (1990) pp. 1–5.

{{Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)}}
{{Brooklyn Dodgers coach navbox (NFL)}}
{{Brooklyn Dodgers seasons (NFL)}}
{{Dayton Triangles}}
{{Defunct NFL teams}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooklyn Dodgers (Nfl)}}
[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)| ]]
[[Category:American football teams established in 1930]]
[[Category:American football teams disestablished in 1945]]
[[Category:Defunct NFL teams]]
[[Category:Defunct American football teams in New York City]]
[[Category:1930 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:1945 disestablishments in New York City]]