1910s Pro Football Hall of Fame?

[TanksAndSpartans]

Now that Chris has made it to the 2010s (Chris, thanks for this idea - it’s been fun posting and following along), I wanted to go back and take a stab at the 1910s. For an extra challenge, I included my 20s and 30s list, cut them to 14 and bolded 10 because I remember there was a discussion that lists should be shorter in earlier eras because there were less teams.


10s (14/10)

Jack Cusack (Contributor)
Peggy Parratt (back/Contributor)
Jim Thorpe (back)
Ralph “Fats” Waldsmith (center/Contributor)
Al Nesser (G/T/E)
Bob “Nasty” Nash (T/E)
Frank Nesser (T/back)
Norb Sacksteder (back)
Pete Calac (FB)
Howard “Cap” Edwards (T)
Homer Davidson (QB)
Clarence “Doc” Spears (G)
Milt Ghee (QB)
“Gus” Dorais (QB)


20s (14/10)

E: Chamberlin, Dilweg
T: Healey, Slater, Lyman, Henry
G: Youngstrom
C: Trafton
B: Driscoll, Friedman, Latone, Nevers, Pollard, Lambeau

30s (14/10)

E: Hutson, Hewitt
T: Hubbard, Edwards, Stydahar
G: Michalske
C: Hein
B: Baugh, D. Clark, Nagurski, Hinkle, Blood, Herber, Battles

[ChrisBabcock]

Thanks for posting this! This is an era I’m almost completely unfamiliar with. Though I figured Cusack, Thorpe, Parrat and one or more of the Nessers would make it.

[TanksAndSpartans]

Thanks Chris. I've seen Parratt's name come up for HOVG, but I don't know why Cusack's name doesn't come up for HOF or HOVG. I recall reading that he paid for Thorpe's statue inside/outside? the HOF (I've never been, so I'm not sure which statue was being referred to).

[ChrisBabcock]

............I recall reading that he paid for Thorpe's statue outside the HOF.

Interesting

[TanksAndSpartans]

............I recall reading that he paid for Thorpe's statue outside the HOF.

Interesting

I went back and edited my post because I've never been to the HOF, so I'm not sure what statue. It was something I read online so not sure if its true - they mentioned Cusack had "oil money".

[ChrisBabcock]

It’s an (I’m guessing) 10 foot tall statue of Jim Thorpe that’s the first thing you see upon entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It has always been front and center after remodels and reconfigurations of the museum.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/ ... e&fr=yfp-t

[TanksAndSpartans]

Thanks - so it's actually inside, I had assumed outside.

[Mark L. Ford]

Now that Chris has made it to the 2010s (Chris, thanks for this idea - it’s been fun posting and following along), I wanted to go back and take a stab at the 1910s. For an extra challenge, I included my 20s and 30s list, cut them to 14 and bolded 10 because I remember there was a discussion that lists should be shorter in earlier eras because there were less teams.


10s (14/10)

Jack Cusack (Contributor)
Peggy Parratt (back/Contributor)
Jim Thorpe (back)
Ralph “Fats” Waldsmith (center/Contributor)
Al Nesser (G/T/E)
Bob “Nasty” Nash (T/E)
Frank Nesser (T/back)
Norb Sacksteder (back)
Pete Calac (FB)
Howard “Cap” Edwards (T)
Homer Davidson (QB)
Clarence “Doc” Spears (G)
Milt Ghee (QB)
“Gus” Dorais (QB)


20s (14/10)

E: Chamberlin, Dilweg
T: Healey, Slater, Lyman, Henry
G: Youngstrom
C: Trafton
B: Driscoll, Friedman, Latone, Nevers, Pollard, Lambeau

30s (14/10)

E: Hutson, Hewitt
T: Hubbard, Edwards, Stydahar
G: Michalske
C: Hein
B: Baugh, D. Clark, Nagurski, Hinkle, Blood, Herber, Battles

Ironically, the latest Coffin Corner has an article by John Wilke about the best players of the last half of that decade (1915-1919); All of the players on his list are on your list, except he also had Greasy Neale (who is in the HOF for his coaching achievements) as one of the best ends of the pre-NFL era.

[TanksAndSpartans]

Right, Neale was a tough one because I think he only played in '17 and '18. (The Fisher who played for Canton in '15 was probably Fred Sefton based on what I believe is the later of 2 PFRA articles mentioning Neale playing during the decade and him playing in '19 for Massillon was something John Alexander said in another PFRA article, but I wasn't able to find a corroborating source. Please let me know if anyone has any thoughts on Neale playing in '15 and/or '19, Wikipedia is actually what pointed me to the Campbell/Alexander article).

So when looking at a 10 year period, even for an excellent player, I didn't think 2 seasons was enough, so I left him off. Knute Rockne was another tough one - I think he definitly played and coached in pro games through the decade, but the book "Pro Football in the Days of Rockne" raised too much doubt for me by suggesting he was impersonated as a player (Even if the impersonation was exaggerated, it still raises doubt). I'd have him in my second tier or maybe him and Neale as 15 and 16

I wanted to get Parratt and Homer Davidson on my 10s list for sure, but I couldn't think of anyone else who got snubbed because of my bias in favor of the latter half of the decade. I thought of Ted Nesser, but I think he may fit best in the 1900-1910 period.

[JeffreyMiller]

If you're including contributors, I don't think you can exclude Leo Lyons, coach, manager, player and owner of the Rochester Jeffersons. He may not have been a Halas or Lambeau, but he started earlier than them and kept that team going right through the 1925 season.