Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Hello:
I realize this question is not exactly about professional football, but it's close enough. What was the idea behind the naval base teams such as Great Lakes and Fleet City during World War II? Were they just supposed to be teams made up of men from certain bases and Generals brought in pros / college players in search of victory?

Thank you.

Great Lakes and Iowa Pre-Flight were teams that included college players from other schools who enlisted in the war effort. They played football there while they trained at those academies. Both apparently also had some pro players on the teams. I know Iowa Pre Flight did for sure and Johnny Lujack told me that Great Lakes did also. That was allowed by the NCAA because of the war. A lot of people complain that Great Lakes didn't win the national championship after beating Notre Dame, but they weren't exactly a college team. Kind of a hybrid.

Great Lakes also played in the Rose Bowl during World War I. George Halas was on the team. But they didn't have football during non-war years. At least not teams that competed in the NCAA.

Also, I'm clearing out the cobwebs as I go here -- Paul Brown coached at Great Lakes at some point. Not the whole time during the 40s but at some point. Military bases often had teams -- in fact, that's how Johnny Lattner was injured, playing for a military base team in the off-season. At some point during WW1 and WW2 some base teams were added to the college football schedule.

GameBeforeTheMoney wrote:Also, I'm clearing out the cobwebs as I go here -- Paul Brown coached at Great Lakes at some point. Not the whole time during the 40s but at some point. Military bases often had teams -- in fact, that's how Johnny Lattner was injured, playing for a military base team in the off-season. At some point during WW1 and WW2 some base teams were added to the college football schedule.

Brown's assistant at Great Lakes was a guy named Weeb.

Bear Bryant coached Otto Graham on the Carolina Cloudbusters, a service team.