http://www.oldestlivingprofootball.com/martinleoredoneill.htm
He was also our first All-American candidate in 1924. The Hartford Blues were a member of the NFL for 1 year in 1926. They were independent for their 3 other seasons, 1924, 1925, and 1927. The "Four Horsemen", who put Notre Dame on the map with ND's first national championship in 1924, played for the Waterbury/Hartford Blues in 1925. The NFL was founded in 1920 and was very turbulent for it's first decade. Teams played against NFL teams and independent teams.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Blues
http://www.luckyshow.org/football/Hartford Blues.htm
The owner of the team was George Mulligan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mulligan
The "Four Horsemen" also lost to the legendary 1925 Pottsville Maroons on a separate team in an exhibition game due to a last minute field goal that put the professional football ahead of college football for good. The Maroons were controversially stripped of their title for playing that game.
More on the Waterbury/Hartford Blues before they joined the NFL:
http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-08-107.pdf
The Waterbury/Hartford Blues did play 3 games against 2 NFL teams, the Rochester Jeffersons and the Canton Bulldogs, in 1925 and that team had a "QB" who played at UConn. They won two of those games. The story and schedule can be found in the above link.
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The UConn QB from the 1925 (and 1926) Hartford Blues (assuming he was on the 1924 UConn team, as well):
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RadzVi20.htm
He also played for the 1926 Hartford Blues. Played in 8 games and scored 1 FG and 2 XPs. That gives us two players in the NFL on the 1926 Hartford Blues. Back then, there were no platoons for offense and defense. 11 players played offense and defense with substitutions during the game, as they do in soccer and rugby.
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A continuation of the article about the Hartford Blues from 1925. This article covers the 1926 season. Both are great reads.
http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-09-110.pdf
Red O'Neill and Vic Radzievitch scored 21% of the 1926 Blues' points and the Blues did have a decent defense. UConn's strength in 1924 was their defense. The NY Football Giants' first game in 1926 was against the Blues, at Hartford. The Giants won, 21-0. The Giants would win their first NFL title next season. Red O'Neill played in 9 games and scored 1 of Hartford's 7 total TDs for the season.
http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=HAR&yr=1926&lg=nfl
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/hrt/1926.htm
Fun tidbit: The NY Giants played their second game ever against All-New Britain in 1925, winning by the score of 26-0, in New Britain. Jim Thorpe scored one of the Giants' TDs. All-New Britain also played 3 games against 2 NFL teams, losing all 3 games.
He was also our first All-American candidate in 1924. The Hartford Blues were a member of the NFL for 1 year in 1926. They were independent for their 3 other seasons, 1924, 1925, and 1927. The "Four Horsemen", who put Notre Dame on the map with ND's first national championship in 1924, played for the Waterbury/Hartford Blues in 1925. The NFL was founded in 1920 and was very turbulent for it's first decade. Teams played against NFL teams and independent teams.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Blues
http://www.luckyshow.org/football/Hartford Blues.htm
The owner of the team was George Mulligan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mulligan
The "Four Horsemen" also lost to the legendary 1925 Pottsville Maroons on a separate team in an exhibition game due to a last minute field goal that put the professional football ahead of college football for good. The Maroons were controversially stripped of their title for playing that game.
More on the Waterbury/Hartford Blues before they joined the NFL:
http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-08-107.pdf
The Waterbury/Hartford Blues did play 3 games against 2 NFL teams, the Rochester Jeffersons and the Canton Bulldogs, in 1925 and that team had a "QB" who played at UConn. They won two of those games. The story and schedule can be found in the above link.
-
The UConn QB from the 1925 (and 1926) Hartford Blues (assuming he was on the 1924 UConn team, as well):
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RadzVi20.htm
He also played for the 1926 Hartford Blues. Played in 8 games and scored 1 FG and 2 XPs. That gives us two players in the NFL on the 1926 Hartford Blues. Back then, there were no platoons for offense and defense. 11 players played offense and defense with substitutions during the game, as they do in soccer and rugby.
-
A continuation of the article about the Hartford Blues from 1925. This article covers the 1926 season. Both are great reads.
http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-09-110.pdf
Red O'Neill and Vic Radzievitch scored 21% of the 1926 Blues' points and the Blues did have a decent defense. UConn's strength in 1924 was their defense. The NY Football Giants' first game in 1926 was against the Blues, at Hartford. The Giants won, 21-0. The Giants would win their first NFL title next season. Red O'Neill played in 9 games and scored 1 of Hartford's 7 total TDs for the season.
http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=HAR&yr=1926&lg=nfl
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/hrt/1926.htm
Fun tidbit: The NY Giants played their second game ever against All-New Britain in 1925, winning by the score of 26-0, in New Britain. Jim Thorpe scored one of the Giants' TDs. All-New Britain also played 3 games against 2 NFL teams, losing all 3 games.