Detroit Panthers (NFL)
| Founded | 1905 (Heralds/Tigers), 1925 (Panthers), 1928 (Wolverines) |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1921 (Heralds/Tigers), 1926 (Panthers), 1928 (Wolverines) |
| Based in | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| League |
Ohio League (1911–1919) AFPA (1920–1921) National Football League (1925–1926, 1928) |
| Team history | Detroit Heralds (1905–1920) Detroit Tigers (1921) Detroit Panthers (1925–1926) Detroit Wolverines (1928) |
| Team colors | Red, White (Heralds) Orange, Black, White (Tigers) Blue, Gold, White (Panthers) Unknown (Wolverines) |
| Home field(s) |
Navin Field (Heralds, Tigers, Panthers) Dinan Field (Wolverines) |
Detroit, Michigan had four early teams in the National Football League before the Detroit Lions. The Heralds played in 1920, and had played as an independent as far back as 1905. The Tigers, a continuation of the Heralds, played in 1921, folding midseason and sending their players to the Buffalo All-Americans. The Panthers competed from 1925–1926 and the Wolverines in 1928.
In 1905, several University of Detroit football players, led by Bill Marshall, organized the Heralds as an amateur team after the University did not field a squad due to financial issues. It was at this time that the team adopted the school's colors, red and white, as their own. While the University's football team reesumed play in 1906, the Heralds continued to play as an amateur team. In 1911, the team dropped its amateur status and became semi-professional and left the campus. Admission to the team's games was soon charged and the players were paid a small sum. In 1916, several out-of-town players were brought in to replace some of the older players, several of whom had been with the Heralds since 1905.
Despite not being based in Ohio, the Heralds played many of their games against teams in the Ohio League. In 1917, the team recorded an 8–2 record, their only losses coming at the hands of the Ohio League champion Canton Bulldogs and a military team from Battle Creek. Many of the Heralds' victories were against future NFL teams. The Heralds were a rarity in 1918; while most teams either stopped play or reduced their schedules to only local teams because of World War I and the flu pandemic, the Heralds continued to play a full schedule and even travel to other cities, accruing a 6–2 record with both losses coming to the Ohio League champion Dayton Triangles. In 1919, as the suspended teams resumed play and travel restrictions eased significantly, the Heralds went 2–4–2, including losses to Canton and the Massillon Tigers, the two best teams in Ohio and possibly the country.
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