Minneapolis Marines
| Founded | 1905 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1930 |
| Based in | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| League | Independent (1908–1920) National Football League (1921–1924, 1929–1930) |
| Team history |
Minneapolis Marines (1905–1924) Minneapolis Red Jackets (1929–1930) |
| Team colors |
Red, White, Blue (1905–1929) |
| Head coaches |
Ossie Solem (1912–1920) Rube Ursella (1921) Russell Tollefson (1922) Harry Mehre (1923) Joe Brandy (1924–1928) Herb Joesting (1929) George Gibson (1930) |
| General managers | Ossie Solem |
| Owner(s) | John Dunn, Val Ness |
| Home field(s) |
Camden Park Parade Stadium Bottineau Field Lexington Park Nicollet Park |
Red, White, Blue (1905–1929)
Red, White (1929–1930)
The Minneapolis Marines were an early professional football team that existed from 1905 until 1924. The team was later resurrected from 1929 to 1930 under the Minneapolis Red Jackets banner. The Marines were owned locally by Minneapolitans John Dunn and Val Ness, and composed primarily of working-class teenagers. Some of the first games were played at Camden Park, Parade Stadium, and Bottineau Field. Later games were played at larger stadiums such as Nicollet Park and Lexington Park. The Minneapolis Marines are of historical value to Minnesota, as they are the first Minnesota-based team to join the National Football League, predating the Duluth Eskimos (1923) and Minnesota Vikings (1961).
The Marines, formed mostly in 1905, were composed of working-class teenagers that came from the area that is located close to US Bank Stadium at the junction between Cedar and Washington Avenues. The team began play in the 115-pound weight class, and by 1907 had moved up to the 145-pound weight class. The team's 1907 roster consisted of future professional stars Walt Buland, Sheepy Redeen, Dutch Gaustad and its star player Rube Ursella. In 1909 future boxer, Labe Safro, joined the team as a fullback. These players reperesented the core of the team until 1919. The Marines would only have players on the team with no high school or college playing experience until 1913.
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