Rock Island Independents
 |
|
| Founded | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1926 |
| Based in | Rock Island, Illinois, United States |
| League |
National Football League (1920–25) American Football League (1926) |
| Team history | Rock Island Independents (1920–26) |
| Team colors |
Green and white |
| Head coaches |
Rube Ursella (1920, 1925) Frank Coughlin (1921) Jimmy Conzelman (1921–22) Herb Sies (1923) Johnny Armstrong (1924, 1926) |
| General managers |
Walter Flanigan (1920–23) Vince McCarthy (1924–26) |
| Owner(s) |
Walter Flanigan (1920–23) Dale Johnson (1923–26) |
| Other League Championship wins | (1) 1919 (self-proclaimed) |
| Undefeated seasons | (5) 1908, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1918 |
| Home field(s) |
Douglas Park (1920–1926) Browning Field (1926) |
| Fan website | http://www.rockislandindependents.com/ |
Green and white
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team based in Rock Island, Illinois. One of the first professional football teams, they were founded in 1907 by Demetrius Clements as an independent club. They later played in what is now the National Football League (NFL) from 1920 to 1925. They joined the first American Football League in 1926, but folded along with the league in 1927. They played in Douglas Park (1907–1925) and Browning Field (1926). Walter Flanigan owned the team from 1915 to 1923; Dale Johnson took over and owned the team until 1926, when the team eventually folded.
The Independents' overall NFL record was 26–14–9, with five winning seasons in six years. However, after finishing fourth initially, their best overall finish in the National Football League standings was fifth, which they accomplished three times: in 1921 and 1922 under Jimmy Conzelman, and in 1924 under Johnny Armstrong.
The Independents were first formed in 1907, when a group of men formed an independent team with no athletic club affiliation, no social club ties and no corporate company backing or sponsorship. As a result, the team was named the Independents. The team went undefeated and unscored upon in five games. Many of the same players from that 1910 team reunited in 1912; under the leadership of John Roche, they won eight games without giving up a score.
In 1913 Walter Flanigan joined the Independents as a backup end. By 1915, Flanigan was the owner of the team. During his tenure, Flanigan promoted the Independents by scheduling two games in 1917 against the Minneapolis Marines, who were considered one of the toughest teams in the Midwest. This contest helped the Independents gain national attention. Rock Island lost to the Marines by a score of 7–3. However they were defeated by a wider margin, 33–7, in the second game at Minneapolis.
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