Walter Flanigan
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| Date of birth | May 7, 1890 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Beardstown, Illinois |
| Date of death | June 18, 1962 (aged 72) |
| Place of death | Rock Island, Illinois |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | End |
| College | None |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1912–1914 | Rock Island Independents |
| As owner | |
| 1915–1923 | Rock Island Independents |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Walter Harrison Flanigan (May 7, 1890 – June 18, 1962) was an American football player and owner of the Rock Island Independents. He was also one of the co-founders of the National Football League (NFL).
Flanigan joined the Independents as a backup end in 1912. For the following two seasons, he served as the team's assistant manager, under then-manager Jack Roche. He then became the manager of the team in 1915. Flanigan soon promoted the Independents by scheduling two games in 1917 against the Minneapolis Marines, who were the self-proclaimed "North West Pro Champs". This contest would help the Independents gain national attention. Rock Island lost to the Marines by close score of 7–3. However they were defeated by a wider margin, 33–7, at the second game held in Minneapolis. However World War I and the military draft put a temporary halt to Flanigan's plans of expanding the team into new markets.
However once the war ended, Flanigan brought in players from outside the Rock Island area to build on the team. In 1919, he hired Rube Ursella of the Marines to serve as a player-coach. Rube brought several other Minneapolis players with him. These new players would later help get the team an invitation to join the NFL. The Independents lost only to the Hammond Pros, led by George Halas in 1919. However the Independents still had defeated several "Ohio League" teams that season, such as the Cincinnati Celts (33–0), the Columbus Panhandles (49–0) and the Akron Indians (17–0).
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