| Founded | 1901 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1926 |
| Based in | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
| League | Ohio League (1904–1920) National Football League (1920–1926) |
| Team history | Panhandle railroad team (1901) Columbus Panhandles (1902–1922) Columbus Tigers (1922–1926) |
| Team colors | Burgundy, gold, white (Panhandles) Black, gold, white (Tigers) |
| Nickname(s) | the "Handles" |
| Head coaches | William Butler (1901) Harry Greenwood (1902) E.E. Griest (1903) Joseph Carr (1904–1919) Ted Nesser (1920–1921) Herb Dell (1922) Pete Stinchcomb (1923) Gus Tebell (1923) Red Weaver (1924–1925) Jack Heldt (1926) |
| Owner(s) | Joseph F. Carr (1904, 1907–1922) Various businessmen (1922–1926) |
| Home field(s) | Indianola Park (1909–1915) Traveling team |
The Columbus Panhandles were a professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. The club was founded in 1901 by workers at the Panhandle shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were a part of the Ohio League from 1904 before folding after one season. Three years later, the team tried again, playing in the Ohio League from 1907 to 1919, not winning a championship, before becoming charter members of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) which became the National Football League (NFL).
The Panhandles are credited with playing in the first NFL game against the Dayton Triangles. They have no NFL championships, but Joseph Carr, the team's owner from 1907 to 1922, is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his work as NFL president.[1]