 | |
| Founded | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1926 |
| Based in | Rock Island, Illinois, United States |
| League | Independent (1907–1919) National Football League (1920–1925) American Football League (1926) |
| Team history | Rock Island Independents (1907–1926) |
| Team colors | Green and white |
| Head coaches | Dick Liitt (1912–1913) Joseph Smith (1914) Walter Flanigan (1915–1916, 1918) Ted Guyer (1917) Rube Ursella (1919–1920, 1925) John Roche (1919) Frank Coughlin (1921) Jimmy Conzelman (1921–1922) Herb Sies (1923) Johnny Armstrong (1924, 1926) |
| General managers | Demetrius Clements (1907–1914) Walter Flanigan (1915–1923) Vince McCarthy (1924–1926) |
| Owner(s) | Demetrius Clenents (1907–1914) Walter Flanigan (1915–1923) Dale Johnson (1923–1926) |
| AFL Championship wins | none |
| Other League Championship wins | 1 (1919 – self-proclaimed) |
| Undefeated seasons | 5 (1908, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1918) |
| Home field(s) | Douglas Park (1907–1925) Browning Field (1926) |
| Fan website | http://www.rockislandindependents.com/ |
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. The Independents were a founding National Football League franchise. They hosted what has been retrospectively designated the first National Football League game on September 26, 1920, at Douglas Park. The Independents were founded in 1907 by Demetrius Clements as an independent football club. Hence, the team was named the "Independents."
In 1926, the Independents left the NFL to become a charter member of the first American Football League, the only NFL team to do so. The Independents then folded along with the entire league in 1927.[1][2][3]
Pro Football Hall of Fame alumni Jimmy Conzelman (1920–1921), Joe Guyon (1924), Ed Healey (1920–1922), Duke Slater (1922–1926), and Jim Thorpe (1924–1925) played for the Independents.
- ^ "NFL founded in Canton - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.
- ^ "St. Paul Ideals at Rock Island Independents - September 26th, 1920". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Football Firsts - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.