1920 Detroit Heralds season

The 1920 Detroit Heralds season was the 16th season for the Detroit Heralds, an independent American football team. Led by coach Bill Marshall, the team compiled a 2–3–3 record. The 1920 season was the team's first competing in the new American Professional Football Association (predecessor to the National Football League). The team finished in ninth place in the league.^[1]

1920 Detroit Heralds season
Head coach	Bill Marshall
Home field	Navin Field
Results
Record	2–3–3 Overall 1-3-0 APFA
League place	9th APFA
← 1919 Detroit Heralds 1921 →

Schedule

The table below was compiled using the information from The Pro Football Archives, which used various contemporary newspapers.^[2] A dagger (†) by a team means that team was not affiliated with the non-APFA. For the results column, the winning team's score is posted first followed by the result for the Heralds. For the attendance, if a cell is greyed out and has "N/A", then that means there is an unknown figure for that game. Green-colored rows indicate a win; yellow-colored rows indicate a tie; and red-colored rows indicate a loss.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance	Record
1	No game scheduled
2	No game scheduled
3	October 10	Cleveland Panthers†	W 40–14	Navin Field	—	1–0
4	October 17	at Chicago Tigers	L 0–12	Cubs Park	5,000	1–1
5	October 24	vs. Columbus Panhandles	W 6–0	Mack Park	—	2–1
6	October 31	at Racine Cardinals	L 0–21	Cubs Park	3,000	2–2
7	November 7	at Akron Pros	Cancelled
8	November 14	at Fort Wayne Friars†	T 0–0	League Park	3,000	2–2–1
9	November 21	vs. Detroit Armadas†	Cancelled
10	November 25	at Dayton Triangles	L 0–28	Triangle Park	—	2–3–1
	November 28	vs. Lansing Oldsmobile†	T 0–0	Mack Park	—	2–3–2
11	December 5	vs. Detroit Maroons†	T 7–7	Mack Park	—	2–3–3
12	No game scheduled
13	No game scheduled

Week 3: vs. Cleveland Panthers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	0	7	7	14
Heralds	6	13	14	7	40

October 10, 1920, at Navin Field

The Heralds opened their season with a game against the Cleveland Panthers, played at Navin Field on October 10, 1920. The Heralds won by a 40–14 score. Eddie Moegle, the Heralds' right halfback, scored the team's first touchdown of the 1920 NFL season. Additional touchdowns were scored by left end Heinie Schultz, left tackle Hugh Lowery, substitute left end Joe Fitzgerald, substitute fullback Wood, and quarterback Perce Wilson. Right tackle Steamer Horning converted four goals after touchdown for Detroit. After "a mix-up" with Detroit's Charlie Guy and Gil Runkel, Cleveland's star halfback Arnold Vogel was carried off the field in the fourth quarter with a broken left shoulder and three broken ribs; he was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital for medical treatment. The Detroit Free Press called it "a rough and tumble match," but also wrote that it was "a slow and rather uninteresting football battle."^[3]

The Heralds' starting lineup against Columbus was Heinie Schultz (left end), Hugh Lowery (left tackle), Clarence Appelgran (left guard), Gil Runkel (center), Charlie Guy (right guard), Steamer Horning (right tackle), Ray Whipple (right end), Perce Wilson (quarterback), King (left halfback), Eddie Moegle (right halfback), and Pat Dunne (fullback). Jimmy Kelly (left halfback), Fitzgerald (left end), Wood (fullback), and McCoy (right tackle) appeared in the game as substitutes.^[3]

Week 4: at Chicago Tigers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Heralds	0	0	0	0	0
Tigers	6	0	6	0	12

October 17, 1920, at Cub Park

The Heralds lost by a 12–0 score to the Chicago Tigers on October 17, 1920, in a game played at Cub Park in Chicago.^[4]

Week 5: vs. Columbus Panhandles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panhandles	0	0	0	0	0
Heralds	0	6	0	0	6

October 24, 1920, at Mack Park

Following the loss, the Heralds were visited by the Columbus Panhandles, an APFA team. The Panhandles' passing attack helped them outgain the Heralds, but, according to the Ohio State Journal, it was a close game and "one play decided the outcome."^[5] The Heralds' left end, Joe Fitzgerald, intercepted a pass from Frank Nesser and ran it back for an 85-yard touchdown.^[5]

The Heralds' starting lineup against Columbus was Fitzgerald (left end), Hugh Lowery (left tackle), Moose Gardner (left guard), Gil Runkel (center), Charlie Guy (right guard), Steamer Horning (right tackle), Ray Whipple (right end), Bill Joyce (quarterback), Bo Hanley (left halfback), Jimmy Kelly (right halfback), and Pat Dunne (fullback). Perce Wilson (quarterback), Birtie Maher (left end) and Ty Krentler (fullback) appeared in the game as substitutes.^[6]

Week 6: at Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Heralds	0	0	0	0	0
Cardinals	0	0	21	0	21

October 31, 1920, at Cub Park

The Heralds lost to the Chicago Cardinals on October 31, 1920, in a game played at Cub Park in Chicago. The game was a scoreless tie until the middle of the third period. Over a five-minute period, the Cardinals blocked three punts by Steamer Horning. Chicago scored touchdowns each time and won the game 21–0.^[7]

Week 8: at Fort Wayne Friars

	1	2	3	4	Total
Heralds	0	0	0	0	0
Friars	0	0	0	0	0

November 14, 1920, at League Park

On November 14, 1920, the Heralds played the Fort Wayne Friars to a scoreless tie at League Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game was called "one of the best games of football seen here this season."^[8]

Week 10: at Dayton Triangles

	1	2	3	4	Total
Heralds	0	0	0	0	0
Triangles	0	0	0	0	0

November 25, 1920, at Triangle Park

Week 10: vs Lansing Oldsmobile

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oldsmobile	0	0	0	0	0
Heralds	0	0	0	0	0

November 28, 1920, at Mack Park

On November 28, 1920, the Heralds played to a scoreless tie against the Lansing Oldsmobile team on a muddy field at Mack Park. The Heralds came closest to scoring on a long forward pass from Ernest Watson to Joe Fitzgerald who was downed at Lansing's six-yard line. The Heralds were held on downs from the six-yard line.^[9]

The Heralds' starting lineup against Lansing was Blake Miller (left end), Hugh Lowery (left tackle), Gates (left guard), Gil Runkel (center), Tom Dickinson (right guard), Steamer Horning (right tackle), Joe Fitzgerald (right end), Ernest Watson (quarterback), Stan Jacobs (left halfback), Lynn Allen (right halfback), and Jimmy Kelly (fullback). Pat Dunne (fullback) and Perce Wilson (left halfback) appeared in the game as substitutes.^[9]

Week 11: vs. Detroit Maroons

	1	2	3	4	Total
Maroons	0	0	0	7	7
Heralds	0	0	7	0	7

December 5, 1920, at Mack Park

The Heralds finished the 1920 season with a game against the Detroit Maroons for the city championship. Substitute fullback Ty Krentler scored the Heralds' touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter. The Maroons tied the game with a touchdown in the fourth quarter by fullback Schultz.^[10]

Standings

1920 APFA standings[11]
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	DPCT	PF	PA	STK
Akron Pros†	8	0	3	1.000	6–0–3	1.000	151	7	T2
Decatur Staleys	10	1	2	.909	5–1–2	.833	164	21	T1
Buffalo All-Americans	9	1	1	.900	4–1–1	.800	258	32	T1
Chicago Cardinals	6	2	2	.750	3–2–2	.600	101	29	T1
Rock Island Independents	6	2	2	.750	4–2–1	.667	201	49	W1
Dayton Triangles	5	2	2	.714	4–2–2	.667	150	54	L1
Rochester Jeffersons	6	3	2	.667	0–1–0	.000	156	57	T1
Canton Bulldogs	7	4	2	.636	4–3–1	.571	208	57	W1
Detroit Heralds	2	3	3	.400	1–3–0	.250	53	82	T2
Cleveland Tigers	2	4	2	.333	1–4–2	.200	28	46	L1
Chicago Tigers	2	5	1	.286	1–5–1	.167	49	63	W1
Hammond Pros	2	5	0	.286	0–3–0	.000	41	154	L3
Columbus Panhandles	2	6	2	.250	0–4–0	.000	41	121	W1
Muncie Flyers	0	1	0	.000	0–1–0	.000	0	45	L1

 †  Awarded the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup and named APFA Champions.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Players

• Lynn Allen, kicker, 2 games, 170 pounds, 6' 0", University of Detroit
• Clarence Appelgran, guard, 4 games, 200 pounds, 6' 2", University of Illinois
• Chris Bentz, tackle, 2 games, 215 pounds, 6' 4", Northern State Univ., Montana
• Charlie Carman, 1 game, 215 pounds, 5' 10", Vanderbilt
• Tom Dickinson, end, 3 games, 175 pounds, 5' 8", Syracuse
• Pat Dunne, fullback, 8 games, 182 pounds
• Russ Finsterwald, wingback, 2 games, 165 pounds, 5' 9", Ohio, Syracuse
• Joe Fitzgerald, end, 8 games, 150 pounds
• Moose Gardner, guard, 2 games, 220 pounds, 6' 1", Wisconsin
• Gates, 1 game
• Charlie Guy, guard, 7 games, 170 pounds, 6' 0', Dartmouth, Washington & Jefferson
• Bo Hanley, wingback, 3 games, 150 pounds, 5' 7", Marquette
• Steamer Horning, tackle, 8 games, 198 pounds, 6' 0", Colgate
• Stan Jacobs, tailback, 3 games
• Marshall Jones, 1 game, 165 pounds, 5' 11", North Dakota
• Bill Joyce, quarterback, 1 game, 180 pounds, 5' 8", Holy Cross, Catholic
• Jimmy Kelly, tailback, 6 games, 160 pounds, 5' 9", St. Louis, Detroit
• King, 1 game
• Ty Krentler, fullback, 5 games, 160 pounds, Univ. of Detroit
• Alvin Loucks, 1 game, 170 pounds, Michigan
• Hugh Lowery, tackle, 7 games, 220 pounds, 6' 0", Indiana, Franklin (IN)
• Birtie Maher, end, 2 games, 180 pounds, 5' 8", Univ. Detroit
• McCoy, 1 game, 175 pounds
• Blake Miller, 2 games, 170 pounds, 5' 7", Michigan St.
• Eddie Moegle, 1 game, 186 pounds, 5' 9", Univ. Detroit
• Gil Runkel, center, 7 games, 210 pounds
• Heinie Schultz, 1 game, 182 pounds, 5' 10"
• Don Straw, guard, 1 game, 210 pounds, 5' 11", Washington & Jefferson
• Ernest Watson, 2 games, 155 pounds, 5' 8", Olivet
• Ray Whipple, end, 5 games, 170 pounds, 5' 9", Notre Dame
• Perce Wilson, back, 7 games, 150 pounds
• Wood, fullback, 2 games

References

1. 1920 Detroit Heralds
2. "1920 Detroit Heralds". The Pro Football Archives. Maher Sports Media. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
3. "Heralds Trim Panthers 40-14: Vogel, Cleveland Star Right Halfback, in Hospital From Injuries". Detroit Free Press. October 11, 1920. p. 13. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
4. "FLUKY KICKS GIVE CHICAGO THE GAME: Detroit Heralds Lose Hard Fought Game, 12 to 0". Detroit Free Press. October 18, 1920. p. 11. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
5. Willis (2007), p. 172
6. "Heralds Get Lonely Tally: Fitzgerald Intercepts Forward Pass, Runs 85 Yards to Beat Pan Handles; Local Team Plays Good Game as Do the Visitors; Big Crowd Out". Detroit Free Press. October 25, 1920. p. 12. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
7. "HERALDS BEATEN BY LARGE SCORE: Three Blocked Punts Turn Detroit Team Back". Detroit Free Press. November 1, 1920. p. 15. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
8. "Heralds Draw at Ft. Wayne". Detroit Free Press. November 15, 1920. p. 14. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
9. "No Scoring in Title Battle: Neither Lansing Nor Champion Heralds Are Able to Tally on Muddy Gridiron; Visitors Outgain Locals but Long Forward Pass Almost Beats Them". Detroit Free Press. November 29, 1920. p. 11. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
10. "EACH ELEVEN SCORES ONCE: Heralds and Maroons Go to 7-7 Tie on Muddy Grid Sunday Afternoon". Detroit Free Press. December 6, 1920. p. 11.
11. "NFL – 1920 Regular Season". National Football League. Retrieved January 6, 2013.