1921 Green Bay Packers season

The 1921 Green Bay Packers season was their third season of competition and their first in the American Professional Football Association, first iteration of the National Football League. The team finished with a 3–2–1 league record under player and coach Curly Lambeau, earning them a seventh-place finish.

1921 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach	Curly Lambeau
Home field	Hagemeister Park
Results
Record	3–2–1 APFA (7–2–2 overall)
League place	7th APFA
← 1920 Packers seasons 1922 →

After the season the Packers were removed from the league, following their acknowledgment of using Notre Dame players during the season, who played under assumed names. Green Bay would return to the NFL a year later as a "new franchise".^[1]

Schedule

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap	Sources
1	September 25	Chicago Boosters	W 13–6	—	Hagemeister Park	"comfortably filled stands"	—	[2]
2	October 2	Rockford Olympics	W 49–0	—	Hagemeister Park		—	[3]
3	October 9	Chicago Cornell-Hamburgs	W 40–0	—	Hagemeister Park	"small-sized crowd"	—	[4]
4	October 16	Beloit Fairies	W 7–0	—	Hagemeister Park	"biggest crowd of season"	—	[5]
5	October 23	Minneapolis Marines	W 7–6	1–0	Hagemeister Park	6,000	Recap	[6][7]
6	October 30	Rock Island Independents	L 3–13	1–1	Hagemeister Park	6,000 [8]	Recap	[9][10][11]
7	November 6	Evansville Crimson Giants	W 43–6	—	Hagemeister Park	"smallest crowd of season"	Recap	[12]
8	November 13	Hammond Pros	W 14–7	2–1	Hagemeister Park	"small-sized crowd"	Recap	[13]
9	November 20	at Chicago Cardinals	T 3–3	2–1–1	Normal Park	2,000	Recap	[14][15]
10	November 27	at Chicago Staleys	L 0–20	2–2–1	Cubs Park	7,000	Recap	[16][17][18]
11	December 4	Racine Legion	T 3–3	—	Milwaukee Ball Park	"biggest crowd in city"	—	[19]
Note: Games in italics indicate a non-league opponent.

Standings

APFA standings
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Chicago Staleys	9	1	1	.900	128	53	T1
Buffalo All-Americans	9	1	2	.900	211	29	L1
Akron Pros	8	3	1	.727	148	31	W1
Canton Bulldogs	5	2	3	.714	106	55	W1
Rock Island Independents	4	2	1	.667	65	30	L1
Evansville Crimson Giants	3	2	0	.600	89	46	W1
Green Bay Packers	3	2	1	.600	70	55	L1
Dayton Triangles	4	4	1	.500	96	67	L1
Chicago Cardinals	3	3	2	.500	54	53	T1
Rochester Jeffersons	2	3	0	.400	85	76	W2
Cleveland Tigers	3	5	0	.375	95	58	L1
Washington Senators	1	2	0	.334	21	43	L1
Cincinnati Celts	1	3	0	.250	14	117	L2
Hammond Pros	1	3	1	.250	17	45	L2
Minneapolis Marines	1	3	0	.250	37	41	L1
Detroit Tigers	1	5	1	.167	19	109	L5
Columbus Panhandles	1	8	0	.111	47	222	W1
Tonawanda Kardex	0	1	0	.000	0	45	L1
Muncie Flyers	0	2	0	.000	0	28	L2
Louisville Brecks	0	2	0	.000	0	27	L2
New York Brickley Giants	0	2	0	.000	0	72	L2

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Roster

Team photo of the 1921 Green Bay Packers.

1921 Green Bay Packers roster
	-- Buff Wagner B -- Adolph Kliebhan B -- Art Schmaehl FB -- Grover Malone HB -- Curly Lambeau TB -- Tubby Howard HB -- Billy DuMoe LE -- Dave Hayes RE -- Emmett Keefe E		-- Herman Martell E -- Cowboy Wheeler E -- Joe Carey LG -- Martin Zoll LG -- Sammy Powers G -- Warren Smith G -- Cub Buck RT -- Milt Wilson RG -- Jab Murray C -- Fee Klaus C -- Norm Barry K

References

1. "The Taylorville Scandal" (PDF).
2. Cal, "Packers Take Fall Out of Chicago Boosters, 13–0: Windy City Champions are Beaten After Hard Fought Argument in Opening Game," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Sept. 26, 1921, pp. 10-11.
3. Cal, "Packers Have No Trouble Beating Rockford, 49–0: Crack Illinois Aggregation Crumbles Before Smashing Attack of Green Bay Team," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oct. 3, 1921, pp. 10-11.
4. Cal, "Packers Wallop Cornell-Hamburgs by 40–0 Score: Chicago Team, Baffled by Aerial Attack, Are Given Nifty Coat of Whitewash," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oct. 10, 1921, p. 10.
5. Cal, "Packers Are Given Scare; Beloit Holds 'Em 7 to 0: Fairies Put Up Splendid Fight Against Green Bay in Game for State Title," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oct. 17, 1921, p. 5.
6. Cal, "Packers Defeat Minneapolis in Sensational Game: Famous Marines Taken Into Camp 7 to 6; Bays Win Out in Final Period; Big Crowd," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oct. 24, 1921, p. 5.
7. "Marines Put in Cold Storage by Wisconsin Packers at Green Bay, 7 to 6: Miss of Goal Costs Dunne's Cohorts Game," Minneapolis Morning Tribune, Oct. 24, 1921, p. 6.
8. Sports editor J.L. Hughes of the Rock Island Argus estimated the size of this crowd at 5,000.
9. Cal, "Rock Island Takes Fall Out of Packers, 13 to 3: Independents Break Down Packers' Offense; Lambeau Scores with Field Goal," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Oct. 31, 1921, p. 10.
10. J.L. Hughes, "Independents Beat Packers, 13–3: Wet Field and Slippery Ball Stops Scoring," Rock Island Argus, Oct. 31, 1921, p. 17.
11. "Rock Island Pros Triumph Over Green Bay Packers in Hard Battle: Islanders Use Line Bucks to Beat Badgers," Davenport Democrat and Leader, Oct. 31, 1921, p. 7.
12. "Packers Forward Pass Way to Win Over Evansville: Hoosier State Giants Are Defeated 43 to 6; Aerial Attack Too Much for Foe," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Nov. 7, 1921, p. 10.
13. Cal, "Packers Come Through With Win Over Hammond, 14–7: Invaders Make Lone Score by Blocking Punt," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Nov. 14, 1921, p. 5.
14. Cal, "Driscoll's Field Goal Robs Packers of Victory: Cardinal Star Drop Kicks Ball Between Uprights in Last Four Minutes of Battle," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Nov. 21, 1921, p. 13.
15. "Cardinals and Packers Play Tie Game, 3–3," Chicago Tribune, Nov. 21, 1921, p. 16.
16. Cal, "Staleys Smashing Attack Defeats Packers 20 to 0: Green Bay Team Fights to Finish in Chicago Clash; Outplay Foe in First Period," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Nov. 28, 1921, p. 10.
17. "Staleys Trim Packers 20 to 0 in Fast Game: Green Bay Eleven Unable to Stop Stinchcomb, Sternaman, Halas & Co.," Decatur Herald, Nov. 28, 1921, p. 8.
18. "Staleys Whale Green Bay Packers for 20 to 0 Victory," Chicago Tribune, Nov. 28, 1921, p. 19.
19. Cal, "Hank Gillo's Place Kick Saves Racine from Defeat: Legion Star Boots Oval Between Uprights With But Two Minutes to Go," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Dec. 5, 1921, p. 11.

Further reading

• Cliff Christl, The Greatest Story in Sports: Green Bay Packers, 1919–2019. 4 volumes. Stevens Point, WI: KCI Sports Publishing, 2021.
• Larry D. Names, The History of the Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years, Part One. Wautoma, WI: Angel Press of Wisconsin, 1987.
• Arch Ward, The Green Bay Packers. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1946.

External links

• Sportsencyclopedia.com
• 1921 Green Bay Packers (APFA)