Washington Senators (NFL)
Washington Senators of the National Football League (then called the American Professional Football Association) played only during the 1921 football season. The Senators played a then-full 11-game schedule, but only 4 against NFL teams.
Their NFL debut did not occur until November 27 when they faced the Canton Bulldogs. Senators head coach Jack Hegerty signed former Canton players Joe Guyon, Johnny Gilroy, and Pete Calac before the game because he wanted to defeat the Bulldogs so badly. However, Canton still shutout Washington, 15-0.
The Senators recorded their first NFL victory on December 11 against the Cleveland Indians, 7-0, but then lost to the Bulldogs, 28-14, in the rematch one week later.
Washington's second victory of the season came as the result of a forfeit by the Rochester Jeffersons, who refused to play a December 5 scheduled game because of a snowstorm. However, this forfeit was never officially recorded in the league's official standings. At the time, the Senators were required to pay a $800 guaranteed fee to the Jeffersons for showing up regardless of whether the contest happened or not. Washington never paid the fee, as it decided to immediately leave the NFL after the season anyway.
[edit] Season-by-season
| Year | W | L | T | Pct. | PTS-OPP | PPG-OPP | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 2† | 2 | 0 | .333 | 21- 28 | 7.0-9.3 | 12th |
† - Includes the forfeit by the Rochester Jeffersons that is not officially recognized by the NFL
[edit] 1921 Game Results
SUN 11/27: Canton 15 at Washington 0 (att: 4,000)
SUN 12/11: Washington 7 at Cleveland 0 (att: 5,000)
SUN 12/18: Canton 28 at Washington 14 (att: 6,000)
[edit] 1921 Roster
Dan Ahern - T
Alec Anderson - G
Geogre Beyers - WB
Johnny Bleier - WB
Benny Boynton - TB
Pete Calac - FB
Joe Coster - T
Billy Crouch - C
Perry Dowrick - FB
Patsy Gerardi - E
Johnny Gilroy - TB
Tom Gormley - G
Joe Gunyon - WB
Johnnie Hudson - WB
Sam Kaplan - E
Dutch Leighty - BB
Red Litkus - T
Mickey Livers - FB
Don McCarthy - E
Cy McDonald - G
Gordon Patterson - E
Metz Smeach - T
Jack Sullivan - FB
Buff Turner - T
Sam Turner - G
Pong Unitas - G
Ed Van Meter - G
Gene Vidal - FB
Bullets Watson - BB
