The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr

by Chris Willis

  Carr's boys were again city champs but his team suffered a big blow in the Barracks game. Center Hi Brigham was badly injured. Two days after the game, on November 30, the Columbus Dispatch reported the bad news under the headline "Pan Handle Player Near Death: Center Brigham Hurt When He Falls on Bucket."

  Crack Lineman Who Was Formerly an Ohio State Student Has Scarcely Even Chance for Recovery at Mt. Carmel Hospital-Accident Sustained in Barracks Game Not Noticed Much at First

  From an injury received in the Pan Handle-Barracks game played Sunday afternoon on the United States post gridiron, Haven Brigham, center on the Panhandle team, is lying in the Mt. Carmel hospital today, suffering from injuries that may prove fatal.

  Brigham was hurt in the second period of the game when he missed a tackle and fell astride a water bucket that was near the playing field. While he suffered some pain from the injury and was forced to take time out, he continued to play at his position until the contest was completed.

  After the game he did not suffer any serious trouble and the injury passed without further notice until he had retired for the evening at his rooming house at 332 North Garfield Avenue. Then it was that the effects of the fall first caused trouble.

  He was attacked with severe pains in the abdomen and Dr. Charles E. Turner of Mt. Vernon and Monroe avenues was called. A perfunctory examination showed that the trouble was serious and the injured athlete was taken to Mt. Carmel hospital Monday morning. A more thorough examination there showed that Brigham was suffering from severe internal hurts. Tuesday morning an X-ray photograph was made so as to make a complete diagnosis of the case. While the injury is serious, the attending physicians were unable to state Tuesday morning whether they would necessarily prove fatal, but it was said that Brigham's condition is very grave. Brigham is a former student at Ohio State, but never played on the varsity team, being ineligible through professional activity. His home is in Bowling Green, Ohio. His mother, who was called to Columbus, Monday, is at his bedside.30

  The team rallied around Brigham in the hospital, and Carr went about his business as he scheduled a final game for 1915 against an all-star team from Columbus comprised mostly of ex-college stars from Ohio. Carr wanted the football fans of Columbus to see a high-class event to end the football season and he told the Ohio State journal what he expected of his team.

  We have been meeting an array of stars every Sunday during the season and we will be in shape to take care of the aggregation being gathered in this city for the game next Sunday, regardless of how strong it is. We have the team and are ready and willing to meet all comers. Coach Nesser has passed the word that each and every man on the squad must appear for practice every day at noon and every evening this week. Nothing is to be left undone in the Panhandle camp and there will be no excuses to offer if the long end of the score is carried off by the all-college men.'

  Shortly before the big game the Panhandles received some good news about their fallen teammate. On December 2 the Columbus Dispatch re ported on Brigham's condition: "Haven Brigham, center of the Pan Handle eleven, who was injured in Sunday's game with the Barracks, is still in serious condition at Mt. Carmel hospital. His condition is some what improved, however, and the attending physicians feel confident that the injury will not prove as dangerous as at first thought."32

  The good news was just what the Panhandles wanted to hear, and Brigham soon made a complete recovery. He missed the game against the Columbus All-Stars but returned to play in 1916 and continued playing center for the railroaders until 1920.

  On December 5 at the Barracks Grounds in front of 3,000 fans, the two teams took the field. With all six Nesser brothers (John returned to the lineup) playing, the railroaders scored quickly, as Lee Snoots went over for a touchdown and Emmett Ruh's extra point made it 7-0 with just two minutes gone. One minute later Frank Nesser scored on a fifty-five-yard touchdown run, and a missed extra point made it 13-0. The rest of the game the railroaders kept the ball away from the All-Stars and came away with a 13-0 win.

  Playing one of the toughest schedules in professional football, the Panhandles finished with an 8-3-1 record with wins against the Massillon Tigers, Dayton Gym-Cadets, and Detroit Maroons. The eight wins would be a franchise high for victories. With a balance of offense (192 points scored) and defense (37 points allowed), the railroaders were hitting their peak. They also were one of the biggest shows in professional football, as over the course of the season more than 20,000 spectators (figures from newspaper accounts) came out to watch the Panhandles and football's greatest attraction-the Nesser brothers.

  But the big news coming out of professional football in 1915 came from Canton, Ohio, as Canton Bulldogs manager Jack Cusack basically ushered in the "modern" era of professional football and changed the landscape of the sport. In 1915 the Massillon Tigers fielded a new team to compete with the Canton Bulldogs, and in order for his Bulldogs to beat the Tigers, Cusack went out of his way to hire a big name to help his team win. He also happened to hire the greatest football player in the country.

  Cusack set out to recruit Jim Thorpe to play for Canton. In his memoir, Pioneer in Pro Football, Cusack explained how he was able to sign the great Thorpe to a pro contract.

  I sent Bill Gardner, his old Carlisle teammate, over to Indiana University, where he was coaching the backfield, to see him, and shortly thereafter I had Thorpe under contract to play for the Canton Bulldogs for $250 a game. Some of my business "advisers" frankly predicted that I was leading the Bulldogs into bankruptcy by paying Jim the enormous sum of $250 per game, but the deal paid off even beyond my greatest expectations. Jim was an attraction as well as a player, and whereas our paid attendance averaged around 1,200 before we took him on, we filled the Massillon and Canton parks for the next two games-6,000 for the first and 8,000 for the second. All the fans wanted to see the big Indian in action.33

  At this time Thorpe was America's finest all-around athlete. He was twice an All-American while playing football at Carlisle; winner of two gold medals at the 1912 Olympics; and a professional baseball player with the New York Giants. In the 1912 Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden, he won the pentathlon and decathlon while compiling 8,412 of a possible 10,000 points. King Gustaf presented the two gold medals to Thorpe, proclaiming, "You are the greatest athlete in the world." Thorpe modestly responded, "Thanks King."

  But it was football that Thorpe really excelled in, and it was why Cusack was willing to pay him the unheard amount of $250 a game. There was nothing that Thorpe couldn't do on a football field. He was the best passer, best runner, best defender, and the best kicker, and when he signed to play professional football in 1915, he put the sport on the front pages across America. In the first game against the Massillon Tigers, 6,000 fans watched as Thorpe was a nonfactor, in a 16-0 win by the Tigers. But the second game saw a larger crowd, 8,000, and Thorpe at his best. In a hardfought, low-scoring game, Thorpe kicked two field goals in a 6-0 victory over the Tigers.

  Cusack had succeeded in hiring Thorpe, as his Bulldogs made a profit in the two games against the Tigers, and this turn of events once again showed Joe Carr the potential of professional football. In the long run the most important thing about the 1915 season wasn't who won or lost but who played and how much money it had cost. After years of carefree "independent" football dominated by sandlot players, the game began to move toward bigger name, college-trained players who now would lead the way. Although some sandlot players would linger around in pro football for another decade, most pro teams would now consist of full squads of former college players. Even Carr, who had a sandlot team, signed Ohio State star Lou Pickerel that season. The Thorpe signing just speeded up the process for early pro football managers, and the influx of better-prepared players now meant better quality of play on the field.34

  However, the Thorpe signing also brought a great increase in the cost of doing business, as players' salaries jumped, with Thorpe's salary setting the bar. Those teams willing to pay top salaries usual
ly prospered on the field, if not in their ledger books; those that refused to spend the money and attempted to continue with lower-paid talent usually dropped to second class status. Carr had to decide where his team fit in.

  In 1916 Cusack couldn't take a step backward and built a strong Canton Bulldogs squad with Thorpe as the key player. That fall he signed former college stars Cub Buck (Wisconsin), Clarence "Doc" Spears (Dartmouth), Unk Russell (Penn), Bull Lowe (Lafayette), and Milt Ghee (Dartmouth). The Bulldogs dominated professional football in 1916, and in October the Panhandles got their shot at seeing how good Thorpe's Bulldogs really were.

  Carr now had two children and a wife at home, but most of his time was spent thinking about his Panhandles and how they would compete in the new era of professional football. The game was becoming more popular, and there were even some rumblings about a new pro football league being formed to give order to the loose affiliation of teams. On September 21 the Portsmouth (Ohio) Daily Times reported about a league being formed out of Columbus, Ohio:

  May Form Football League

  Reports are being circulated here [Columbus] that plans for a professional football league comprised of Columbus, Toledo, Canton, Youngstown, Massillon and Cleveland are being formed, the season to start at the expiration of the baseball season. According to reports, "Peggy" Parratt, who has managed professional teams in Canton [Akron] for several years, is signing star players and making plans for the Cleveland team if the proposed league, which plans to play its games in the American league baseball park .15

  The report appeared in several more newspapers, and it showed that some of the early pro football managers might be serious about organizing their sport. The report didn't mention any names but did say that it circulated from Columbus, Ohio. Was Joe Carr behind this movement to organize? Nobody really knows, but certainly he would have wanted to be involved if there was such a movement. The 1916 season would start with no other mention of the proposed league.

  After compiling an overall record of 15-5-1 over the past two seasons, the Panhandles remained one of the toughest aggregations in professional football, despite a rather up-and-down year in 1916. They opened with four straight victories and then dropped five of their next six games before ending the year with two straight wins. Three of the team's losses were to Toledo, Canton, and Massillon, with the latter two battling for the Ohio state championship, although the Bulldogs claimed the title with a 9-0-1 record. The Panhandles' other two losses were to Fort Wayne and the Cleveland Indians. There was not one defeat to be ashamed of.

  Joe Carr's team returned its core players with all six Nessers, Hi Brigham, both Kuehner brothers, Emmett Ruh, and Lee Snoots. Gone were some talented players, including longtime linemen Charlie Dunn, Andy Kertzinger, and John "Pop" Schneider, who all retired. Lou Pickerel, star of the 1915 team, decided not to come back after just one season. To fill out the 1916 roster Carr added Sam Compton, a guard, and recruited end Homer Ruh, brother of Emmett Ruh, to join the Panhandles. The Panhandles now had three sets of brothers-the Nessers, Kuehners, and Ruhs.

  Carr's Panhandles were getting ready to not only play some games but also do some serious traveling. The team would play eleven straight games on the road before closing the season with one home game. The Panhandles were now a full-fledged traveling team, and in 1916 the fans at opposing cities came out in great numbers to see pro football's most famous and toughest team. On September 27 the railroaders played their typical warm-up game, defeating the Lancaster (Ohio) Independents 69-0, scoring a whopping ten touchdowns. The following week it was another lopsided game beating the Marion Questions, 54-0.

  After two games the Panhandles had scored eighteen touchdowns and won by a combined score of 123-0. The next game would be a different story as the Panhandles moved up in competition, playing the Detroit Heralds. On October 14 the Ohio State journal wrote, "Detroit critics contend that the Panhandles are better than the Heralds and a lot of Columbus people who are in Detroit are anxious to see the two elevens clash. Football has gained a big foothold in Detroit and Sunday's game is booked as one of the big attractions of the season. The entire Panhandle squad will make the trip. All members are in great condition. While in Detroit, the team will be quartered at the Cadillac Hotel .16

  The trip paid off handsomely for Joe Carr and the Panhandles. Not only did they win a tough game, 13-7, but the railroaders played before a huge crowd of 7,000 fans. The payout to Joe Carr was very nice and made the return trip home twice as sweet. The Detroit Free Press praised the Panhandles and the famous Nesser brothers.

  Many came out to see the six Nesser brothers and were not a bit disappointed. The six of them were all in the game for the first two periods. J. Nesser, quarterback, was then removed. He is only 41 years old and his younger brother, Ted, who is coach and captain, probably figured that the old gentleman had done quite enough in piloting his team to a 13-point lead. But then Ted is only 33 years old and as soon as he gains a little more experience he will acquire the discretion which comes with years.

  As for the other brothers, all they can do-is kick, run, forward pass, block and tackle. Over and above the possession of these few talents they are on the team only for advertising purposes.

  The Panhandles are the smartest football boys that have ever played in Detroit. They are heavy and fast and when one of those Nessers hits an opponent flush there usually is work for the water boy and field physician. The Panhandles are the smartest pro football team Detroit has ever seen. They have any amount of trick plays and strategy. It is a nice team to look at: tricky but always clean.37

  The Nessers were on a roll after their third straight win, and the press and pro football fans were getting to know the traveling Panhandles. Their next game was against the Cleveland Indians, a team organized by Peggy Parratt. It would be the first time the Panhandles would play a game in the city of Cleveland and again the railroaders didn't disappoint.

  Before a crowd of 6,000 fans at League Park the Panhandles defeated the Indians 9-6 behind a Ted Nesser touchdown and a clutch field goal by Emmett Ruh. The Cleveland Plain Dealer was very impressed by the Panhandles.

  Ted and John and Fred and Frank and other members of the famous Nesser family may be getting ancient in years, and may be battle-scarred veterans and old timers and all that sort of thing. But about 6,000 Clevelanders will bear testimony to the fact that Ted and John, etc., haven't lost the art of playing football with advancing years.

  Working with the enthusiasm of youngsters and with the power that comes with two hundred or more pounds of bones and flesh per man, the Nesser brothers and teammates, composing the Panhandle team of Columbus smashed and kicked their way to a 9 to 6 victory over the Cleveland Indians at League Park yesterday.

  Ted, who earned the admiration of Clevelanders here eleven years ago when he was a prime factor in the victory of the Massillon Tigers over the Carlisle Indians, yesterday showed consistent flashes of Ted of old and literally scored the victor's sole touchdown unaided in the second period. Just as the period ended the Indians tied the score on a beautiful forward pass from Hanley to Williams over the goal line. Both teams failed in the attempts for goal after touchdown.

  Goal from Field in Fourth Period Turns Tide of Fray

  The visitors registered the deciding points when in their fourth period they were held on downs after marching almost under Cleveland's goal posts and then Emmett Ruh drop kicked the ball between the goal posts.38

  Accompanying the article was a great action photo of Fred Nesser carrying the ball behind a wall of blocking. Fred got a little glory from the photo, but that's where it ended, as he left the game with a broken hand. The injury would force Fred to miss the next three games. Fred's misfortunate did not dampen the team's enthusiasm as they had just won their fourth consecutive game (six in a row counting the last two in 1915), and next up was the best team in pro football-the Canton Bulldogs.

  Led by Jim Thorpe, the Bulldogs would give the Panhandles their toughest tes
t of the year. On October 26 the Columbus Dispatch wrote on the upcoming game.

  To meet one of the greatest aggregations of stars grouped under the colors of one team, Ted Nesser and Joe Carr will escort the Panhandles eleven to Canton Saturday evening, where on the following afternoon, the Canton professional squad coached and managed by James Thorpe, famous as an All-American fullback and declared to be one of the greatest performers of the gridiron game ever developed in America, will be played.

  Thorpe has gathered about him a coterie of supporting stars whose names are a part of every school boy's education in the great college sport. This is the kind of eleven the Panhandles meet Sunday after Sunday. Since the football season was inaugurated the Panhandle eleven has had but one or two easy tasks. Since those first games were played the Nesser boys and their five helpers have been hot footing it about the country meeting the best that each town has had to offer and in each instance they have brought glory both on themselves and the town from whence they hail.39

  Even Bulldogs manager Jack Cusack was nervous about playing the Panhandles. "Canton knows it will need every bit of beef and speed to offset the Panhandles and check their winning streak which is growing to unusual proportions," Cusack would say to the Canton press4° The undefeated Panhandles were a challenge to the Bulldogs championship aspirations and the game was starting to become the game of the year in professional football-not just in Ohio. On October 28 the Canton Repository ran an ad for the game.