Hartford Blues

The Hartford Blues were an American football team that played in the National Football League ( NFL).

History

Prehistory

The Blues were originally founded in 1924 as Waterbury Blues and were at this time still no Liga game. Native to the team was first in Waterbury, Connecticut. The team was made up of former college football players who were resident in the region. Trained was only once a week - on Sunday before the game. The players were paid per game. After a year with seven wins, with two defeats and four draws, won the Blues 1924 state championship. The title, however, was only awarded unofficially.

From 1925, the team participated in professional features. First Harry Stuhldreher could be required. Stuhldreher previously studied at the University of Notre Dame and was a member of the Four Horsemen, the legendary offensive backfield of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Chair Dreher received an annual salary of 7,500 U.S. dollars, and a bonus of $ 500. Other former college football stars could be taken by the team under contract. After the first winning season game also designed the former teammate of Stuhldreher Jim Crowley found his way to the blues. He ran but only in one game for the team. The game against the NFL Team Rochester Jeffersons were the Blues win with 9:7.

In November 1925, the team moved to East Hartford, Connecticut and was renamed Hartford Blues. They played in Hartford in a stadium with a capacity of 8,000 spectators. Other players, like Don Miller or Steve Owen reinforced the squad. The team remained victorious and secured the second state championship. This "profit", however, was not without controversy. Rather than end the season, the owner of the Blues decided yet a lucrative game against an NFL team unsubscribe. He managed to take all four former Four Horsemen under contract. Was successful, this move is not. The Blues lost to the Cleveland Bulldogs with 13:6, where the former Four Horsemen Elmer Layden scored the only touchdown for the Blues. The season ended with the Blues won ten victories in two losses.

The Hartford Blues in the NFL

In 1926, the Blues joined the National Football League. Your star player had now left the club. The season was very successful. Only three of eleven games were won. The first four games they lost achieve without its own point. Due to the poor performance of the team, the audience stayed away. Due to weather conditions the team could not play the season to end.

The NFL season in 1926 was the first and last season the Blues in the NFL. The League was financially ill-posed. 1926 was co-founded by Red Grange American Football League in bankruptcy and two teams of this league were included in the NFL. The team owners of the NFL decided to limit the number of teams to 12 teams, all of which were located in large cities. The Blues were excluded. As an independent team they played under the name Hartford Giants yet another year, but then stopped the game operation.

Players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Steve Owen