Walter Flanigan

Walter Harrison Flanigan ( born May 17, 1890 in Beardstown, Illinois, USA, † June 17 1962 in Rock Iceland, Illinois) was an American police officer, American football player and coach. Flanigan was one of the founders of the American Professional Football Association ( APFA ), today's National Football League ( NFL).

Curriculum vitae

Walter Flanigan was a police officer of the police of rock Iceland. In 1912, he joined a local football team, the skirt Iceland independents. He played for the team as a wide receiver and defensive end. In 1915 he acquired the team and served henceforth as a manager and coach of the team. He built the team in the next few years to become a professional football team. In 1919 his team won nine out of eleven games. Flanigan then demanded the Canton Bulldogs, who had won in the " Ohio League " championship, a comparison game and offered the team a signing bonus of $ 5,000. Jim Thorpe, who was coach of the team this year, accepted the offer not to. The Bulldogs had already finished their round and the team were no longer all players. Thorpe also feared that Flanigan did not have the necessary funds to pay the signing bonus also can. The Independents declared itsself to American-football champion.

In August 1920, launched in Canton, the American Professional Football Association ( APFA ). Flanigan was a co-founder of the League, which was renamed in 1922 in the National Football League ( NFL). His team wore on October 3, 1920 from the first ever played NFL game against the Muncie Flyers. Flanigan was achieved in the next few years the obligation of well-known players. So he could tie the later members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Joe Guyon and Ed Healey and the subsequent All- Pro players Tillie Voss to the team. Winning a league title but he did not succeed.

Before the season 1923 Flanigan sold his team and withdrew from the football sport. He then worked in the oil industry.