1926 Detroit Panthers season

National Football League team season March 2026 November 2013 Detroit Panthers (NFL) Detroit Panthers 1926 4–6–2 12th NFL Jimmy Conzelman Navin Field 1925 1928 The 1926 Detroit Panthers season was their second and final year in the league. Despite playing 9 of their 12 games at home, the team failed to improve on their previous output of 8–2–2, winning only 4 times and finishing 12th out of 22 teams1926 Detroit Panthers Schedule Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources 1 September 19 at Green Bay Packers L 21–0 0–1 City Stadium 4,500 Recap 2 September 26 at Milwaukee Badgers L 6–0 0–2 Athletic Park 2,500 Recap 3 October 3 Chicago Bears L 10–7 0–3 Navin Field 10,000 Recap 4 October 10 Kansas City Cowboys W 10–0 1–3 Navin Field Recap 5 October 17 Louisville Colonels W 47–0 2–3 Navin Field Recap "Colonels Easy for Panthers: Detroit Pros Meet Little Opposition in Gaining Victory, 47 to 0," Detroit Free Press, Oct. 18, 1926; pp. 14-15."Louisville Pros Defeated by Detroit," Louisville Courier-Journal, Oct. 18, 1926, p. 6. 6 October 24 Akron Indians W 25–0 3–3 Navin Field Recap 7 October 31 Canton Bulldogs W 6–0 4–3 Navin Field Recap 8 November 7 Duluth Eskimos T 0–0 4–3–1 Navin Field 21,000 Recap 9 November 14 Dayton Triangles T 0–0 4–3–2 Navin Field Recap 10 November 25 Los Angeles Buccaneers L 9–6 4–4–2 Navin Field 7,000 Recap 11 November 27 at Frankford Yellow Jackets L 7–6 4–5–2 Frankford Stadium 6,000 Recap 12 November 28 Green Bay Packers L 7–0 4–6–2 Navin Field 1,000 Recap "Pro Football Gossip," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Dec. 3, 1927, pp. 28–29. — December 6 vs. Detroit Tigers Postponed due to snow. "Snow Stops Game," Flint Journal, Dec. 6, 1926, p. 14. — December 13 vs. Detroit Tigers W 9–0 — Navin Field — Associated Press, "Detroit Panthers Win From City Rivals," Lansing State Journal, Dec. 13, 1927, p. 16. Note: Games in italics was against non-NFL team. Thanksgiving Day: November 25. Standings thumb|right|260px|Program for the Panthers' September 19th season debut at Green Bay. Roster John Barrett, center, 11 games, 170 pounds, 5-6, Univ. of Detroit John Cameron, guard, 8 games, 175 pounds, Kalamazoo, Central Michigan Jimmy Conzelman, back, 12 games, 175 pounds, 6-0 Washington (MO) Al Crook, center, 8 games, 190 pounds, 5-10, Washington & Jefferson Dinger Doane, fullback, 12 games, 190 pounds, 5-10 Tufts Tom Edwards, tackle, 12 games, 185 pounds, 5-11, Central Michigan, Michigan Jack Fleischman, guard, 11 games, 184 pounds, 5-6, Purdue Bruce Gregory, tailback, 12 games, 170 pounds, 5-10, Michigan Charlie Grube, end, 2 games, 175 pounds, 5-10, Michigan Al Hadden, wingback, 12 games, 186 pounds, 5-9, Washington & Jefferson Norm Harvey, tackle, 8 games, 196 pounds, 6-0, Univ. of Detroit Vivian Hultman, end, 10 games, 178 pounds, 5-8, Michigan St. Dutch Lauer, end, 10 games, 185 pounds, 5-10, Univ. of Detroit Eddie Lynch, end, 12 games, 191 pounds, 6-0, Catholic Dutch Marion, fullback, 12 games, 180 pounds, 5-9, Washington & Jefferson, Michigan Tom McNamara, guard, 11 games, 210 pounds, 5-10, Tufts, Univ. of Detroit Eddie Scharer, back, 12 games, 165 pounds, 5-6, Univ. of Detroit, Notre Dame Gus Sonnenberg, tackle, 12 games, 196 pounds, 5-6, Dartmouth, Univ. or Detroit Dick Vick, wingback, 6 games, 167 pounds, 5-9, Washington & Jefferson Post-Season The Panthers concluded their 1926 season with a December 13 game against another local professional team, the Detroit Tigers, in an event billed as the city's professional championship. Originally scheduled for December 6, the game had to be delayed one week due to four inches of snow covering Navin Field, rendering it unplayable. Things were little better on the 13th, with the track slippery and slow, but the Panthers managed a 9–0 win over a hapless opponent that failed to make even one first down during the contest. Plans were made for a third campaign in 1927, with rumors circulating in April that the team had landed University of Michigan passing sensation Benny Friedman, with Friedman explicitly denying a report that he had agreed to terms with the club at a secret meeting in Cleveland."Friedman Denies He'll Turn Pro," Detroit Free Press, April 26, 1927, p. 17. With the NFL attempting to pare down weak franchises in 1927 by raising the amount of each team's assurance money to the league office and forcing a commitment to play at least four home games with a visitors' guarantee of $3,000 per game, the Panthers ultimately were one of ten teams falling to the wayside and terminating operations. The Cleveland-born Benny Friedman ultimately signed a contract that July to play with a new Cleveland Bulldogs franchise owned by a syndicate headed by Herbert Brandt."Friedman Joins Cleveland Pros: Famous Grid Star to Play Here with National Club This Fall," Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 17, 1927, p. 19. References 35em Category:Detroit Panthers seasons Detroit Wolverines Detroit Tigers