1928 Detroit Wolverines season

National Football League team season March 2026 November 2013 Detroit Wolverines (NFL) Detroit Wolverines 1928 7–2–1 3rd NFL LeRoy Andrews 1926 (Panthers) 1929 (NY Giants) Other seasons The 1928 Detroit Wolverines season was their first and only season in the league, after relocating from Cleveland in the offseason.http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2271 Cleveland Bulldogs - Ohio History Central The team went 7–2–1,1928 Detroit Wolverines finishing third in the league; their two losses came to Frankford and Providence, the NFL's top two teams. History thumb|right|200px|NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Benny Friedman was the star of the 1928 Detroit Wolverines. Friedman was a pioneer passing quarterback. As one of the centers of American manufacturing, Detroit was regarded as a promising location for a stable professional football franchise by the fledgling National Football League (NFL). The league awarded its first Detroit franchise to Jimmy Conzelman on August 1, 1925.Joseph T. Labrum, "Chronology," in Joseph T. Labrum (ed.), The National Football League Record and Rules Manual: 1958, 39th Season. Bala-Cynwyd, PA, 1958; p. 66–68. The Wolverines, led by former University of Michigan star quarterback Benny Friedman, also met the New York Giants twice: an easy 28-0 win in Detroit and a 19-19 tieThis contest (as of 2024) is the only game in NFL history to end with this score, thus creating a scorigami. at the Polo Grounds in New York. Ironically, this proved to be the team's downfall, as the Wolverines piqued the interest of Giants owner Tim Mara, who wanted to acquire Friedman and Detroit's other star players. Mara did so by buying the entire Detroit franchise, and promptly shutting it down, thus delivering Friedman et al to New York. The NFL would not return to the Motor City until 1934, when the Portsmouth Spartans moved to Detroit and were rebranded as the Lions. thumb|center|700px|Tiny Feather (#20) carries the ball towards the end zone in the Detroit Wolverines season-opening victory over the New York Yankees, October 14, 1928. Schedule Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources 1 October 14 at New York Yankees W 35–12 1–0 Yankee Stadium 18,000 Recap C.A. Lovett, "Detroit Smears Pylemen: Friedman Passes Wolverines to 35–12 Win Over Yankees," New York Daily News, Oct. 15, 1928, p. 36."Football Yanks Bow to Detroit: Friedman's Forward Passes Result in 4 Touchdowns as Wolverines Win, 35 to 12," Brooklyn Daily Times, Oct. 15, 1928, p. 15. 2 October 21 New York Giants W 28–0 2–0 Dinan Field 12,000 Recap "Friedman Pros Defeat Giants: Bennie is Almost Whole Show as Wolverines Win, 28 to 0," Detroit Free Press, Oct. 22, 1928, pp. 18, 20.United Press, "Detroit Wolverines Trim New York Giant Gridders," St. Joseph Herald-Press, Oct. 22, 1928, p. 7. 3 October 28 at Chicago Bears W 6–0 3–0 Wrigley Field 20,000 Recap Wilfrid Smith, "Detroit Line Attack Beats Bears, 6–0: Friedman the Passer Shines in a New Role," Chicago Tribune, Oct. 29, 1928, pp. 23-24.Associated Press, "Benny's Team Defeats Bears: Wolverines Cling to Professional League Lead by 6–0 Victory," Detroit Free Press, Oct. 29, 1928, p. 16. 4 November 3 at Frankford Yellow Jackets L 7–25 3–1 Frankford Stadium 8,000 Recap "Frankford Yellow Jackets Jolt Wolverines, 25 to 7," Atlantic City Sunday Press, Nov. 4, 1928, p. 28. 5 November 4 at Providence Steam Roller L 0–7 3–2 Cycledrome 8,500 Recap Greg D. Tranter, The Providence Steam Roller: New England's First NFL Team. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2024; pp. 236-237. 6 November 11 at New York Giants T 19–19 3–2–1 Polo Grounds 30,000 Recap C.A. Lovett, "Wolverines Tie Giants in 4th Period Surge," New York Daily News, Nov. 12, 1928, p. 29.Harold C. Burr, "Giants Fooled by Wolverines Who Play Dead: Benny Friedman Engineers Star Play to Tie Pro Football Champs," Brooklyn Eagle, Nov. 12, 1928, p. 30. 7 November 18 New York Yankees W 13–0 4–2–1 Dinan Field 8,000 Recap " Bennie's Arm Beats Yankees: Friedman Wolverines Defeat Eastern Eleven, 13 to 0, by Aerial Attack," Detroit Free Press, Nov. 19, 1928, pp. 15-16.Associated Press, "Detroit Wolverines Score 18–0 Victory Over New York Yankees," Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Nov. 19, 1928, p. 19.United Press, "Friedman's Eleven Beats New Yorkers," Traverse City Record-Eagle, Nov. 19, 1928, p. 6. 8 November 25 at Chicago Bears W 14–7 5–2–1 Wrigley Field 15,000 Recap "Detroit Pros Rally to Beat Bears," Rock Island Argus, Nov. 26, 1928, p. 16.Associated Press, "Wolverines Trounce Chicago Bears," Decatur Herald and Review, Nov. 26, 1928, p. 4."Benny Defeats Chicago Bears Single-Handed," Decatur Evening Herald, Nov. 26, 1928, p. 13. 9 November 29 Dayton Triangles W 33–0 6–2–1 Dinan Field Recap "'Tiny' Feather Back at Full for Friedman: Big Fullback's Injury Mends for Game Tomorrow with Dayton Triangles," Detroit Free Press, Nov. 28, 1928, p. 19."Friedman's Wolverines Crush Dayton Triangles, 33 to 0: Great Passing Routs Ohioans," Detroit Free Press, Nov. 30, 1928, p. 20."Triangles are Defeated, 33–0: Benny Friedman Leads Wolverines to Victory in National League," Dayton Daily News, Nov. 30, 1928, p. 38."Triangles are on Short End: Local Eleven Goes Down to Defeat at Detroit by Score of 33 to 0," Dayton Herald, Nov. 30, 1928, p. 32. 10 December 9 at New York Yankees W 34–6 7–2–1 Yankee Stadium 3,000 The reporter for the United Press had the crowd at 3,500. Recap C.A. Lovett, "Wolverines Sock Grid Yanks, 34–6: New York Gets First Touchdown, Then Fades Out," New York Daily News, Dec. 10, 1928, p. 38."Wolverines Beat Football Yankees," Brooklyn Daily Times, Dec. 10, 1928, p. 12.United Press, "Friedman's Wolverines Humbles Yankees, 34–6," Minneapolis Star, Dec. 10, 1928, p. 14. Game summaries Game 1: at New York Yankees Yankee Stadium was the scene and 2:30 pm was the time for the October 14 franchise debut of the Detroit Wolverines as they faced C. C. Pyle's New York Yankees."On the Air Today: Professional Football Game," Hartford Courant, Oct. 14, 1928, p. 12E. Gibby Welch, "Wild Bill" Kelly, and Bo Molenda were among those Yankees receiving top billing in the battle against former University of Michigan star Benny Friedman. An impressive crowd of 18,000 made their way to the stadium, joined by a region radio audience listening to the live sideline broadcasts of two competing stations. Standings thumb|right|300px|Print ad for the November 18 game with the New York Yankees in Detroit. "Eight thousand shivering fans" turned up, according to one news account. Roster Starters LE - Lyle Munn (Kansas State) LT - Tom Cobb (St. John's) LG - Les Caywood (St. John's) C - Joe Wostoupal (Nebraska) RG - Dosey Howard (Marietta College) RT - Bill Owen (Oklahoma A&M, Phillips) RE - Carl Bacchus (Missouri) QB - Benny Friedman (Michigan) † LH - Rex Thomas (St. John's) RH - Ossie Wiberg (Nebraska Wesleyan) FB - Tiny Feather (Kansas State) Reserves Rip Bachor, tackle (University of Detroit) John Barrett, lineman (University of Detroit) Pete Jackson, back (Missouri) Proc Randels, end (Kansas State) Eddie Scharer, back (University of Detroit, Notre Dame) Len Sedbrook, halfback (Phillips) Ernie Vick, lineman (Michigan) Chet Widerquist, lineman (Northwestern, Washington & Jefferson) † - Denotes NFL Hall of Fame member. References 35em Detroit Wolverines W Category:Detroit seasons (1920s NFL teams)