Detroit had four early teams in the National Football League before the Detroit Lions. The Heralds played in 1920, and had played as an independent as far back as 1905. The Tigers, a continuation of the Heralds, played in 1921, folding midseason and sending their players to the Buffalo All-Americans. The Panthers competed from 1925 to 1926 and the Wolverines in 1928.

Team histories

Detroit Heralds/Tigers

In 1905, several University of Detroit football players, led by Bill Marshall, organized the Heralds as an amateur team after the university did not field a squad. While the university's football team resumed play in 1906, the Heralds continued to play as an amateur team. In 1916, several out-of-town players were brought in to replace some of the older players, several of whom had been with the Heralds since 1905. The Heralds were a rarity in 1918; while most teams either stopped play or reduced their schedules to only local teams because of World War I and the flu pandemic, the Heralds continued to play a full schedule and even travel to other cities, accruing a 6–2 record with both losses coming to the Ohio League champion Dayton Triangles.

In 1920, the American Professional Football Association, predecessor to the National Football League, was established. While the Heralds did not officially join the association, they are listed in league standings for the season.

The Heralds were reorganized into the Detroit Tigers, after the city's Major League Baseball team, for the 1921 season. Several players complained about not getting paid and left the team during the season. As a result, the Tigers officially folded in mid-November. Its remaining players were given to the Buffalo All-Americans. Conzelman was a quarterback who had recently played with the Decatur Staleys, Rock Island Independents and the Milwaukee Badgers.

The Panthers hoped to build on their 1925 season, but they opened the 1926 season with an 0–3 record. After rallying to a 4–0–2 record in their next six games, they lost their last three. Conzelman gave up the franchise and joined the Providence Steam Rollers as player-coach.

During the offseason, Tim Mara, the owner of the New York Giants, was interested in acquiring Friedman. Rather than simply trade for Friedman, Mara bought the entire Wolverines franchise and promptly deactivated it, delivering Friedman and other star Wolverines players to New York. The NFL would not return to the Motor City for six years, until the Portsmouth Spartans became the Detroit Lions in 1934.

Thanksgiving Day games

While the Lions are well known for playing on Thanksgiving Day, the other Detroit teams had a history of playing on Thanksgiving Day as well:

  • 1917 Heralds vs. Canton Bulldogs (lost 7–0)
  • 1920 Heralds at Dayton Triangles (lost 28–0)
  • 1921 Tigers, merged with the Buffalo All-Americans, at Chicago Staleys (won 7–6)

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| — || Benny Friedman || QB || 1928 || 2005

|}

Season-by-season

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|-

!

! Year !! W !! L !! T !! Finish !! Coach

|-

! Heralds

| 1920 || 2 || 3 || 3 || 9th || rowspan=2|Bill Marshall

|-

! Tigers

| 1921 || 1 || 5 || 1 || 16th

|-

!rowspan="2"| Panthers

| 1925 || 8 || 2 || 2 || 3rd || rowspan=2|Jimmy Conzelman

|-

| 1926 || 4 || 6 || 2 || 12th

|-

! Wolverines

| 1928 || 7 || 2 || 1 || 3rd ||LeRoy Andrews

|}

References

  • Team colors site
  • Detroit Heralds history
  • Detroit Panthers history
  • Detroit Wolverines history