If you take a look at the list of presidents/commissioners through the history of the NFL, you'll come across the name of Carl Storck. "Who the hell is that?" might be the typical response. Several men tossed the league on their backs and carried it through the 1920s and '30s. What we have today is due to the work of these men. George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara, Art Rooney, George Preston Marshall, Bert Bell and especially Joe Carr put everything they had into the new league. Most, if not all, is well known even today. All are in the Hall of Fame. Carl Storck was with them through those days. He was at the famous meetings that launched the NFL. He was a founding member of the new professional league and owner of the Dayton Triangles. Like Joe Carr, Storck learned the professional game in the tough, competitive Ohio leagues. He played the game, coached the game, knew the game on the field and off. He's mostly forgotten today.
When Carr was elected president of the NFL in 1921, he picked his good friend Carl Storck to be the secretary-treasurer. Carr was an incredible leader for nearly 20 years until his death, on May 20, 1939, of a heart attack. Storck was by his side, his right hand man, the entire time. Even the strongest, most capable leaders need equally strong assistance. This was Carl Storck. He was an asset to Carr. He was an asset to the league. His position as secretary-treasurer/vice president was purely volunteer. He worked for General Motors to support his family.
When Carr died suddenly, Storck was elected to replace him. It was an easy and natural transition, but he was only given a one-year contract. Some owners, the Redskins' George Preston Marshall, were never sold on Storck. They wanted a big name to lead the league. Marshall even approached J. Edgar Hoover for the job. Fortunately, Hoover continued his harrassment of the public. Others looked to Arch Ward of the Chicago Tribune. He turned them down as well. All this time Storck continued his tireless work for the league but never felt secure in his job. He kept working at General Motors just in case. The NFL re-elected Storck in 1940, but again only offered a one-year contract. The owners still kept Arch Ward in their sites. Following the 1940 season, they again offered Ward the job. He again declined, but recommended Notre Dame Athletic Director Elmer Layden-who became famous as one of the Four Horseman of Notre Dame in the '20s. He had never been an executive in the professional ranks, but he had the big name. Layden was hired as the NFL's first Commissioner. He signed a 5-year contract. Storck could have worked under him but declined. He knew that Layden was not qualified to lead the league and decided that he couldn't work in that environment. This was a horrible way to treat a man that had given so much for so long. He was crushed. "He was heartbroken. That's what I always thought my father died of was heartbreak", says Dolores Seitz, daughter of Carl Storck. Shortly after leaving the NFL, he suffered a stroke. On March 13, 1950 Carl Storck died of numerous health issues in a Dayton nursing home. It's interesting that several biographies of Storck claim that he left the NFL due to health issues. He actually suffered the health issues after leaving the league. He was also right about Layden. World War II brought many challenges to the league, but the big name was a failure as commissioner. In 1946, the owners did what they should have done five years earlier. They hired one of their own in Bert Bell.
Carl Storck was such an important part of the first 20 years of the NFL. He was taken for granted when the league needed him most. Carr's sudden death left the league reeling. Storck could have settled that but he was never given the chance. His job was never secure. It's a tragedy that he was treated this way by his friends. It's also a tragedy if Carl Storck is forgotten.
No comments:
Post a Comment