Throwback Thursday: 1920s All-Decade Team

This Flicker was originally posted on July 11, 2014

It took me nearly twenty years but I finally discovered 75 Seasons: The Complete Story of the National Football League. It's an excellent book put together by football writers Will McDonough, Peter King, Paul Zimmerman, Vic Carucci, Greg Garber, Kevin Lamb, Joe Gergen, Harold Rosenthal, C.W. Nevius, Ed Bouchette, Ted Brock, Tom Barnidge, and Phil Barber. That's an all-star lineup. They take a thorough look at each decade ending each with the selection of an All-Decade Team. The artwork for these is themed and it's fantastic. The members of the 1920 All-Decade Team are seen seated in and standing around an automobile in a Hupmobile dealership. Just like the founding fathers of the NFL did on September 17, 1920.

Here is that 1920s All-Decade Team:

Backs:
Paddy Driscoll
Harold "Red" Grange
Jim Thorpe
Ernie Nevers

Ends:
LaVern Dilweg
Guy Chamberlain

Tackles:
Cal Hubbard
Wilbur (Pete) Henry

Guards:
Walt Kiesling
Mike Michalske

Center:
George Trafton

In 1969, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Selection Committee retroactively selected All-Decade Teams in celebration of the NFL's first 50 years. All eleven of the above players were part of this team. So were seven others:

Backs:
Jimmy Conzelman
Paddy Driscoll
Harold "Red" Grange
Joe Guyon
Earl "Curly" Lambeau
Jim Thorpe
Ernie Nevers

Ends:
Guy Chamberlain
LaVern Dilweg
George Halas

Tackles:
Ed Healy
Wilbur (Pete) Henry
Cal Hubbard
Steve Owen

Guards
Hunk Anderson
Walt Kiesling
Mike Michalske

Center:
George Tafton

It's important to note that one member of the 75 Seasons team and two members of the Selection Committee team have not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. LaVern Dilweg and Hunk Anderson are the two players. Dilweg is the player named to both teams but not honored in Canton. Inclusion on an All-Decade team doesn't mean an automatic induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In this case, it's very much an injustice to Dilweg. He's universally considered one of the best players of the first decade of the NFL. His absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been a six decade mystery. After finally inducting Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard in 2005, I have the feeling that the Selection Committee has put a bow on the 1920s. They forgot someone. LaVern Dilweg should be honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the rest of the 1920s All-Decade Team. Hunk Anderson is one of the most interesting football figures of the early decades of football. He sort of bounced back and forth between Notre Dame and the Chicago Bears. Playing and coaching for both. He played for Knute Rockne and George Halas. He was an assistant coach for both iconic football figures. He was named the Notre Dame head coach following the tragic death of Rockne in 1931. He was a co-head coach of the Bears while Halas was in the service during World War II.

The artwork of  75 Seasons: The Complete Story of the National Football League is fantastic!!!! Can't say that enough.