Highlighted Year: Benny Friedman, 1927

Tailback/Defensive Back, Cleveland Bulldogs

Age: 22

1^st season in pro football

College: Michigan

Height: 5’10” Weight: 183

Prelude:

Friedman established himself as an outstanding passer in college and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1925 and ’26. Turning pro, he proved to be extremely accurate, if not possessed of an exceptionally strong arm, and was innovative in his willingness to pass on any down despite the less-streamlined ball in use at the time and rules that discouraged reliance on throwing the ball. Friedman was also a capable runner and fair kicker.

1927 Season Summary

Appeared in all 13 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

TD Passes – 11 [1]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 2 [14, tied with twelve others]

Receiving TDs – 0

Other TDs – 0

Total TDs – 2

Field Goals – 0

Extra Points – 11 [2]

Points – 23 [19]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: Chicago Tribune, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Bulldogs went 8-4-1 to finish fourth in the NFL while leading the league in touchdowns (30) and scoring (209 points).

Aftermath:

Friedman moved on to the Detroit Panthers in 1928 and again led the NFL with 9 TD passes as well as rushing touchdowns (6, tied with two others). The franchise was bought out by Tim Mara of the Giants and Friedman went to New York and continued to lead the league in touchdown passes for the next two years, including a remarkable 20 in 1929 (the runner-up threw 6). Friedman received consensus first team All-NFL honors in each of his first four NFL seasons, but a leg injury reduced his effectiveness in 1931 and he moved on to the Brooklyn Dodgers in ’32. He finished up with one game for the Dodgers in 1934, having already moved into assistant coaching at the college level that reduced his playing time. While passing statistics are incomplete for that era, Friedman was certainly far ahead of the rest of the field in passing yards (7650) and TD passes (68), and his single-season record of 20 lasted until 1942. Friedman went on to become a college head coach at City College of New York and Brandeis University, where he also served as athletic director. His brashness might have been off-putting, but he was a keen student of the game and one of its early innovators and notable performers. Friedman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1927: Packers Defeat Triangles with Two Fourth Quarter TDs

To open their seventh NFL season, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Dayton Triangles on September 18, 1927. The Packers had finished fifth in the league with a 7-3-3 record in ‘26 and had newcomers in tailback Red Dunn, formerly of the Cardinals, and end Lavvie Dilweg, who was previously with Milwaukee. Curly Lambeau (pictured at right) was still playing at tailback as well as coaching the team.

Dayton was 1-4-1 in league games in 1926 and had a new player-coach in Lou Mahrt. The Triangles had not posted a winning record since 1922 and were 4-23-3 in their last four seasons. Dependent on local talent, they played a disproportionate share of road games and had difficulty competing with the NFL’s better clubs.

There were 3600 fans in attendance at City Stadium in Green Bay on a windy day, which had an effect on the kicking game. The Triangles hung tough defensively against the Packers for three quarters and did well with some long passes, although the plays were from their own end of the field and didn’t get them into Green Bay territory. Meanwhile the Packers, typically one of the NFL’s better passing teams, managed only one completion. Dayton threatened twice, but Earl Britton missed a 40-yard field goal attempt and Walter Achiu failed on an attempt from 33 yards.

Vern Lewellen did a good job punting under the conditions, outperforming the Dayton kickers and keeping the Triangles on their side of the field. Following Green Bay’s first series of the third quarter, Lewellen punted 70 yards to once again mire the Triangles in their own territory. A punt into the wind by the visitors gave the Packers the ball near midfield and they drove 46 yards to a touchdown carry of one yard by Curly Lambeau. Red Dunn added the extra point.

Midway through the fourth quarter, lineman Jug Earp blocked a punt and tackle Tiny Cahoon recovered in Dayton territory. The Packers made a couple of first downs before Lambeau again ran for a TD, this time from seven yards out, and Dunn again successfully converted. The Packers came away winners of the hard-fought contest by a final score of 14-0.

Green Bay went on to post a 7-2-1 record, losing twice to the Bears and ending up second to the Giants in the standings. The shutout of the Triangles was the first of five overall as the Packers outscored their opponents by a combined 113 to 43. Dayton, meanwhile, defeated the Frankford Yellow Jackets the next week but didn’t win again, finishing with another losing tally of 1-6-1.

Curly Lambeau’s two touchdowns against the Triangles were his only ones of the season. Verne Lewellen went on to lead the team with five TDs and 30 points and Red Dunn contributed a touchdown and seven extra points.