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The Steagles were the team created by the temporary merger of Pennsylvania's two National Football League (NFL) teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season. The two franchises were compelled to field a single combined team because both had lost many players to military service during World War II. The league's official record book refers to the team as "Phil-Pitt Combine", but the unofficial "Steagles", despite never being registered by the NFL, has become the enduring moniker.
Albert Alexander "Ox" Wistert was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle, guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played his entire nine-year NFL career for the Eagles and became their team captain. He was named to play in the NFL's first Pro Bowl as an Eagle. During most of Wistert's career there were no football All-star games, although he was named to the league All-Pro team eight times.
Victor Wilson Sears was an American football guard and tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Walter Raymond Kichefski was an American football player and coach. He was drafted in the 22nd round of the 1940 NFL Draft. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, from 1940 to 1942, and again in 1944 with "Card-Pitt", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between the Chicago Cardinals and the Steelers. The merger was result of the manning shortages experienced league-wide due to World War II. He also served in the military during the war. His name is included on the NFL honor roll, which lists over 1,000 NFL personnel who served in the military during World War II.
The 1943 season was the Chicago Bears' 24th in the National Football League. The team failed to match on their 11–0 record from 1942 and finished at 8–1–1, under temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. On the way to winning the Western Division, the Bears were, yet again, denied a chance at an undefeated season by the defending champion Redskins in Washington. The Bears had their revenge in the NFL title game and defeated the Redskins at Wrigley Field to claim their sixth league title. It was their third championship in four years, establishing themselves as the pro football dynasty of the early 1940s.
Henry LeRoy Zimmerman Jr. was an American football player who played wingback and quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1940 to 1948. Afterwards, he played professional fast-pitch softball for 26 years, during which he revolutionized pitching.
Arthur A. Macioszczyk was an American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Western Michigan University and was drafted in the 27th round of the 1943 NFL Draft by the Steagles. He served in World War II for the United States Army.
Edward Joseph Michaels was an American football guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted in the second round of the 1936 NFL Draft. He also played for the Wilmington Clippers from 1938 to 1942, and 1947. From 1948 to 1950 he played in the CFL for the Ottawa Rough Riders. Michaels also played on the "Steagles", a merged team consisting of the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers in 1943. The team was the result of a league-wide manning shortage brought on by World War II. Many of the "Steagles" players were labeled 4-F's, those deemed physically unfit due to ailments such as ulcers, flat feet and even partial blindness. Michaels was labeled a 4F because he was nearly deaf.
William Austin Dewell was an American football player. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1939 NFL Draft. He played professionally with the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He served in World War II for the United States Navy before rejoining the Cardinals in 1945.
Raymond Edward Apolskis was a professional football player, an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He played eight seasons for the Chicago Cardinals and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.
Theodore Dennison Doyle was a professional American football tackle and guard who played for eight seasons. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the eighth round of the 68th pick in the 1938 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Nebraska and played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.
Walter Velpo Rankin was a professional football player in the National Football League. He played running back for five seasons for the Chicago Cardinals. During World War II, Rankin served in the United States Military. His name is located on the World War II Honor Roll, which shows NFL players who also fought in the war, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During the war, however, Rankin also played for "Card-Pitt" a team that was a temporary merger of the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. The teams merged due to the manning shortages associated with the war.
Joseph Daniell Hoague was a professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and later the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Steagles, and the Boston Yanks. Prior to joining the NFL, Hoague played college football at Colgate University.
Joseph Mihal was a professional American football player who played as a tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons with the Chicago Bears. He was elected as a starter for the 1939 Chicago College All-Star Game. He was drafted in the third round of the 1939 NFL Draft.
Anthony J. Bova was a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1940s. He graduated from The Kiski School and then Saint Francis University, located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, in 1943. He was 6'1" and weighed 190 pounds when he played for the Steelers during World War II, when they temporarily merged with the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Cardinals to form the "Steagles" and "Card-Pitt". He played end, halfback, and quarterback during his career from 1942 to 1947. In 1942 he also played left end on defense and in 1947 scored a safety. In 1943 Bova led the NFL in average gain per completed pass in 1943, netting 419 yards in 19 completed aerials. In 1942 he wore numbers 31 and 41 and in 1943 number 85.
John William Butler was a professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1942. He would go on to play for both Steelers merged teams. In 1943 Butler was drafted into the military due to World War II, however he was physically disqualified for duty. He then made his first start with the "Steagles" one day after being ruled 4-F by his draft board for poor eyesight and bad knees. During the 1944 season, Butler was charged, and fined $200, by co-coaches Walt Kiesling and Phil Handler for "indifferent play". He was then put on waivers and was soon claimed by the Brooklyn Tigers. In 1945, he played his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
John M. Hinkle was an American football player and coach. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and the "Steagles". Hinkle later became a football coach, and was head coach at Drexel.
Lawrence Andrew Cabrelli was a professional football player and assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL). He began his pro career in 1941, after his graduation from Colgate University, where he also played college football and was inducted into their Hall of Honors in 2013. In the NFL, Cabrelli played offense and defense (end) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also a member of the "Steagles", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers due to the league-wide manning shortages in 1943 brought on by World War II. From 1948 to 1950, he was an assistant coach for the Eagles under head coach, Greasy Neale. During his time as an Eagles coach, the team won two NFL Championships in 1948 and 1949. After leaving the Eagles in 1950, Cabrelli was named an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins. He finished his pro career as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
Rocco Peter Canale was a professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). During his pro career, he split time between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Boston Yanks. However was also a member of the "Steagles", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers due to the league-wide manning shortages in 1943 brought on by World War II. Canale's brawny physique earned him the nickname "the Walking Billboard".
Charles Edward Gauer was a professional football player, and later an assistant coach, for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). However, he was also a member of the "Steagles," a team that was the result of a temporary merger between the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers due to the league-wide manning shortages in 1943 brought on by World War II.
References
- ↑ "Dean Steward". pro-football-reference. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- FOOTBALL AND AMERICA: WW II Honor Roll
- "The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II ( ISBN 0-306-81472-2)