The Orange Tornadoes and Newark Tornadoes were two manifestations of a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1941 and from 1958 to 1970, having played in the American Amateur Football Union from 1888 to 1895, the National Football League from 1929 to 1930, the American Association from 1936 to 1941, the Atlantic Coast Football League from 1963 to 1964 and 1970, and the Continental Football League from 1965 to 1969. The team was based for most of its history in Orange, New Jersey, with many of its later years in Newark. Its last five seasons of existence were as the Orlando Panthers, when the team was based in Orlando, Florida. The NFL franchise was sold back to the league in October 1930. The team had four head coaches in its two years in the NFL – Jack Depler in Orange, and Jack Fish, Al McGall and Andy Salata in Newark.
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. The Independents were a founding National Football League franchise. They hosted what has been retrospectively designated the First National Football League Game on September 26, 1920 at Douglas Park. The Independents were founded in 1907 by Demetrius Clements as an independent football club. Hence, the team was named the "Independents."
The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to early-summer schedule. The league quickly became known as a development league for players, with many players moving up to the NBA and many more playing in Europe after stints here. In 1996, the league made a stock offering, a rarity among sports leagues. However, in later years, the league declined as rival leagues appeared and USBL had a tougher time replacing teams that folded. In the last two seasons, the league was mainly a midwestern league, with teams mainly in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. After speculation that the USBL might fold after the 2007 season, the league announced that it would sit out the 2008 season and consider its options for the future. In January 2010, the league expressed hopes to resume play in April 2010. However, no further news has surfaced from the league. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.
Derrick Lee Strait is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the early 2000s. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. The New York Jets chose him in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and he also played professionally for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers of the NFL.
The Senior Professional Baseball Association, referred to commonly as the Senior League, was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over, with a minimum age of 32 for catchers. The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72-game schedule. Pitchers Rollie Fingers, Ferguson Jenkins, and Vida Blue, outfielder Dave Kingman, and managers Earl Weaver and Dick Williams were the league's marquee names; and former big league outfielder Curt Flood was the circuit's first Commissioner. At age 54, Ed Rakow was the league's oldest player.
Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. He has also played for the United States national baseball team.
Henry "Two-Bits" Homan was a professional American football player. Homan was a college stand-out at Lebanon Valley College where he played quarterback and graduated in 1924. He gained his nickname of "Two Bits" due to his size. Standing at 5′5″ and weighing in at an average 150 lbs throughout his playing day, Homan was one of the smallest players ever in the National Football League.
Antoine Brandon Cason is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Arizona where he was recognized as a consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Cason also played for Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens.
The 1925 Chicago Bears season was their sixth regular season completed in the National Football League. The team was unable to improve on their 6–1–4 record from 1924 and finished with a 9–5–3 record under head coach George Halas earning them a seventh-place finish in the team standings, their worst showing to that date. However, the 1925 Bears were the most notable team in the young NFL's history to that point all because of the addition of college players, including Red Grange.
Adolf Frederick "Swede" Youngstrom was a professional football player. Over the span of his career in the National Football League, Youngstrom played with the Buffalo All-Americans, Canton Bulldogs, Buffalo Bisons, Cleveland Bulldogs and the Frankford Yellow Jackets. He also served as a player-coach for the Yellow Jackets in 1927. Outside of the NFL, Youngstrom played pro football for the Millville Big Blue and the Haven-Villa of Winter Haven.
The Winter Haven Red Sox were a minor league baseball team in the Florida State League (FSL), based in Winter Haven, Florida, from 1969–1992.
The Tampa Cardinals was a barnstorming football team, that played pick-up games, led by future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jim Thorpe in 1926. During the time, the team was also billed as the St. Petersburg Cardinals and as Lena Vistas. The team was originally organized to play a New Year's Day exhibition against the Chicago Bears of the National Football League in what would be Tampa’s first professional football game. However, the team would later pick up four other games while in Florida. The team has also been referred to as Thorpe's Cardinals.
Rae Crowther was a professional football player for the National Football League's Frankford Yellow Jackets from 1925 until 1926. He won the 1926 NFL Championship with the Yellow Jackets. Outside of the NFL, he played for the Millville Big Blue, a successful independent team out of New Jersey. In 1925 Rae and Millville played several pick-up games in Florida against the Tampa Cardinals, featuring Red Grange. Rae's brother Saville also played alongside him with Frankford and Millville in 1925.
Robert Crockett "Daddy" Potts was an American football player. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Frankford Yellow Jackets in the 1926 NFL season. Potts won the 1926 NFL championship with the Yellow Jackets. Outside of the NFL, he played for the Millville Big Blue, a successful independent team out of New Jersey. In 1925 Rae and Millville played several pick-up games in Florida against the Tampa Cardinals, featuring Red Grange.
Arthur Francis Deibel was a professional football player who spent a year in the National Football League with the Canton Bulldogs in 1926. Prior to joining the NFL, Deibel played and was the captain of the Millville Football & Athletic Club, a successful independent club from New Jersey that was headed up by Guy Chamberlin. After a highly successful 1925 season, the Big Blue played a series of pick-up games against Red Grange and the Tampa Cardinals in Florida. The Big Blue won the series with a record of 3-0-1.
Leo Frederick Douglass was a professional football who played in the National Football League in 1926. Douglass split the 1926 season playing for the Brooklyn Lions and the Frankford Yellow Jackets. He won the 1926 NFL championship when with Yellow Jackets.
Reuben J. Ursella was a professional football player-coach who played during the early years of the National Football League. During his NFL career Rube played for the Minneapolis Marines, Akron Indians, Hammond Pros, Minneapolis Red Jackets and the Rock Island Independents. In January 1926, he also played exhibition games with Jim Thorpe and his independent team, the Tampa Cardinals. Ursella played college football for the University of Minnesota.
Millville Football & Athletic Club also known as the Millville Big Blue was a professional football team based in Millville, New Jersey from 1921 until around 1928. The team won the mythical "Pro Football Championship of New Jersey" in 1923 and again in 1925.
John Alexander was a professional football player with the Massillon Tigers of the "Ohio League" and the independent Gilberton Cadamounts, Coaldale Big Green, Melrose Athletic Club and Millville Big Blue. He also played in the National Football League for the Milwaukee Badgers and New York Giants. He is best known for becoming the first person to have played outside linebacker.
