1921 Chicago Staleys season

Infobox NFL_season
team = Chicago Staleys
year = 1921
record = 9-1-1
division_place = 1st APFA
coach = George Halas
stadium = Wrigley Field
playoffs =

The 1921 Chicago Staleys season was their second regular season completed in the young American Professional Football Association. The club posted a 9-1-1 record under head coach/player George Halas earning them a first place finish in the team standings and their first league championship. The beginning of the season saw A.E. Staley turn over the team to Halas and Dutch Sternaman, who moved the team to Chicago, Illinois. The team name was changed from the Decatur Staleys to the Chicago Staleys due to a contract between Staley and Halas. The Staleys were quite dominant, but it should be noted that all of Chicago's games were played at home (including one game in Decatur). Two games were against the Buffalo All-Americans; the first was won by Buffalo 7-6, the second by Chicago 10-7. All-American players and owners claimed the second game was "post-season" and should not have counted. Of course, this claim was pretyy flimsy considering the second game was played on December 4th (well before teams typically stopped playing games in those days), and the Staleys played two more games against top opponents, the Canton Bulldogs and Chicago Cardinals after the second Buffalo game.

Ed "Dutch" Sternaman and George Halas starred again, with newcomer Gaylord Stinchcomb also contributing. Sternaman scored 32 points, most by kicking, and threw one TD pass. Halas had 3 TD receptions while Stinchcomb led the team with 4 touchdown runs.

Future Hall of Fame Players

*Guy Chamberlin, End
*George Halas, End
*George Trafton, Center

Other Leading Players

*Ed Sternaman, Back
*Gaylord Stinchcomb, Back (rookie from Ohio State)

Departed Players from 1920

*Jimmy Conzelman, Quarterback (went to Rock Island)
*Paddy Driscoll, Back (went to Chicago Cardinals)

1921 Schedule

Final standings

"W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage"

"Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972"

Awards

*APFA Champions (1)

References

succession box
title = NFL Champion
years = 1921
before = Akron Pros
1920
after = Canton Bulldogs
1922