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HISTORICAL MOMENTS:
1907-1919 | The roots of the Rock Island Independents go back to 1907. Rock Island located in Western Illinois, and is part of the Quad Cities with Moline, Illinois and the Iowa cities Davenport and Bettendorf. The Original Independents were a group of men with no Athletic Club affiliation, no Social Club ties and no Corporate Company backing or sponsorship. The team went unbeaten and unscored upon in 1908 in five games. Two year later the reunited and went unbeaten and went unbeaten again in 1910. They would also be unbeaten and unscored upon in eight games in 1912.Walter Flanigan would join the team in 1913, as the Independents went unbeaten again, he would become the team’s owner two |
1920 | Ralph Hay would host a meeting of professional football owners at his Hupmobile dealership in Canton on September 17th. Walter Flanigan was there representing Rock Island and enthusiastically supported the idea of a new football league. With the Rock Island Independents becoming a card-carrying charter member of the league which was first called the American Professional Football Association. Flanigan was also named to a committee charged with framing the league’s constitution. The Independents began the season with a non league game against the St. Paul Ideals, winning 48-0 at Douglas Park. A week later in what some believe may have been the first AFPA game to kickoff on October |
1921 | Under new Coach Frank Coughlin the Independents would get off to a rocky start, with a tie against the Detroit Tigers and a 14-10 loss to the Chicago Staleys. The Independents were down 7-0 against the Chicago Cardinals on October 16th Coughlin would score two touchdowns to lead the Independents back to a 14-7 win but when he came to the sideline received a message from Walter Flanigan that he was fired. With Jimmy Conzelman coaching the team the rest of the season Rock Island would win four of their last five games and finished the season with a record of 5-2-1. |
1922 | Jimmy Conzelman remained coach of the Independents, who continued to struggle against the George Halas and the Chicago Bears. The Independents would lose twice to the newly renamed Chicago Bears. It would be their only losses of the season as they finished the season with a record of 4-2-1. |
1923 | Walter Flanigan left the team to concentrate on his real estate and insurance businesses, selling the Rock Island Independents to local businessman Dale Johnson. Under new Coach Herb Siles, the Independents got off to a solid start beating the Chicago Bears 3-0 to open the season. Following a scoreless tie against the Cleveland Indians, Rock Island crushed the Rochester Jeffersons 56-0. However, they would not win another game, posting a record of 2-3-3. |
1924 | Jim Thorpe considered by many to be the best athlete in the world joined the Rock Island Independents, with Johnny Armstrong taking over as their new coach. The Independents would go unbeaten in their first four games, tying the Chicago Bears in the season opener before winning their next three games. However, a road loss to the Kansas City Blues deflated their title hopes. Rock Island would go on to finish the season with a record of 5-2-2 but again were in the middle of the NFL standings. |
1925 | Rube Ursella returned to Rock Island, as the Independents started the season with back-to-back scoreless ties with the Chicago Bears and Dayton Triangles. The Independents would get their first win by shutting out the Green Bay Packers 3-0.However, a midseason slump again held the Independents out of the championship picture as they finished the season in eighth place at 6-3-3. Following the season several Independents would join Jim Thorpe on a barnstorming tour to promote professional, football playing as the Tampa Cardinals. |
1926 | The barnstorming NFL players along with Red Grange helped boost the popularity of professional football and second league was formed called the American Football League. The Rock Island Independents chose to leave the NFL and join the first AFL, while several players left the team for bigger salaries elsewhere. The move proved disastrous for Rock Island, as the league was poorly run and folded after one season. Fans in Rock Island saw the NFL as the more established league and attendance suffered. The Independents play also suffered as they posted a record of 2-6-1, finishing the season as a traveling team due to poor attendance. The Independents unable to rejoin the NFL would go |
INDEPENDENTS STADIUMS
Douglas Park
1920-1926
ROCKING INDEPENDENTS
 Walter Flanigan Owner 1913-1923 |  Fred Chicken 1920 |  Jerry Mansfield 1920-1921 |  Oke Smith 1920-1921 |  Frank Coughlin 1921 |
 Ed Healy 1920-1922 |  Dewey Lyle 1920-1922 |  Jimmy Conzelman 1921-1922 |  Joe Guyon 1924 |  Rube Ursella 1920, 1924-1925 |
 Buck Gavin 1921-1922, 1924-1925 |  Duke Slater 1922-1925 |  Joe Little Twig 1924-1925 |  Jim Thorpe 1924, 1925 |  Johnny Armstrong 1923-1926 |
