Demise
Although the AFL lost the Boston Bears franchise prior to the beginning of the 1941 season, its owners were optimistic about the league's long-term future. Although the league's average attendance was less than that of the more-established NFL, the AFL seemed to be on as firm a financial footing as the older league. By the end of the 1941 season, the new Detroit franchise was preparing for a 1942 debut in the AFL. The league was the first major football league to complete a double round robin schedule, in which each team played each other twice.
All the plans for 1942 came to a sudden stop upon the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II on December 7, 1941. With the induction of college and professional players into the U.S. military, it became increasingly apparent to the AFL owners that the global conflict would put the continued success of the league into question.
On September 2, 1942, AFL president William B. Cox announced the suspension of league activities until the end of the war. Neither the third AFL nor the Buffalo Tigers returned; 1946 saw the beginning of a new professional football team in Buffalo (the Bisons) in a new major league (the All-America Football Conference).
| Team |
Year |
W |
L |
T |
Finish |
Coach |
| Buffalo Indians |
1940 |
2 |
8 |
0 |
5th (AFL) |
Earl "Red" Seick, Orlando Nesmith |
| Buffalo Tigers |
1941 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
4th (AFL) |
Paul "Tiny" Engebretsen |
| Roster of Buffalo Indians - 1940 season |
| No. |
Name |
Position |
College |
Notes |
| - |
Steve Banas |
fullback |
Notre Dame |
played for Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions |
| - |
Bing Binkowski |
fullback-quarterback |
- |
- |
| 40 |
Henry Bogacki |
center-guard |
Canisius |
played for New York Yankees (1936 AFL) and Rochester Tigers |
| - |
Dan Bukovich |
guard |
Toledo |
- |
| - |
Alex Drobnitch |
guard-tackle |
Denver |
Indians kicker (all league 1940); also played for New York Yankees (1940 AFL), New York Americans |
| - |
Jack "Cowboy" Farris |
halfback |
Wyoming |
- |
| - |
Johnny Fedorchak |
back-tackle |
Duquesne |
- |
| 6 |
Steve Gilbert |
end |
St. Bonaventure |
played basketball for Socony Vacuum |
| - |
Art Gottlieb |
halfback-fullback-quarterback |
Rutgers |
- |
| 28 |
Steve Hrycyszyn |
quarterback-fullback-end |
St. Bonaventure |
name later changed to Steve Hershey |
| 79 |
Ed Karp |
tackle |
Catholic University |
born Ed Karpowich; played for Pittsburgh Steelers (all league 1940) |
| - |
Bill Koepsell |
halfback |
Pennsylvania |
- |
| 43 |
Carl "Moon Eyes" Littlefield |
halfback-fullback |
Washington State |
played for Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Rams |
| 32 |
Maurice "Moose" McGrath |
tackle-center |
Niagara |
played for Cleveland Rams |
| - |
Joe Miller |
end |
Rochester |
- |
| - |
Lawrence "Moon" Mullins |
halfback |
Notre Dame |
- |
| - |
Orlando "Ole" Nesmith |
halfback |
Kansas |
played for New York Yankees (1936 AFL); replaces Seick as coach in 1940 |
| 39 |
Walter "Horse" Padlo |
guard |
Duquesne |
- |
| 34 |
Larry Peace |
halfback |
Pittsburgh |
played for Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) in 1941 |
| - |
Hal "Mike" Pegg |
center |
Bucknell |
- |
| 44 |
Alec Shellogg |
tackle |
Notre Dame |
played for Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL), Chicago Bears |
| - |
Ed Siminski |
end-tackle |
Bowling Green |
- |
| - |
Earl "Red" Sieck |
guard |
Buffalo, Manhattan |
team business manager, coach (games 1-5) |
| - |
Dan Snell |
end |
- |
- |
| - |
John "Turk" Stylianos |
halfback |
Temple |
- |
| 14 |
Joe Szur |
halfback-quarterback |
Canisius |
- |
| - |
Russ Wile |
end |
Minnesota |
played for Los Angeles Bulldogs |
| - |
Wid Worthington |
back |
Washington and Lee |
- |
|
| Roster of Buffalo Tigers - 1941 season |
| Name |
Position |
College |
Notes |
| Steve Banas |
fullback |
Notre Dame |
played for Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions |
| Sherm Barnes |
end |
Baylor |
played for Milwaukee Chiefs |
| Ed Blodzinski |
guard |
Canisius |
- |
| Henry Bogacki |
center |
Canisius |
played for New York Yankees (1936 AFL) and Rochester Tigers |
| Frank Bykowski |
guard |
Purdue |
played for Pittsburgh Steelers |
| LeVant "Itch" Dahl |
end |
Canisius |
- |
| John "Mike" Dolan |
end |
Montana |
played for Kenosha Cardinals |
| Frank Durkin |
back |
- |
- |
| Ralph Elliot |
tackle |
- |
- |
| Andy Hlat |
- |
- |
- |
| Bob Holstrom |
back |
Detroit Tech |
played for Boston Bears, Milwaukee Chiefs |
| Steve Hrycyszyn |
quarterback-end |
St. Bonaventure |
name later changed to Steve Hershey |
| Edmond "Bud" Hughes |
end |
- |
- |
| Andy Karpus |
halfback |
Detroit |
played for New York Yankees and Los Angeles Bulldogs of AFL II, Boston Bears and New York Yankees of AFL III |
| Leon Losey |
back |
- |
- |
| Hank Luebcke |
tackle |
Iowa |
- |
| Butch Mastriola |
guard |
N. C. State |
played with Boston Bears |
| Malcolm McLain |
- |
St. Bonaventure |
- |
| Johnny “Blood” McNally |
back |
St. John's College |
Member, Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| Dan Morabito |
tackle |
Michigan State |
- |
| Clem Naughton |
end |
DePaul |
also played for Kenosha Cardinals |
| Merle Osborne |
fullback |
Iowa State |
- |
| Joe Ratica |
center-guard |
St. Vincent |
also played for Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) and Boston Bears (AFL) |
| Roy Russell |
end-tackle |
- |
- |
| Alec Shellogg |
tackle |
Notre Dame |
played for Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL), Chicago Bears |
| Louis "Tex" Tolliver |
halfback |
- |
played for Wilmington in American Association in 1940 |
| Nick Toth |
guard |
Canisius |
- |
| Bill Valiquette |
halfback |
Georgetown |
- |
| Ernie Wheeler |
halfback |
North Dakota State |
also played with Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Cardinals, Boston Bears (AFL), Kenosha Cardinals |
| Larry Yurkonis |
halfback |
Niagara |
- |
|