The 1947 NFA Season was the ninth NFA regular season. Prior to the season, some teams decided to shake things up. The Chicago Packers fired their head coach Frank Reilly who was the head coach since 1939. With an overall record of 25-47, Packers Owner Jake McCallister was not happy. The Packers would hire former Baltimore head coach Lance Gibbs. Gibbs had led the Baltimore Knights to an American Bowl victory in 1940. Chicago wasn't the only team to shake things up. Lions Owner William Jansen fired his two time American Bowl Champion Head Coach George Majors. Majors had led the Lions to American Bowl victories in 1939 and 1943. However, the Lions had not been in contention in the NFA East since their second American Bowl. William Jansen would be the first owner in the NFA to hire a General Manager. He would hire Roy Hobbs. Hobbs was the Athletic Director at Ohio State University. Hobbs would then hire Leonard Mitchell as Head Coach. Mitchell was the head coach at Notre Dame where he had just won the 1946 National Championship. He would become the highest paid coach in the league and his hire showed that the Lions were serious about getting back into contention. Roy Hobbs would then release QB Benjamin Moore, who had won two American Bowls with the Lions. The Milwaukee Indians would pick up Moore in hopes that his veteran leadership would help guide them to an American Bowl championship. Aviators star QB Jeffrey White decided to retire after the 1946 Season. White was awarded League MVP in 1940. Detroit's QB Giles Richland would also retire after winning the American Bowl. These would be the 2 big name players to retire prior to the 1947 Season.
1947 NFA DRAFT
The 1947 NFA Draft was held at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, NY on December 21, 1946 to December 23, 1946. Many were surprised that Giles Richland (QB, DET Mustangs) returned to play after winning the 1946 American Bowl. Head Coach Michael Garrett did not want to waste an opportunity to draft a quarterback to replace Richland however in the first round. The Mustangs would select Dwight Eddleman who appeared to be a stud quarterback in USC. Some feared that a quarterback controversy would ensue if Richland did not want to give up his starting position. Richland would not give up his starting role and would take Eddleman under his wing to teach the rookie.
ROUND 1
With the league operating at full capacity again after the war, profits began to soar. This helped interest new investors to the league. Arthur Britton, the owner of the Cleveland News newspaper, expressed a lot of interest in starting a team in Cleveland, OH. Commissioner William Hensley would meet with the owners at a "Owners Meeting" in New York City in April of 1947. At the meeting, all 10 owners voted to accept Cleveland as an expansion team. However, they also decided that the league should expand by 2 teams to keep each division even. At a second meeting in June of 1947, a partnership of three businessmen attended the meeting. They would seek an expansion team to play in Washington DC. The three men were Preston Mackey, who was a lawyer, Thomas Reynolds, who was a real estate tycoon, and Charles Maple, who was the founder of the East Coast Federal Credit Union. At the end of the meeting, the three men were awarded a franchise to operate in Washington DC. Both expansion teams would have until the 1950 NFA Season to get their franchises operating.
The 1947 NFA Regular Season started on September 7, 1947. The NFA East was fiercely disputed between the Baltimore Knights and Pittsburgh Ironmen. Baltimore would hold first place until November 2nd. Pittsburgh would defeat the Knights 28-20 to take first place. After their victory against the Knights, the Ironmen would not lost another game. They would win the division two weeks later on November 16th. This would be Pittsburgh's first NFA East Division title. Pittsburgh's Head Coach Mitch Andrews would become the first head coach in NFA history to lead two different franchises to an American Bowl. The NFA West, surprisingly, was not as competitive. Detroit's quarterback Giles Richland would return after winning the American Bowl. Many believed he would ride off into the sunset after a championship. The wear and tear on his body would show all season however. He would finish the season with 1,203 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Not a horrible performance, but not his best. Detroit's halfback John Ames would put together an MVP season. Ames would rush for 1,008 yards and score 10 rushing touchdowns and 2 receiving touchdowns. The Mustangs would defeat the Buckeyes twice to win their third consecutive NFA West championship. The Mustangs would be the first team in NFA history to win three consecutive division championships and appear in three consecutive American Bowls. John Ames, HB (DET Mustangs) was awarded the NFA Most Valuable Player Trophy. Mitch Andrews (PIT Ironmen) was awarded the NFA Coach of the Year Trophy. AWARDS MVP: John Ames (HB, DET Mustangs) COY: Mitch Andrews (PIT Ironmen) 1947 NFA CHAMPIONSHIP Pittsburgh Ironmen vs Detroit Mustangs (December 7, 1947, Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, PA)