1941 Philadelphia Eagles season explained

Team:Philadelphia Eagles
Year:1941
Record:2–8–1
Division Place:4th NFL Eastern
Coach:Greasy Neale
Stadium:Municipal Stadium
Playoffs:Did not qualify
Shortnavlink:Eagles seasons

The 1941 season was the Philadelphia Eagles' ninth in the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on their 1–10 record from the previous season, but just barely, winning two games, and they missed out on the playoffs again.[1]

Offseason

After a year sharing Shibe Park with the Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball teams in 1940, the Eagles returned to the larger Philadelphia Municipal Stadium they had used from 1936 to 1939.

In late 1940, Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers (then known as the Pittsburgh Pirates), bought a 70 percent stake in the Eagles after selling the Pirates to New York entrepreneur Alexis Thompson. Thompson wanted to move the Pittsburgh franchise to Boston, but before the start of the 1941 season Rooney and Thompson agreed that their franchises would switch places, with Rooney moving the Eagles to Pittsburgh, where they would be renamed the Steelers, and Thompson moving the Pittsburgh team (whom he had renamed the Iron Men) to Philadelphia, where they would take up the Eagles name. The switch meant the rosters of both teams were made up of players who had played in the other city the previous season, though many were traded back before the start of the season.

Coach Greasy Neale held training camp at the High School Bowl in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, about 50miles southeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and 90miles north of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan.

NFL draft

The 1941 NFL draft was held on December 10, 1940. As the team with the worst record from the previous season, the Eagles had the first pick in all but the last two of the draft's 22 rounds. Because these players were drafted before the Eagles and Steelers swapped cities, these players ended up playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1941. The Pittsburgh draft picks would come to Philadelphia, and vice versa, though five players originally picked by the original Eagles ended up being traded to the new Eagles franchise.

The Chicago Bears (From Philadelphia Eagles) had the number one pick in the draft. They choose Tom Harmon, the 1940 Heisman Trophy winner, a Halfback out of the University of Michigan

Player selections

The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with. Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away. These picks were the players that the Pittsburgh Pirates made before the team swap between owners.

Pro Bowler[2] Hall of FamerPicks made by Pittsburgh Pirates that became Eagles in 1941
RoundPickPlayerPositionSchool
1 1 Traded to the Chicago Bears
2 11 Richmond
3 16 Back Texas A&M
4 26 Back University of Detroit
5 31 University of Nebraska
Pitt
33 		Tackle Oregon State
6 41 End University of Arkansas
Pitt
42 		Guard Tennessee
7 51 Guard Florida
8 61 Traded to the Chicago Bears
9 71 P. K. Rogers Back East Texas State
10 81 Tackle Texas
Pitt
82 		Guard Michigan
11 91 Marshall Stenstrom Back Oregon
12 101 Back Penn State
13 111 Back Colgate
14 121 Back Mississippi
15 131 Alex Lukachick End Boston College
16 141 Bill Conatser Back Texas A&M
17 151 John Yauckoes Tackle Boston College
18 161 Joe McFadden Back Georgetown (DC)
19 171 End West Virginia
Pitt
173 		Guard Boston College
20 181 L. B. Russell BackHardin–Simmons
21 201 Charley Henke (from Redskins) Guard Texas A&M
Pitt
202 		Back Georgetown (DC)
22 203 Mike Fernella (from Bears) Tackle Akron

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordAttendance
1Bye
2September 13New York GiantsL 0–240–125,478
3September 21at Pittsburgh SteelersW 10–71–112,893
4September 27Brooklyn DodgersL 13–241–216,341
5Bye
6October 12at New York GiantsL 0–161–330,842
7October 19Washington RedskinsL 17–211–419,071
8October 26Chicago CardinalsW 21–142–412,683
9November 2at Brooklyn DodgersL 6–152–515,899
10November 9Pittsburgh SteelersT 7–72–5–115,601
11November 16at Detroit LionsL 17–212–6—116,306
12Bye
13November 30Chicago BearsL 14–492–7–132,608
14December 7at Washington RedskinsL 14–202–8–127,102

Game summaries

The Eagles played 11 games over an NFL season that was 14 weeks long. The season started on September 7 and ended on December 7.

Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Eagles travel across the state of Pennsylvania to play the renamed Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time since the franchises swapped cities.

Week 7: vs Washington Redskins

The defending 1940 NFL Eastern Division Champions, Washington Redskins make a visit to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. Washington lost the 1940 NFL Championship Game to the Chicago Bears 73–0. The Eagles will host the Bears in week 12 and travel to Washington, D.C. to re-play the Redskins in week 14 to close out the 1941 season.

Week 10: vs Pittsburgh Steelers

The Eagles' cross-state rivals returned to Philadelphia for a rematch of the week 3 game won by the Eagles. The Eagles entered the game with two wins, while the Steelers were winless.

Week 14: at Washington Redskins

At about the time this game was kicking off, the United States suffered an attack on Pearl Harbor, resulting in military personnel and US government officials receiving pages.

Standings

Roster

(All time List of Philadelphia Eagles players in franchise history)

The 1941 Philadelphia Eagles roster is made up of 39 players which 32 are rookies.

1941 Pro Bowl Pro All-Star[3]
No. PlayerAgePos. GPGSWeightHeightYearsCollege
33Jack Banta24HB651915–11RookieUSC
13Len Barnum29B-P-PK1182006–03West Virginia Wesleyan
27Sam Bartholomew24FB921885–11RookieTennessee
47Nick Basca25HB-PK1101705–8RookieVillanova
55Frank Bausch33C442206–37Kansas
50Bob Bjorklund23C-LB-E702256–2RookieMinnesota
84Larry Cabrelli24E-DB721945–11RookieColgate
31Jim Castiglia23FB1162085–11RookieGeorgetown (DC)
61Tony Cemore24G1012106–0RookieCreighton
67Enio Conti28G982045–11RookieBucknell
49Dan DeSantis23HB1141806–0RookieNiagara
26Dave DiFilippo25G522105–10RookieVillanova
76John Eibner27T1192286–2RookieKentucky
Bernie Feibish22C302236–2RookieNYU
83Jack Ferrante25E-DE301976–1Rookienone
36Terry Fox23FB-LB1122086–1RookieMiami (FL)
70Joe Frank26T1102176–1RookieGeorgetown (DC)
63Ralph Fritz24G1012025–9RookieMichigan
62Woody Gerber21G512236–0RookieAlabama
11Lou Ghecas23HB801755–9RookieGeorgetown (DC)
37Fred Gloden23HB601875–10RookieTulane
51Lyle Graham26C1172106–3RookieRichmond
80Gran Harrison24E102116–3RookieMississippi State
80Kirk Hershey23E602156–2RookieCarroll (WI), Cornell
43Jack Hinkle24B101956–01Syracuse
81Dick Humbert23E-DE1181796–1RookieRichmond
82Bob Krieger23E11111906–1RookieDartmouth
30Mort Landsberg22HB1171805–11RookieCornell
40Wes McAfee23HB811755–11RookieDuke
63Rupert Pate24G102056–11Wake Forest
89Hank Piro24E10 11866–0RookieSyracuse
77Phil Ragazzo26T-G10102166–03Case Western Reserve
79Vic Sears23T-DT1122236–3RookieOregon State
85John Shonk23E1001906–1RookieWest Virginia
71Cecil Sturgeon22T602546–2RookieNorth Dakota State
60Bob Suffridge25G1092056–0RookieTennessee
10Tommy Thompson25QB1151926–11Tulsa
15Lou Tomasetti25FB-HB631986–02Bucknell
39Foster Watkins24QB-HB1111635–91West Texas A&M
72Burr West23T1012206–1RookieTennessee

Honors and rewards

Notes and References

  1. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1941.htm 1941 Philadelphia Eagles
  2. Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
  3. Players are identified as a 1940 Pro All-Star.

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