1949 New York Bulldogs season explained

Team:New York Bulldogs
Year:1949
Record:1–10–1
Division Place:5th NFL Eastern
Coach:Charley Ewart
Owner:Ted Collins
Stadium:Polo Grounds
Radio:WEAF
Playoffs:Did not qualify
Previous:1948 (Boston Yanks)
Next:1950 (NY Yanks)

The 1949 New York Bulldogs season was their first season in New York in the National Football League (NFL), and the continuation of the Dayton Triangles franchise, after having played the previous five years as the Boston Yanks, and last as the Bulldogs (subsequently becoming the New York Yanks). They finished 1–10–1,[1] last place in the Eastern Division and the worst record in the ten-team league.

The head coach was Charley Ewart, previously the general manager (and backfield coach) for the Philadelphia Eagles who played college football at Yale.[2] [3] Signed to a three-year contract,[3] he resigned the day after the regular season's final game, a 27–0 home loss to Pittsburgh with just over 4,000 in attendance.[4]

NFL Draft

See main article: 1949 NFL draft.

Round Pick Player Position School
1 3Doak WalkerHalfbackSouthern Methodist
Source:[5]

Halfback Doak Walker was selected as a "future pick" after his Heisman Trophy-winning junior season, but he stayed at SMU for his senior season in 1949. (He missed the 1946 season due to military service.) Walker's draft rights were traded to the Detroit Lions, where his hall of fame career began in 1950.[6]

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 22 Philadelphia EaglesL 0–70–1Polo GroundsRecap
2September 30New York GiantsL 14–380–2Polo GroundsRecap
3October 7Green Bay PackersL 0–190–3Polo GroundsRecap
4October 16at Washington RedskinsL 14–380–4Griffith StadiumRecap
5October 23at Pittsburgh SteelersL 13–240–5Forbes FieldRecap
6October 30Washington RedskinsT 14–140–5–1Polo GroundsRecap
7November 6at New York GiantsW 31–241–5–1Polo GroundsRecap
8November 13Chicago CardinalsL 20–651–6–1Polo GroundsRecap
9November 20 at Philadelphia EaglesL 0–421–7–1Shibe ParkRecap
10November 27at Los Angeles RamsL 20–421–8–1Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumRecap
11December 4at Detroit LionsL 27–281–9–1Briggs StadiumRecap
12December 11Pittsburgh SteelersL 0–271–10–1Polo GroundsRecap
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1949 New York Bulldogs. Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. News: Ewart is selected to coach Bulldogs . Milwaukee Journal . Associated Press . February 3, 1949 . 6, part 2.
  3. News: Collins signs Ewart as coach . Lewiston Daily Sun . Maine . Associated Press . February 3, 1949 . 15 .
  4. News: Bulldogs' Ewart resigns, solves Collins' problem . Free Lance-Star . Fredericksburg, Virginia . Associated Press . December 12, 1949 . 11.
  5. Web site: Reference at www.pro-football-reference.com. Pro-Football-Reference.com. March 28, 2018. October 30, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101030210715/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1949.htm. dead.
  6. News: Detroit obtains draft rights to Doak Walker . St. Petersburg Times . Florida . Associated Press . January 22, 1950 . 33 .