AFA 1936

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
New York Division
*Brooklyn Bay Parkways	8	4	2	2	86	32	.667
New Rochelle Bulldogs	6	3	2	1	30	40	.600
Mt. Vernon Cardinals	5	3	2	0	37	42	.600
White Plains Bears	6	2	4	0	27	40	.333
New Jersey Division
*Paterson Panthers	5	4	1	0	59	13	.800
Orange Tornadoes	8	4	4	0	54	55	.500
Passaic Red Devils	8	3	5	0	33	76	.375

Reference: [2][7]

Championship
Brooklyn Bay Parkways	w/o	Paterson Panthers	scr.

Reference: [2][7]

Dixie-AFA Championship
Washington Pros	13	Brooklyn Bay Parkways	6

Reference: [2][7]

AFA 1937

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
Northern Division
*White Plains Bears	6	3	2	1	19	49	.600
Danbury Trojans	4	3	1	0	58	0	.750
New Rochelle Bulldogs	9	3	6	0	62	65	.333
Brooklyn Bushwicks	6	1	4	1	17	74	.200
Mt. Vernon Cardinals	8	1	6	1	14	88	.143
Southern Division
*Newark Tornadoes	10	6	1	3	96	31	.857
Paterson Panthers	6	4	1	1	95	7	.800
Brooklyn Eagles	8	4	3	1	35	62	.571
New York Tigers	0	1	0	0	0	20	.000

Reference: [2][7]

Championship
White Plains Bears	3	Newark Tornadoes	3

Note: Co-Champions – Newark proposed a fifth period of 15 minutes to decide a winner, which the League comissioner approved as long as White Plains agreed, however, they declined the proposal, and the two teams were declared Co-Champions.

Reference: [2][7]

AFA 1938

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
*Jersey City Giants	8	7	1	0	133	7	.875
Danbury Trojans	6	4	1	1	67	26	.800
*Paterson Panthers	9	6	3	0	114	60	.667
Brooklyn Eagles	9	3	5	1	81	70	.375
Union City Rams	8	2	5	1	52	121	.286
Newark Tornadoes	7	2	5	0	28	119	.286
Clifton Wessingtons	7	1	5	1	27	99	.167

Reference: [3][7]

Championship
Jersey City Giants	17	Paterson Panthers	0

Reference: [3][7]

AFA 1939

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
Northern Division
*Paterson Panthers	12	7	5	0	145	115	.583
Providence Steamroller	7	3	4	0	53	89	.429
Danbury Trojans	6	0	5	1	26	114	.000
Brooklyn Eagles	8	0	7	1	26	140	.000
Southern Division
*Newark Bears	9	6	2	1	122	71	.750
Wilmington Clippers	13	9	3	1	158	66	.750
Jersey City Giants	11	7	3	1	148	52	.700
Union City Rams	9	2	5	2	82	113	.286

Reference: [4][7]

Championship
Newark Bears	27	Paterson Panthers	7

Reference: [4][7]

AFA 1940

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
*Jersey City Giants	10	6	3	1	104	46	.667
*Paterson Panthers	10	6	4	0	106	133	.600
*Wilmington Clippers	10	5	4	1	139	64	.556
*Newark Bears	11	5	5	1	136	121	.500
Long Island Indians	11	5	5	1	88	123	.500
Providence Steamroller	10	2	8	0	41	127	.200

Reference: [5][7]

Playoffs
Jersey City Giants	7	Newark Bears	6
Paterson Panthers	8	Wilmington Clippers	11
Championship
Jersey City Giants	17	Wilmington Clippers	7

Reference: [5][7]

AFA 1941

	P	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pct
*Long Island Indians	10	8	2	0	176	45	.800
*Paterson Panthers	10	6	2	2	142	72	.750
*Wilmington Clippers	9	4	3	2	120	77	.571
*Jersey City Giants	10	4	4	2	47	99	.500
Newark Bears	9	3	6	0	62	105	.333
Providence Steamroller	2	0	2	0	7	24	.000
New York Yankees	6	0	6	0	13	145	.000

Reference: [6][7]

Playoffs
Paterson Panthers	0	Wilmington Clippers	33
Long Island Indians	7	Jersey City Giants	6
Championship
Wilmington Clippers	21	Long Island Indians	13

Reference: [6][7]

Report

The American Football Association of 1936-1941 was an AA Professional American Football League in the Eastern States, predominantly New York & New Jersey.

Brrooklyn Bay Parkways won the first championship after Paterson Panthers declined to compete in the Championship Game. Brooklyn went on to play the Washington Pros, winners of the Dixie League in an unofficial Minor League Super Bowl, which Washington won. The second championship ended in a tie, with the almost-historic decision to play an unprecedented fifth period (Overtime) declined by White Plains, and they shared the title with Newark.

Jersey City Giants won two of the next three titles, with Newark Bears winning the 1939 title in between. Wilmington Clippers won the 1941 title, the last.

The League is notable for the appearance of Vince Lombardi, legendary Head Coach of the winners of the first two Super Bowls, Green Bay Packers, and whom the Super Bowl Trophy is named after. Lombardi played Guard for the Brooklyn Eagles in 1938.

Also notable is the 1938 Danbury Trojans, who defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers of the NFL 13-0 in their opening game – the first time an AFA team beat an NFL team. [7]

References

[1]  Pro Football Archives (2019) 1936 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1936.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[2]  Pro Football Archives (2019) 1937 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1937.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[3]  Pro Football Archives (2019) 1938 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1938.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[4]  Pro Football Archives (2019) 1939 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1939.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[5]  Pro Football Archives (2019) 1940 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1940.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[6]  Pro Football Archives (2019) 1941 [Internet] Available from: https://www.profootballarchives.com/1941.html [Accessed 12 October 2019]

[7]  Nothing Minor About It: The American Association/AFL of 1936-1950  – Bob Gill, Pro Football Researchers Association (1990) [Internet] Available from: March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine: . https://web.archive.org/web/20120326042625/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/12-02-398.pdf [Accessed 19 January 2018]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Eoin O’Fearghaill.

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 13 October 2019

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.