In 1924, the National Football League, a relatively recently established operation, was on the hunt for football teams on the East Coast. The young league’s teams consisted mostly of outfits from the midwest with squads such as the Dayton Triangles, the Duluth Kelleys, and the Hammond Pros filling out their ranks. One of the key markets that the NFL sought to enter on the coast was Philadelphia, at that time a booming city of 1.8 million. Fortunately for the league, the city’s best football team was amenable to their offer. 

The Frankford Yellow Jackets originally began as a more casual athletics association in 1899. However, by the time that football truly began to take the nation by storm in the early 1920s, they had already built a reputation as Philadelphia’s best team. In an era where teams frequently folded during their initial season, the Yellow Jackets were a perennial powerhouse and frequent city champion. Featuring colorful players and coaches such as Bull Behman, Jug Earp, Guy Chamberlin, and Swede Youngstrom, the Yellow Jackets would go on to dominate during their early tenure in the league. In 1926, the Frankford Yellow Jackets would take home Philadelphia’s first NFL championship. As there was no NFL championship game at the time, the Yellow Jackets were simply awarded the title of NFL champion for their 14-1-2 record. 

Unfortunately, the team’s success could not last. The Great Depression, which brought financial ruin to most of the country, did the same to the Yellow Jackets. Their financial failure led to a loss of talent as many players desired greater job safety. Losing talent caused the Yellow Jackets to begin to lose on the field. This set of compounded circumstances caused the fanbase for the Yellow Jackets to evaporate, but the organization still limped through the 1930 campaign. The final blow to this once great organization came in 1931 when Frankford Stadium, the home of the Yellow Jackets, was severely damaged in a fire. At the end of the 1931 NFL season, the organization returned its charter to the league, signaling the formal end of the Frankford Yellow Jackets. However, this was not the end of football in Philadelphia. In 1933, Bert Bell began the Philadelphia Eagles franchise in the city by acquiring a new franchise charter from the NFL as well as the assets of the Yellow Jackets organization. Despite the relative obscurity of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, I can almost guarantee that most fans of the Eagles have seen at least one part of the old organization. Due to the fact that the Eagles still own the assets of the Yellow Jackets, they are able to use their old uniforms. The current Eagles classic uniform is based off the uniform design of Philadelphia’s original NFL champion.