1952-53 Offseason

Retirements:
Headlining the retirements this year is a trailblazer of not just football, but all of professional sports. Chicago RB Johnnie Hendrix was one of the first players to break the color barrier along with DB Vincent Kelly, who retired the previous year. With two championships under his belt, Hendrix is hanging up his cleats after an 8 year career, all with the Hogs. He won’t be going far from the football field, as he approached Donovan Hasenkamp about a coaching position with the team, which Hasenkamp happily obliged to make him a running backs coach with the team. This move makes Hendrix the first black coach in any capacity in professional football. Two other prominent names also took their last steps as a player on the field. Detroit’s Sellers brothers, TE Francis Sellers and DL James Sellers, were cornerstones for the Knights for nearly a decade. Both had seen a sharp decline in playing ability in the 3 years since the AFL formed, and decided to retire together to go back to their alma mater of Michigan for coaching positions. Cincinnati QB Lee Christian had a rough few years since entering the league, going from starter in 1950 to benched in 1951 and finally ended his career as a backup to QB Lester Parker. Christian was well-liked by fans and players alike, with his charismatic presence on the field even the most uninterested of people. He won’t be going far from River Field though, as he will be in the ears of Rivermen fans as a radio commentator for Cincinnati. The last prominent retirement of the offseason is Columbus Buckeyes all-time leading scorer K Darrell Hoffman. He spent all 16 years of his career with the team, and was the team’s first all-star in 1951 (and the only one for that year). His short time in the league will be well-remembered at least to Buckeyes fans, as he kicked the final points as the Columbus Buckeyes to upset the Cincinnati Rivermen last year on a game-winning field goal.

Coaching Changes:
Washington Federals owner Bernard McCullough was determined to turn the team around once they moved to the nation’s capital. As soon as the relocation was finalized, McCullough fired HC Leon Maddox, OC Jesse Tracy, and DC Bill Cooper to start the new era in Washington. Cincinnati joined in on the firings, letting OC Michael Franklin walk after the Rivs’ offensive slump in the latter half of the 1952 season.  

The head coach hunt for the Federals was between a few candidates, notably Chicago OC Leonard Holland, Chicago DC Irving Barry, and Buffalo OC Ross Dean. McCullough knew the offensive unit was sound, so he went with the defensive mind of Barry to be the Federals’ first ever head coach. The Federals also brought in Virginia Commonwealth OC Tommy Park, who McCullough frequently had seen while down in his hometown of Richmond, and Wisconsin State DC John Norman, whose defensive unit last year brought the Warriors a share of the national championship, and has produced Rookie of the Year LB Barry Moore.

Chicago was rumored to hire someone from Chicago Christian, but instead decided to hire from within. DL coach Anthony Conway was promoted to the DC position, being largely instrumental in DL Eric Forbes’ rise to stardom in just the 2 years he’s been in the league. Conway had previously been a defensive assistant at Minnesota State, and will become the youngest coach in the AFL at just 38 years old. Cincinnati went the route of hiring a local college coach, hiring Cincinnati State OC Alfred Joseph to the same position. The Trojans are coming off of back-to-back Great Lakes Conference titles, and Joseph’s offensive schemes were a key part as to why they were successful. The Rivermen hope that Joseph is able to bring his schemes over and translate it to the same success the Trojans had, as the Rivermen are now Chicago’s main competition in the West and want a championship of their own.

Trades:
The Hawks’ midseason collapse last year was primarily due to the injury bug getting to everyone, but some sports writers were putting the blame on the Hawks’ secondary for not stepping up during the season to help the ailing offense. With the retirement of starting S Walter Carey, the Hawks were without a definitive starter for the year. They had just drafted S Tom Meltzger the year prior, but owner Bert Hester wanted to go bigger. Cincinnati had a burgeoning star in S Tom Silva, who had been named to the previous two all-star teams. The Hawks and the Rivermen eventually agreed to a trade, where Cincinnati would send over Silva in exchange for the Hawks’ 1955 1st round pick and WR Chris Marks. Marks had shown flashes of potential while subbing in for the main trio of receivers in Tri-Cities due to injuries, but never got to truly shine behind the main starters. With the Hawks drafting and favoriting the home-grown receiver of Max Ausloos last year and coming into this season, Marks was sent along in the trade to get a change of scenery and to pair up with WR Alfred Dunn, who has been effectively carrying the Rivermen receiving core since entering the league in 1951. The Hawks were once again criticized for giving up too much in a trade, with owner Bert Hester taking once again taking the majority of the blame. Many local sportswriters believed that the secondary was not an issue with the team, with the primary issues coming on the offensive and defensive lines. Hester assured local press that these issues would be addressed in the upcoming draft, and that the team will perform like they did in the 1950 season with the newly acquired talent.



After 3 consecutive losing seasons in the AFL and not having more than 6 wins in a season since 1944, the Cleveland Crows were going to blow everything up and start from scratch. GM Ike Schwann made it very clear to every owner that he wanted picks for players, and almost every owner came knocking on his door for a deal. The first, and largest, of these deals was with Washington. The Crows sent over 1951 All-Star OL Chester Garrett and WR Joseph Atkins to Washington in exchange for OL Donald Sparks, the Federals’ 3rd round pick this year and their 2nd round pick next year. Garrett had been a consistent starter for the Crows the past 3 years, and Atkins had been a solid player since entering the league in 1951 but never meshed well with the scheme. The Federals need more help for QB Johnnie Sellers, and Garrett is set to provide him excellent protection while Atkins may be a solid receiver for Sellers that isn’t over 30. Sparks had mainly been a depth piece while in Columbus, but he may have a shot at the starting role over in Cleveland.



Pittsburgh wanted an answer to Buffalo’s high-flying offense, and sent in trade proposals to Cleveland to acquire some pieces for their secondary. The Shamrocks would end up getting DB Jerry Pruitt, who was an all-star for the Crows last year, and sent over a 3rd round pick in 1954 and a 2nd rounder in 1955 to the Crows in exchange. Pruitt had formed an incredible tandem with DB Nicholas Lamb while in Cleveland, and the former’s departure almost certainly spells the end of Lamb’s career as a Crow. Lamb’s name was never called before the trade deadline, but other teams will almost certainly be asking for his services soon.



The final major trade was more of a shocking one. Cleveland RB Perry Ferguson was signed in 1950 as a player that could change the running back position with his play at Boston Christian. However, the past two seasons have proved that Ferguson’s amazing college abilities were not transferring over to the professional level like Cleveland had hoped. Undrafted RB Max Panders was showing incredible signs of growth during the offseason, and the Crows were willing to do almost anything to get Ferguson off their hands. In the end, Cincinnati came calling to acquire Ferguson, sending WR Stanley McIntyre and a 3rd rounder this year while the Crows would send Ferguson and 4th rounder this year as part of the deal. McIntyre was the former top receiver in Cincy before Dunn arrived, and wanted a place where he could be the #1. The Rivermen shocked most sports writers with the Ferguson trade, as current starter Billy Garcia had done a perfectly fine job in his first season as a starter. Ultimately, the Rivermen were willing to do anything to get over their Chicago hurdle, and hoped they could get Ferguson back to playing like his college days to bring a huge boon to their offense.



C&C Appreciated!
 

Cool that Cobb gets a mention, hopefully he can exceed expectations.

1953 AFL Draft


Round 1
1 - Cleveland - QB Denzel Collingsworth - Alabama A&M - Kingsfan11
2 - Detroit - QB Terry Kadlec - Los Angeles State - DireBear
3 - Washington - WR Darius Sanderson - Michigan - Wallflower
4 - Detroit (From TRI) - DL Bronco Jackson - Texas - Darknes
5 - Pittsburgh - OL Xavier Struckenburg - Fox River College* - Dan O’Mac
6 - Cincinnati - DB Kerry Lantz - Michigan - Wallflower
7 - Buffalo - LB Chris Cassidy - Chicago Christian - Wallflower
8 - Chicago - LB Killian Graves - Massachusetts State -  Darknes

To the shock of pretty much no one, the Cleveland Crows selected QB Denzel Collingsworth #1 overall to begin their time rebuilding into a competitor. Collingsworth is a rare type of quarterback that has a great mix of throw power and pocket maneuverability. He had a turnover issue while in college, but the Crows hope to teach it out of him before he eventually starts for the team. Detroit had a number of options when they got to 2nd overall. They could have traded it down, or found another weapon to pair with their RB and WR’s. Instead of doing any of those options, they selected QB Terry Kadlec as their potential replacement for QB Roy Woodward. Woodward has struggled for whatever reason with the Knights in the AFL after putting up 3 incredible years in the MWFC, and the drafting of Kadlec signals to Woodward that his time as starter may be nearing to a close. Kadlec didn’t torch defenses while in college, but knew how to run a game efficiently and was highly successful as a result. The Knights may have missed on drafting one of their own second overall, as Washington drafted WR Darius Sanderson from Michigan to vastly improve their receiving core. Sanderson towered over nearly every defender in college, and will be a top 2 option for QB Johnnie Sellers. Detroit used their second pick of the first round on DL Bronco Jackson to bring some youth to their aging defensive core. Jackson was a major threat while at Texas, with a mixture of strength and speed helping him either power through or run around linemen with relative ease. With Pittsburgh on the clock next, they looked to improve their already great offensive line with the addition of OL Xavier Struckenburg. Struckenburg was an outstanding player last year, and surprised many when word got around that he was playing outstandingly at this tiny college in Wisconsin. Cincinnati improved their weak secondary by taking DB Kerry Lantz at the 6th pick. A two-sport athlete at Michigan, Lantz used his height and his vertical ability to outplay most receivers in college. With the 7th pick, the Buffalo Hammers selected LB Chris Cassidy from Chicago Christian. Cassidy was known as a highly physical player while in college, and could run over and knock down almost anyone coming his way. The Hammers hope that he could pair well with 4th round selection LB Stefan Stauer, as their linebacking core is sorely missing a star player. Chicago made their own linebacker selection to end the first round, taking LB Killian Graves from Massachusetts State. The Hogs had lost nearly their entire linebacking core to retirements, and Graves seemed like the best option available at the position. Graves may not be the strongest or the fastest, but makes up for it with his smarts on the field, always 5 steps ahead of his opponent.


Round 2
9 - Cleveland - DL Fergus Prendergast - Northern Oregon - Darknes
10 - Detroit - S Charlie Fischer - Brooklyn College - DireBear
11 - Washington - DL Daley Norris - Rogers Clark - Wallflower
12 - Tri-Cities - DL Clifford Dale - Louisville State - Wallflower
13 - Pittsburgh - RB Paul Barker - St. Joseph’s - DireBear
14 - Cincinnati - OL Isaiah Winthrop - Chicago Christian - Wallflower
15 - Buffalo - OL Pip Benirschke - Northern Michigan - Wallflower
16 - Chicago - WR Ciarán Murphy - Massachusetts State -  Darknes

Cleveland began the round by drafting DL Fergus Prendergast to help reshape their mediocre front 7. Surprisingly, two of the top players kept dropping after teams drafted for need instead of the best player available. Detroit was able to snag the number 1 rated prospect of the draft in S Charlie Fischer, and he’ll fit snugly into a starting role at that position. Pittsburgh made the other steal this round, drafting Bernheim Trophy winner RB Paul Barker all the way down at 13. Current starter RB Marion Waters just turned 30 this offseason, and the Shamrocks want to find a replacement for their star RB before he retires. Tri-Cities once again had to wait until the second round to make their first selection of the draft, selecting speedy DL Clifford Dale to potentially pair in tandem with all-star DL Ralph Rogers.

Round 3
17 - Cleveland - DB Tom Wolf - Arkansas - DireBear
18 - Detroit - WR Pat Kimball - Indianapolis State - Wallflower
19 - Cleveland (From WAS) - OL Andrei Simaetska - Pittsburgh State - Darknes
20 - Tri-Cities - OL Donnel Ferguson - Chicago Christian - Darknes
21 - Cincinnati (From PIT)- WR Anthony Wheatland - Nebraska State - DireBear
22 - Cleveland (From CIN via PIT) - RB Washington Norris - Massachusetts State - DireBear
23 - Buffalo - DB Rogelio Amos - New Jersey - idm
24 - Chicago - LB Faolán Doyle - Pittsburgh State -  Darknes

The Crows had 3 selections this round, acquired from trades with the Federals at 19 and with the Shamrocks at pick 22. Each was used to fill a position of need, taking DB Tom Wolf at pick 17, OL Andrei Simaetska at 19, and RB Washington Norris at 22. Detroit took a WR in Pat “Pinball” Kimball at 18 to pair up with their already young core. Kimball got his nickname for bouncing off defenders after the catch while at Indianapolis State, and pairing him up with WR’s Lloyd Lawson and Paul Kent could be enough to finally get them over their massive slump. Cincinnati made the only other offensive selection by taking WR Anthony Wheatland to help give options to QB Lester Parker that aren’t named Alfred Dunn.


Round 4
25 - Cincinnati (From CLE) - DB Adrian Barboza - U. Lake Erie* - idm
26 - Detroit - LB Jimmy Walthers - Indiana - idm
27 - Washington - DB Earl Moss - U. Dover - DireBear
28 - Detroit (From TRI) - RB Brady Walters - Michigan - Wallflower
29 - Pittsburgh - DL Frank Bean - Chicago Christian - Dan O’Mac
30 - Cincinnati - OL Milton McCovery - Upper Peninsula - Dan O'Mac
31 - Buffalo - DL Harry Sidebottom - Virginia State - Dan O’Mac
32 - Chicago - QB Jehoshaphat Murphy - Chicago Christian - Stickman

Many teams were beginning to find backups beginning this round, but Cincinnati was still looking for potential starters. Their first pick of the round, which they had previously acquired from Cleveland, was RB Adrian Barboza, a little known player from the University of Lake Erie. He was seen as a project player, but the rest of their secondary was fairly weak, so if he plays well during practice he can slot in as a week 1 starter. Another developmental piece for the Rivermen was pick #30, OL Milton McCovery. He has the prototypical size and strength for a lineman, but lacked a lot of the technique due to him overly relying on his size. Cincinnati has two great veteran linemen to teach him the technique, in hopes he’ll be ready for week 1. Chicago hit on a potential QB replacement for QB Alfred Walton with local QB Jehoshaphat Murphy, perhaps the most interestingly named player in the draft.

Round 5
33 - Cleveland - WR Marcus Ayers - Wisconsin State - idm
34 - Detroit - OL Harvey Arnold-Mitchell - Toledo State*- Dan O’Mac
35 - Washington - S Josh von Bank - Pittsburgh State - idm
36 - Tri-Cities - WR Ollie Oxford - St. Louis State - Stickman
37 - Cincinnati (From PIT) - OL Thomas Evans - Boston Christian - Kingsfan11
38 - Pittsburgh (From CIN) - QB Eric Trueblood - Toledo State* - Kingsfan11
39 - Buffalo - DL Leo Ziegler - Lehigh Valley - DireBear
40 - Chicago - DB Karl Biega - Indiana - Wallflower

The only potential starter in the final round of the draft is S Josh von Bank at pick 35 by Washington. Their starter situation at that position was up in the air after this year, and the Federals took a chance in the 5th and may have found their long-term starter. The final QB of the draft was selected by Pittsburgh in Eric Trueblood at 38. The Shamrocks’ QB situation will get interesting after this year, so drafting a backup to help out whoever comes out as the starter is not a bad idea for them. Chicago closed out the draft for the second year in a row, adding to their secondary by drafting DB Karl Biega from Indiana.


Undrafted
RB Billy Gould - Northern Illinois State* - idm -> Chicago
RB Darryl Kelly - Rogers Clark - Jayhawk -> Tri-Cities
RB Kevin Knox - Chicago Christian - idm -> Cleveland
K Clint Hawk - Michigan - Kingsfan11 -> Cincinnati
OL Levi Cooper - Miami Valley* - idm -> Chicago
LB Chase Henderson - Louisville State - Jayhawk -> Buffalo
QB Cornelius Cobb - Worcester State - TheEnigmaticOne -> Washington

C&C Appreciated! How do you think your team did? Since there were a couple of things that happened after the draft, I might make a offseason part 2 post and a season preview if anyone is interested in that.

Last edited by DireBear (4/28/2023 12:10 am)

TheEnigmaticOne wrote:

So IIRC Cornelius Cobb is signed he just wasn't drafted right?

Cobb was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Federals, yes. Washington didn't want to draft another QB since they already had their starter ready with Johnnie Sellers, and had a decent backup with Darrell Flynn. Cobb's only chance at starting is both of them somehow go down during the season, so he will most likely remain as a backup.

Here's the remaining moves from the 1952-53 offseason, and if you want to read more then there's the season preview as well. I know it's a bit long, so next time I might break them up into two posts instead of a single one. Hope you all enjoy!

1952-53 Offseason Part 2

QB’S GIFTED EXTENSIONS, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE?
Pittsburgh’s QB controversy has loomed over them since rookie QB O.J. DeMille nearly came back in the East Division final against the Hammers after starter Clarence Stanley could not perform. Most of Pittsburgh has been impressed by DeMille’s short time in the spotlight, and many were calling for him to start this season over Stanley. Pittsburgh owner/head coach James O’Leary knew that Stanley’s time as a starter may be almost up, especially since his contract with the team expired after last season. The Shamrocks gave him a 1 year, $18K extension to prove that he deserves the starting role over DeMille. Stanley would be on a short leash though, as if he is struggling at any point his year he will be benched. The Shamrocks did go 7-3 with Stanley under center last year, but many argued that it was mainly the work of RB Marion Waters and their defense leading the charge instead of Stanley. The Shamrocks didn’t draft any other help for Stanley on the receiving end, which makes his job to go back to the playoffs slightly harder.

At age 34, Chicago QB Alfred Walton resigned with the team for a 2 year, $33K deal in what many are thinking are his last years as a pro. Chicago is going to have a hard time replacing him, as his accolades speak for themselves. He won 4 Bradshaw Cups while in the MWFC, 2 AFL championships and 2 Championship MVP’s, and 1 MVP trophy as part of his silverware collection, and wants to win more than just that. Donovan Hasenkamp has assured that when Walton retires that no other Hogs player will wear his number 2, ensuring that his legacy will remain among other AFL QB’s

Detroit’s Roy Woodward got the news he least wanted: that the Knights had drafted his replacement. QB Terry Kadlec had been drafted second overall, but the Knights wanted to take their time before rushing him into the starting role. Woodward was going into a contract year last season, and didn’t produce the results the team wanted, going 3-7 for the third year in a row. Woodward wanted to leave the Knights for another team, but there were no other bidders that wanted his services. Woodward reluctantly signed a 3 year, $30K deal with the team, which includes a trade clause after the second year in case the team wants to start Kadlec a year early.

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS GET BIG CONTRACTS
Three of the AFL’s top defensive stars all got paid this offseason, each briefly becoming the highest-paid defensive players when they signed their deals. The first brick to fall was Chicago DB Clarence Newman, whose heroics during the playoffs last year made him a household name in Chicago. Newman received a 5 year deal worth $72K, making him the highest paid defensive back in the league. A few days later, Buffalo DL Ray Payne received an equally high extension,  signing a 4 year, $80K deal that will keep him with the Hammers for as long as they are contenders. Payne had flourished during his time in the AFL, becoming one of the most feared rushers and got an all-star nod because of it. Payne will be a terror for anyone facing Buffalo for the coming years, and possibly bring a title back to Buffalo. Another team making a re-signing that has championship ambitions is Tri-Cities, who signed DL Ralph Rogers to a record 4 year, $94K deal as they try to get back to the championship game. Rogers is arguably the best defensive lineman in the league, and has effectively carried the Hawks’ defense throughout the past few years, making his payday fairly deserved compared to other players on his team.

Other notable defensive extensions include Tri-Cities locking up recent acquisition S Tom Silva for a 4 year, $68K deal, Pittsburgh signing rising star LB Alex Lee on a 4 year, $66K deal, and Cincinnati keeping veteran DB Jim Farmer on a 2 year, $17K deal.

CHICAGO BOLSTERS LINEBACKING CORE IN TRADE WITH CLEVELAND
Chicago’s linebacking core was severely weakened after the retirements of longtime starters George Post and Lester Harper. After retirements, 30 year-old Douglas Marks was the only linebacker left on the team who had started at least 1 game with the team, with rookie Barry Reynolds serving as the primary backup and didn’t see much playing time. Even after drafting LB’s Killian Graves and Faolán Doyle, the Hogs still felt like they needed one final piece at the position. They joined in on the Cleveland Crows firesale and traded for LB Arthur Conley, sending WR Bobby McClure and a 1954 second round pick as compensation. Conley had been on the verge of breaking out in Cleveland, and wanted to play for a winning team instead of the rebuilding Crows. McClure wanted a higher salary and the Hogs didn't want to pay what he wanted, as well as wanting to put rookie WR Ciarán Murphy as part of the starting roster. McClure will get his pay and starting time with the Crows, and Conley gets an immediate starting job with a championship team.


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1953 Season Preview

1 - Cincinnati Rivermen
1952 Record: 7-3 (1st West)
1952 Result: Lost West Division Play-Off

After losing to Chicago for the second year in the row in the postseason, the Rivermen are a team on a mission to win their first title in nearly 20 years. They took a gamble by trading for RB Perry Ferguson after his struggles in Cleveland, and he looks all set to take over the starting job. Reigning OPOY QB Lester Parker has his mind set on MVP after his breakout season, and with WR Alfred Dunn, TE Floyd Rankin, and new acquisition WR Chris Marks as his weapons, he might just win the MVP race. While they have their great offense, their defense is the one thing that might prevent this team from winning this year. Their front seven is mediocre, except for 3rd year LB Jeff Blankenship, who is carving out a role as the top defender on the team. Two new starters grace the secondary, with S Virgil Romano taking over for the departing Tom Silva, and 1st round selection DB Kerry Lantz might just elevate the defense in ways that the front seven might hold them back. The one concern for the team is their age. The team has just 5 starters over the age of 28, and the team as a whole doesn’t have much postseason experience. If the Rivs can ride the hot hand like they did for the first 8 games like last year, the West might be theirs for the taking once again.

2 - Buffalo Hammers
1952 Record: 7-3 (1st East)
1952 Result: Lost Championship

The Hammers kept a majority of their starters coming in from last year, meaning they’re still a threat to light up the rest of the league with their offensive might. With a cast containing QB Don Melton, RB Calvin Townsend, WR’s Ben Farrell and Bernard Clarke, and TE Dan Finley on offense, the Hammers were tough to beat last year. DL Ray Payne and DB Joe Merritt headline the defense, but those two will have to carry a lot of the weight. Buffalo suffers from the same issue as Cincinnati, having few big players on defense to help their offense thrive. Their linebacking core may hurt them especially, with 2nd year LB Stefan Stauer and rookie LB Chris Cassidy both being thrusted into starting roles. Rookie DB Rogelio Amos was drafted to take some of the burden off of Merritt’s back, but being a rookie may take time to adjust to the pro level. If this team can produce at the same rate as they did last year, then they might go right back to the championship.

3 - Chicago Hogs
1952 Record: 7-3 (2nd West)
1952 Result: Won Championship

As long as Alfred Walton is the starter, then the Hogs have a legitimate chance of making the playoffs. However, age is catching up to a lot of the main core that brought them to their championships. Walton is 34, WR Nicholas Kramer just reached 30, TE Glenn Chambers is 31, and LB Douglas Marks is 32. Their receiving core took a massive hit from last year, with Kramer beginning to regress due to his age and not one receiver looking like the number 1 target in his absence. DL Eric Forbes commands the defensive line pretty much all by himself, with the age issue coming up as to why DL’s Joel Valentine and Leslie Black can’t put up the same effort as forbes. Their linebacking core was completely overhauled, with only Douglas Marks the only starter from last year. Despite that, their defense is still one of the best in the league. If the Hogs’ age still does not catch up with them, they will once again make another push to the championship.

4 - Washington Federals
1952 Record: 4-6 (4th West)
1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

The new team on the block might make a serious push to relevancy, maybe as soon as this year. QB Johnnie Sellers has been on the verge of breaking out as an all-star, and finally has a supporting cast around him that he can succeed. Head coach Irving Barry is taking a lot of the focus off of second-year RB Rip Rooney, which might benefit Rooney as much as it might for Sellers. The team made great efforts to improve the receiving situation, trading for WR Joseph Atkins and drafting WR Darius Sanderson to make a potentially incredible combo on offense. The defense also contains a bunch of rising stars ready to make a name for themselves. DL Robert Stanton looks to pair well with second rounder DL Daley Norris, and second-year LB Howard Treadaway looks to make his breakthrough season this year. DB Johnathan Moon finally has some backup with 5th rounder S Josh von Bank ready to support him if the top target goes through him. The main issue with this team is their youth and relative inexperience. If they get past their inexperience and play up to their potential, they could be a wild card in the already tough West Division.

5 - Pittsburgh Shamrocks
1952 Record: 7-3 (2nd East)
1952 Result: Lost East Division Play-Off

The main issue surrounding the Shamrocks entering the 1953 season is the quarterback position. While QB O.J. DeMille played one great quarter for Pittsburgh in the play-off, QB Clarence Stanley did go 7-3 and only struggled in one game primarily and sporadically in the regular season. They’re still going to rely on RB Marion Waters to bring their offense to life, with very few other options for the QB to throw to. Their defense is as stout as ever, with DL Roy Forbes and the 1-2 punch of linebacking duo Alex Lee and Barry Moore terrorizing the line of scrimmage, and recent acquisition DB Jerry Pruitt providing much needed secondary help to S Raymond Walters. The defense should play up to the same level they did last year, but the real question is on offense. In the already weak East, all Stanley has to do is be a competent quarterback to take them to the playoffs, but the real issue is with Stanley. If Stanley doesn’t falter from his issues in the East Play-Off throughout the season, then this team is an easy lock to make the playoffs.

6 - Tri-Cities Hawks
1952 Record: 4-6 (3rd West)
1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

With the rest of their division only getting stronger, the Hawks’ championship ambitions are getting further and further away. Injuries have hindered the team the past two years, and the main core of QB Gilbert Clay, WR John McLean, and WR George Payne have played just 6 total games with each other last season, so their chemistry might be put to the test in a season where they have to perform against the frontrunning Cincinnati and Chicago teams and a potential newcomer in Washington. DL Ralph Rogers could not carry the defense like he did last season, but he may have to in order for the Hawks to compete. The team did acquire S Tom Silva from Cincinnati, but he might be relied on a bit too much with how few other contributors there are in the secondary. If the Hawks can repeat their magic from their 1950 championship, then they might have a slight chance of making it to the playoffs, and need even greater help to win the division outright.

7 - Detroit Knights
1952 Record: 3-7 (3rd East)
1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

Detroit is a team going through an identity crisis. They were plenty successful while in the MWFC, but for some reason that success has failed to translate over to the AFL. QB Roy Woodward has taken the brunt of the blame from fans as to why the Knights aren’t winning, and his struggles might be directly linked to fan outcry. With Detroit drafting QB Terry Kadlec at number 2 overall, his time as a Knight is coming to an end. RB Jeffery Spears has been carrying a bulk of the offense because of Woodward’s struggles, and the rest of the offense is upset at coach August Riddle for not giving them the opportunity, notably the receiving tandem of WR’s Lloyd Lawson and Paul Kent. Their back half of the defense is keeping them in games, including LB duo Jerry Flowers and Vincent Meyer shutting down the interior and DB Herman Schmidt and Johnathan Hobbs getting some much needed help with S Charlie Fischer being added to the fray. Don’t count on their front 4 to create any pressure though, which was their main downfall last year as well. If they can create any kind of consistency and get back to their heights of the MWFC days, then they might just have a chance of making it to the playoffs.

8 - Cleveland Crows
1952 Record: 1-9 (4th East)
1952 Result: Missed Playoffs

All Cleveland has to do now is do bad to do good later. They look to be playing their cards right, selling at the same time Buffalo and Pittsburgh are struggling for a division title and Detroit having an identity crisis to determine if they are a good team or not. As long as Cleveland doesn’t somehow pull a winning season out of thin air, they should finish with a top-3 pick and a ton of other draft picks to potentially build a championship-winning team. QB Denzel Collingsworth is in shape to become the Crows’ long-term starter, but his rookie season might start out on the wrong foot due to how few pieces the offense has. Second-year RB Max Panders might be the best beneficiary on this rebuilding team, with coach Ike Schwann stating that Panders would get a bulk of the snaps to get this team off and running. The Crows still have a couple of pieces they can sell off, so expect them to be at the bottom of the league table. If they can continue their rebuilding process, then they’ll be set for the future.

C&C Appreciated! Any predictions for the upcoming season?

A wild season with quite the battle in the West. It's nice to see Darius Sanderson and Washington turn it around and make the playoffs. Oh Dertoit, I want to like them but man, 0-9-1 with that talent... Also love the story from Billy Gould, I hope he continues to tear it up as a player.

Also maybe a side suggestion, but I might think about changing the colour of the numbers in the standings, it's kinda hard on the eyes and not the most readable with the blue on red. I think white numbers would be much more accessible.