30s Draft

[TanksAndSpartans]

Hi All,

I was inspired by the MMQB all-time draft to redo my 30s draft. I thought some results were interesting to this HOF/HOVG forum. Presnell was the first non-HOFer off the board (round 2). Two players on my HOVG ballot this year were selected (Gutowsky, round 4 and Christensen, round 5). I’ve also nominated Ernie Caddel for HOVG in the past, who was drafted in round 4. A couple of strong senior HOF candidates were drafted: Dilweg (taken 16th overall) and Ox Emerson, round 4. Not everyone on the 30s All-Decade team was drafted, and some were drafted relatively late.

Ground Rules

-A player had to play 3 seasons in the 30s which excluded plenty of excellent players like Duke Slater and Ernie Nevers.

-A season was specified with each player when drafted. For example, Beattie Feathers was taken for ’34 which was by far his best season. On the other side of that coin, a player like George Trafton, who played 3 seasons in the 30s at the tail end of his career, wasn’t drafted.

-Each of the 6 teams had to pick between a T formation style and a Single Wing style (kind of like how the MMQB draft required the choice of either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense). It made a difference in that the S-W teams needed a blocking back and a tailback, so they favored passers who could also run like Dutch Clark whereas Baugh and Herber fit well on the T teams.

-The order reversed in each round so Team F had the 6th pick in round 1 and the first pick in round 2.

Results:

Getting selected as a back was really competitive (Jack Manders wasn’t drafted - teams who didn’t get a top kicker probably regret that). I’ll show the draft below and I’ll add a second post showing the teams. I only used first initials and I used some nicknames as well so Buckets Goldenberg became B. Goldenberg, Shipwreck Kelly became S. Kelly, etc. Let me know if you want me to confirm any player names.


Team A (S-W)
Team B (T)
Team C (S-W)
Team D (S-W)
Team E (S-W)
Team F (T)

**************

Round 1

1 (A) D. Hutson E (36)
2 (B) S. Baugh QB (37)
3 (C) D. Clark TB (36)
4 (D) B. Friedman QB (30)
5 (E) M. Hein C (38)
6 (F) A. Herber QB (36)

Round 2

7 (F) B. Nagurski FB (34)
8 (E) C. Hubbard T (30)
9 (D) T. Edwards T (34)
10 (C) M. Michalske G (30)
11 (B) J. Blood HB (31)
12 (A) G. Presnell TB (33)

Round 3

13 (A) C. Hinkle FB (36)
14 (B) D. Fortman G (38)
15 (C) B. Hewitt E (33)
16 (D) L. Dilweg E (30)
17 (E) C. Battles FB (37)
18 (F) J. Stydahar T (37)

Round 4

19 (F) B. Feathers HB (34)
20 (E) E. Caddel HB (36)
21 (D) K. Strong FB (34)
22 (C) A. Gutowsky FB (36)
23 (B) L. Lyman T (30)
24 (A) O. Emerson G (32)

Round 5

25 (A) G. Christensen T (33)
26 (B) T. Leemans HB (36)
27 (C) G. Musso G (37)
28 (D) C. Malone E (37)
29 (E) E. Manske E (36)
30 (F) R. Grange HB (31)

Round 6

31 (F) J. Carter E (38)
32 (E) J. Kopcha G (33)
33 (D) B. Gibson G (31)
34 (C) F. Lumpkin BB (30)
35 (B) S. Hanson FB (34)
36 (A) R. Badgro E (31)

Round 7

37 (A) L. Grant T (32)
38 (B) W. Kiesling G (30)
39 (C) C. Randolph C (35)
40 (D) S. Kelly WB (33)
41 (E) R. Flaherty E (32)
42 (F) B. Smith E (35)

Round 8

43 (F) Z. Carlson G (32)
44 (E) B. Molenda FB (31)
45 (D) O. Miller C (33)
46 (C) L. Johnsos E (32)
47 (B) M. Gantenbein E (36)
48 (A) H. Bruder BB (35)

Round 9

49 (A) F. Bausch C (36)
50 (B) W. Millner E (37)
51 (C) B. Morgan T (34)
52 (D) H. Hickman G (33)
53 (E) A. Niccolai T (35)
54 (F) J. Dell Isola G/C (37)

Round 10

55 (F) R. Letlow G (38)
56 (E) P. Jones G (34)
57 (D) R. Smith BB (37)
58 (C) D. Burnett WB (33)
59 (B) L. Gordon T (33)
60 (A) R. Kercheval (34)

Round 11

61 (A) B. Goldenberg G (39)
62 (B) C. Cherundolo C (38)
63 (C) E. Smith T (36)
64 (D) J. MacMurdo T (36)
65 (E) H. Newman TB (33)
66 (F) A. Schwammel T (35)

[TanksAndSpartans]

These are the teams. I put the round drafted of each player in parentheses. I think they turned out pretty balanced. Team E might be a sleeper… That one jumped out at me.

Team A

E: Hutson (1), Badgro (6)
T: Christensen (5), Grant (7)
G: Emerson (4), Goldenberg (11)
C: Bausch C (9)
TB: Presnell (2)
FB: Hinkle (3)
WB: Kercheval (10)
BB: Bruder (8)

* Presnell will kick and Kercheval will punt
* Bruder will play End on Defense with Hutson moving to defensive back

**********************

Team B

E: Gantenbein (8), Millner (9)
T: Lyman (4), Gordon (10)
G: Fortman (3), Kiesling (7)
C: Cherundolo (11)
Q: Baugh (1)
H: Blood (2), Leemans (5)
F: Hanson (6)

* Blood will kick and Baugh will punt

**********************

Team C

E: Hewitt (3), Johnsos (8)
T: Morgan (9), Ernie Smith (11)
G: Michalske (2), Musso (5)
C: Randolph (7)
TB: Clark (1)
FB: Gutowsky (4)
WB: Burnett (10)
BB: Lumpkin (6)

* Dutch Clark will kick and punt

**********************

Team D

E: Dilweg (3), Malone (5)
T: Edwards (2), MacMurdo (11)
G: Gibson (6), Hickman (9)
C: Miller (8)
TB: Friedman (1)
FB: Strong FB (4)
WB: Kelly (7)
BB: Riley Smith (10)

* Ken Strong will kick and punt

**********************

Team E

E: Manske (5), Flaherty (7)
T: Hubbard (2), Niccolai (9)
G: Kopcha (6), Potsy Jones (10)
C: Hein (1)
TB: Newman (12)
FB: Battles (3)
WB: Caddel (4)
BB: Molenda (8)

* Armand Niccolai will kick and Harry Newman or Bo Molenda will punt

**********************

Team F

E: Carter (6), Bill Smith (7)
T: Stydahar (3), Schwammel (12)
G: Carlson (8), Letlow (10)
C: Dell Isola (9)
Q: A. Herber (1)
H: B. Feathers (4), R. Grange (5)
F: B. Nagurski (2)

* Arnie Herber will kick and punt

**********************

[JohnTurney]

Pretty cool excercise...

[JuggernautJ]

Team E does have an incredible line with Hein and Hubbard, two of the all-time greats.

But I like "B" with Baugh throwing to his own receiver Milner and Johnny Blood coming out of the backfield.
Baugh and Blood would be like Unitas and Lenny Moore, 30's style.
Another early great, Dan Fortmann anchors the line.
Team B even has Walt Kiesling for comedic effect.
Make mine "B."

[TanksAndSpartans]

Thanks John.

JuggernautJ, nice analysis. B is strong. I'd put Lyman and Fortman on the same side, run behind them, then stretch the field with Baugh throwing to Blood. I like looking at the teams and thinking what they would be like too.