THE 1952 DALLAS TEXANS: "It Was a Promising Venture That Ended As a Joke"

By TJ Troup 

Steve Sabol holds up a small reel of film and states that he is holding the sorry history of the Dallas Texans. Harry Kalas then narrates with some superb footage of the lowlights (and a couple of eye-popping offense plays) of the Texans. Telling the saga of the Texans can only come to life if we have sources—accurate sources! 

Thanks to my four friends for all their help in providing me those sources. John Richards and John Turney sending me film, Eric Goska sending me play-by-plays of the two Texans vs. Packers games and finally Nick Webster getting me a copy of Giles Miller's book on his seven-week sojourn as the owner of the Dallas Texans. 

Where to begin is easy; using the same format that was used in "The Birth of the Modern 4-3 Defense" am gonna detail who played where, and how well they actually played their positions. Down the stretch in 1950, the New York Yanks fell apart on defense and fell from first place to 7-5 for the season. 

Jimmy Phelan becomes the head coach in 1951, and the defense is even worse as NYY wins only one game. Giles Miller has high hopes when he purchases the team, and as the title suggests football in Texas is a promising venture, but you have to win and play competitive football. Studying film of the linebackers on this team was fascinating.....how so you ask? 

Well, I'll tell ya....not one of the men who played linebacker for the Texans in '52 ever took a snap at linebacker in the NFL after this season. Opening day in the Cotton Bowl the Texans take on the contending New York Giants. 

New York Giants at the Cotton Bowl in front of a sparse crowd.

Having a punishing ground attack the last two years the Texan front seven is gonna get tested. One of the linebackers is #30 ....wait there is no #30 listed in any of the online rosters of the Texans? Real research means you find out who wore #30 and it is Weldon Humble (most of the year he wears #66). 

Humble had played some linebacker for the Browns, and no doubt his experience on a winning team is one of the reasons he started. The other starting linebacker is #33 George Robison. Neither man was able to instinctively fill holes, was able to quickly shed blocks, pursue or tackle well. Robison starts the first four weeks, but he lacks what it takes to play linebacker in the NFL. Humble will play some at linebacker (he is the starting left offensive guard), but as the season progresses Joe Reid, Pat Cannemela, Jankovich, and Keith Flowers are the linebackers. 

Though they give effort, none of these men measure up. Why is the linebacker position so important in 1952 you ask? The other five teams in the National Conference are as follows; though the Packers are fast becoming a passing team, they are adequate at running the ball and have the best running quarterback in the league in Tobin Rote. 

The Bears will not run the ball as well in '52 as they did in '51, but they have a decent o-line, a cave full of runners, and have a history of having a punishing ground game. Buddy Parker has built the Detroit Lion offense into a balanced attack with a strong o-line, and talented runners led by Hunchy. 

The Rams balanced offense has proven they can fill the air with passes, yet a ground attack with Towler (league rushing champion), Tank Younger, and Skeets Quinlan moves the chains all season on the ground. Finally, the 49ers led by Joe Perry have added the best and most elusive runner in years in McElhenny.....so, if the Dallas Texans are gonna succeed on defense their linebackers better be able to fill holes, pursue and tackle ....and they DON'T! 

Aligned in a basic 5-2-4 most of the time, the d-line for Dallas has size at the tackle position in Campanella, Donovan, and Grigg. None of these men are capable in pursuit (not sure how well they were coached?). By far the best d-tackle is Don Colo, but he battles injury and is in and out of the line-up, but when healthy he is a force to deal with. 

The starting middle guard is Sisto Averno, and he is consistently blocked all year (he also fills in at offensive guard). Rotating in at right defensive end are Sonny Gandee, who wore jersey #83, before he was traded to the Lions for Flowers, then Art Tait (also wearing #83), and getting some snaps there was Keever Jankovich (he plays d-end for '53 Cardinals), but Barney Poole is the nominal starter at right defensive end. 

The starting left defensive end is rookie Gino Marchetti. He has a non-stop motor, exceptional quickness for a big man, and impressive strength. What he lacks is experience and technique, yet anyone can see this man is going to become one helluva ballplayer. We don't know how many sacks he recorded, yet he sure demonstrates on film he can pillage the pass pocket, and pressure the quarterback. Jerry Davis had played corner for the Cardinals, but before his season ended with multiple knee injuries he is the starting right safety for Dallas. 

An adequate and willing tackler, he still can read a quarterback and his interception return for a touchdown against the Rams is textbook. Stan Williams is usually the starting right corner. He does not shy away from contact and hustles all over the field. When Davis is sidelined he moves to right safety at times. The starting left corner is John Petitbon, and he also demonstrates he has a future in the league. A strong tackler when forcing sweeps, he battles receivers all year. 

The starting left safety is Tom Keane. His career as both a player and coach should have gotten him consideration for the "Hall of the Very Good" at the Researchers Association. He had a 100-yard receiving game as a Ram in '48 (plays some at end for the Texans), eventually won the left corner post with the Rams and contributed to the championship in '51. 

Keane is the starting left safety, and will eventually earn a pro bowl berth with the Colts. Tom Keane patrols his area on pass defense with skill, pursues and tackles well, and amazingly records 12 takeaways in the last 10 games of the year. Twice he has a fumble recovery and interception in the same game. Petitbon and Williams also have games where they accomplish this feat. 

The Dallas Texans finish dead last in the defensive passer rating category with a mark of 70.3 (league average is 57.7), so all of these men surrender touchdown catches.....31 to be exact. The Dallas Texans on offense are entertaining, and at times productive. 

When the Giants come to the Cotton Bowl on opening day the starting right offensive end is former pro bowl receiver Dan Edwards. He has three catches against NYG but is injured and his career is over. He is never adequately replaced. Stan Williams starts both ways and has receptions in seven different games. Gene Felker starts at left end the first half of the year but is woefully lacking in the skills necessary to play end in the NFL. 

Gene Felker

Ray Pelfrey joins the team, and the cagey veteran has receptions in the last five games of the year. The only end that actually proves he can contribute to a passing attack is Dick Wilkins. His impressive performance against the Eagles in December is overshadowed by Bud Grant. We see Dallas align in a double tight end full house backfield, we see motion, we see trips sets, we see wing alignments, and on many downs behind in the game, we see the Texans in spread formations. 

Dick Wilkins snags a pass

Dick Hoerner and Zollie Toth both play fullback, and have some strong plays, just not near enough. The most yards Hoerner gained rushing in a game is 39 (he can still catch a pass out of the backfield), and the most yards gained by Toth is in the upset victory over the Bears with 80. 

Billy Baggett eventually gets a chance to carry the ball, and late in the season when Davis is injured he starts at right safety. The youngster has a burst, and as lean as he is he will lower his shoulder and attack a defender. He shines on kick-off returns. 

Bob Celeri is the opening-day starter at quarterback, and he has the arm strength to make every throw, yet he is inconsistent as an accurate passer. There is no inconsistency to his belief in his ability to leave the pocket and run, or roll out and run. Two weeks into the season and he has run 10 times for 80 yards. By far his best game of the year is against Green Bay in the Cotton Bowl. Why Phelan chose to use Chuck Ortmann is a mystery. 

He had the size, arm strength, and motivation to be an NFL quarterback, but he could not hit the ground with his hat....one of the most inaccurate passers of this era. He plays three games and is gone. Next up is Hank Lauricella....and though he has some shining moments he also is not the answer. 

Frank Tripucka can fire the ball, and the last six games of the year attempts 174 passes, but Trip also forces passes into coverage....17 interceptions. Buddy Young has at least one catch in eleven games during the year, and is still effective, productive, and just damn entertaining on sweeps. Young also ranks among the league leaders in kick-off returns. 

George Taliaferro starts at halfback, plays spread offensive quarterback/tailback, has a 100-yard receiving game against Green Bay, and fills in at right corner late in the year. He tosses to Young for the first touchdown of the year in September and gains 77 yards receiving against the Lions in December. Taliaferro earns a berth in the Pro Bowl. 

George Taliaferro

The offensive line for Dallas is as follows: left offensive tackle Jim Lansford, and right tackle Ken Jackson are more than adequate, and center Brad Ecklund is a savvy veteran. Humble starts at left guard, and can still pull, and make a trap block. 

Right guard is the MVP of the team—Pro Bowler John Wozniak. He grades out as a high-caliber stud at every facet of offensive line play. This is his last year in the NFL as he journeys north to Canada. One of the plays Dallas ran well was the middle screen, and the O-line was outstanding at making the blocks necessary for Taliaferro and Young to weave their way through opposing defenses. 

Watching the highlights of their upset victory over the Bears we see Dallas make just enough plays to beat a very unmotivated Bear team. Shame on you Papa Bear for starting the second-stringers! 

The game that will be detailed, and is a joy to watch is the game in the Coliseum against the Rams. Los Angeles needs a victory to get to .500 and stay in the race with Green Bay, San Francisco, and Detroit, and explodes to a 35-0 half-time lead. 

Middle of the third quarter and Towler powers over to score to up the lead to 42-0. Waterfield kicks the extra point and Tait of the Texans is ejected for a personal foul of hitting Towler. 

At least some of the Texans still have some fight in them. Dallas begins on their own sixteen-yard line, and Taliaferro runs, passes, and leads his team to the Ram fifteen as he gained nine on a sweep left. He is shaken up, and enters Lauricella, he rolls right and is stopped for a loss of two.

Dallas has used a formation rarely seen in this era—quads right or quads left, with a tight end, three backs aligned as wings and flankers outside of the end, and of course the tailback. 

Quads left second and twelve at the seventeen, and Hank rolls right and throws the classic jump pass into the endzone where Marchetti makes an athletic catch for the score. 

Marchetti's TD reception

When Don Klosterman comes in to play quarterback for the Rams and proceeds to get sacked (one by Poole and Marchetti) and throw errant passes to the Texans the game takes on that ragged yet fun feel of a team that is going to get beat, but will give maximum effort. 

Late fourth quarter, and on second and eight from the Ram thirty-four in a double tight, trips left formation Lauricella fires to Wilkins for a touchdown. Rams 42 Dallas 13 ... and now Klosterman rainbows a pass up the left sideline that Davis pilfers, and away the Weasel goes ... 66 yards for the final score as Barney Poole blocks Klosterman. Lauricella and Taliaferro combined to gain 131 yards rushing on 29 carries (the rest of the team 10 carries for 15 yards). Returning to the title which comes from the Neft & Cohen Encyclopedia. 

The Dallas Texans' place in history is secure, and entertaining based upon the evaluations by coaches (Red Hickey), and players (Art Donovan). Eleven men from this team will become Baltimore Colts. That is a story for another day.