Jake Friedman
Friedman appeared in three NFL games for the Hartford Blues in 1926.
Birth and Death Dates:
b. March 23, 1896 - d. November 9, 1988
Career Highlights:
In 1926, Friedman played in three NFL games for Hartford in the team's only year of existence. Hartford, with a record of 3-7, played their home games in the Velodrome, a bicycle-racing arena. The Blues were mostly composed of local talent who had never played in the NFL, and had difficulty competing in the league.
On September 26, the Blues made their NFL debut against the New York Giants in the Velodrome. A crowd of 6,500 watched the home team go against the New York Giants, who featured guard/head coach Joe Alexander. The Blues got a break when Alexander fumbled the opening kickoff and the Blues recovered on the Giants' 30-yard line. That was the Blues' high point of the day; they failed to make a first down the entire game. The Giants achieved a 21-0 victory by recovering a bad snap in the Blues' end zone in the third quarter.
The Blues finished the season with a 3-7-0 record, good for a thirteenth-place finish in the 22-team league. But the team owners in the larger cities wanted a more streamlined league and voted to cut back to 12 teams. Half of the 1926 NFL teams were scrapped, including the Hartford Blues.
Origin:
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Career Dates:
Friedman played as an offensive end in the NFL with the Hartford Blues in 1926.