Jack Depler

Who was Jack Depler?

John Charles Depler was a professional football player and coach. Prior to his professional career, he played college football at the University of Illinois. There he earned All-American honors in 1919 and 1920 and helped lead Illinois to its second national championship in 1919. After graduation, Depler played for the Hammond Pros of the National Football League. The following year he was hired as an assistant coach to Frank "Buck" O'Neill, at Columbia University, where he stayed for the next eight seasons.

In 1929, Depler rejoined the NFL as a player-coach with the Orange Tornadoes. In following season, he bought the Dayton Triangles and relocated the team to Brooklyn, New York, with the help of Bill Dwyer, an early Prohibition gangster and bootlegger. Depler was now the co-founder and coach of the NFL's new Brooklyn Dodgers.

After a successful first season, little went right for the club. After the team's second season, Depler resigned as coach and the team was sold to Chris Cagle and Shipwreck Kelly.