Ray Flaherty
Encyclopedia
Raymond Paul Flaherty was a professional football
player in the National Football League
from 1926-1935. He was the head coach of the Boston/Washington Redskins
from 1936–1942, where he won four division titles (1936, 1937, 1940, 1942) and two NFL Championships (1937, 1942). Flaherty served in the United States Navy
until 1945. Upon his return, he accepted the head coaching position with the All-America Football Conference
's New York Yankees
, winning division titles in each of his two full seasons at the helm. He left the Yankees midway through the 1948 season and spent 1949 as coach of the AAFC Chicago Hornets.
Among his innovations, Flaherty is credited with inventing the screen pass in 1937.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1976 for his contributions as a coach.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1926-1935. He was the head coach of the Boston/Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
from 1936–1942, where he won four division titles (1936, 1937, 1940, 1942) and two NFL Championships (1937, 1942). Flaherty served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
until 1945. Upon his return, he accepted the head coaching position with the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
's New York Yankees
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
, winning division titles in each of his two full seasons at the helm. He left the Yankees midway through the 1948 season and spent 1949 as coach of the AAFC Chicago Hornets.
Among his innovations, Flaherty is credited with inventing the screen pass in 1937.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1976 for his contributions as a coach.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile