# 1921 Minneapolis Marines season

The 1921 Minneapolis Marines season was their inaugural season in the young American Professional Football Association (APFA). The team finished with a 1–3 record against league opponents, and tied for thirteenth place in the league.

## Schedule

| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | October 2 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 0–20 | 0–1 | Normal Park | 4,000 | Recap |
| — | October 9 | Minneapolis Ideals | canceled because of rain | canceled because of rain | canceled because of rain | canceled because of rain | canceled because of rain |
| — | October 16 | Minneapolis Knights of Columbus | W 9–0 | — | Nicollet Park | "a large crowd" | — |
| 2 | October 23 | at Green Bay Packers | L 6–7 | 0–2 | Hagemeister Park | 6,000 | Recap |
| 3 | October 30 | Columbus Panhandles | W 28–0 | 1–2 | Nicollet Park | "a large crowd" | Recap |
| 4 | November 6 | at Rock Island Independents | L 3–14 | 1–3 | Douglas Park | < 2,000 | Recap |
| — | November 11 | at Duluth Knights of Columbus | L 0–14 | — | Athletic Park | 5,000 | — |
| — | November 13 | Minneapolis All-Stars | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow |
| — | November 20 | Minneapolis All-Stars | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow | postponed because of snow |
| — | November 24 | Minneapolis All-Stars | W 7–0 | — | Nicollet Park | 1,500 | — |
| — | December 4 | at Olson's All-Stars | L 0–10 | — | Mizzou Park | 2,500 | — |
| Note: Games in italics indicate a non-league opponent. November 11: Friday. Thanksgiving Day: November 24. |||||||||

## Standings

APFA standings :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| Chicago Staleys | 9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | 128 | 53 | T1 |
| Buffalo All-Americans | 9 | 1 | 2 | .900 | 211 | 29 | L1 |
| Akron Pros | 8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 148 | 31 | W1 |
| Canton Bulldogs | 5 | 2 | 3 | .714 | 106 | 55 | W1 |
| Rock Island Independents | 4 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 65 | 30 | L1 |
| Evansville Crimson Giants | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 89 | 46 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 2 | 1 | .600 | 70 | 55 | L1 |
| Dayton Triangles | 4 | 4 | 1 | .500 | 96 | 67 | L1 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 2 | .500 | 54 | 53 | T1 |
| Rochester Jeffersons | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 85 | 76 | W2 |
| Cleveland Tigers | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | 95 | 58 | L1 |
| Washington Senators | 1 | 2 | 0 | .334 | 21 | 43 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Celts | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 14 | 117 | L2 |
| Hammond Pros | 1 | 3 | 1 | .250 | 17 | 45 | L2 |
| Minneapolis Marines | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 37 | 41 | L1 |
| Detroit Tigers | 1 | 5 | 1 | .167 | 19 | 109 | L5 |
| Columbus Panhandles | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | 47 | 222 | W1 |
| Tonawanda Kardex | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 45 | L1 |
| Muncie Flyers | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 28 | L2 |
| Louisville Brecks | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 27 | L2 |
| New York Brickley Giants | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 72 | L2 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

## Roster

The following individuals saw action in at least one game for the Minneapolis Marines during the 1921 season. The number of 1921 NFL game appearances is listed for each in parentheses. There were no future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the 1921 Marines roster. Team captain and star was quarterback Rube Ursella.
Linemen
* Oscar Christianson (4)
* Harold Erickson (4)
* Dutch Gaustad (4)
* Harry Gunderson (4)
* George Kramer (3)
* John Norbeck (2)
* Mike Palmer (4)
* Sheepy Redeen (4)
* Rudy Tersch (3)
Backs
* Ainer Cleve (3)
* Ben Dvorak (4)
* Bill Irgens (2)
* Charlie Jonasen (1)
* Pete Regnier (4)
* Art Sampson (4)
* Rube Ursella - captain (4)