Swede Youngstrom Adolph Frederick " Swede " Youngstrom ( May 24 , 1897 – August 5 , 1968 ) was a professional football player . Over the span of his career in the National Football League , Youngstrom played with the Buffalo All - Americans , Canton Bulldogs , Buffalo Bisons , Cleveland Bulldogs and the Frankford Yellow Jackets . He also served as a player - coach for the Yellow Jackets in 1927 . Outside of the NFL , Youngstrom played pro football for the Millville Big Blue and the Haven - Villa of Winter Haven . The Professional Football Researchers Association notes of Youngstrom ' s career that “ He was , quite possibly , the best guard of his era , considering that the only guards in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who played during the 1920s — Mike Michalske and Walt Kiesling — actually played the majority of their careers in the 1930s . ” Early career . Swede ' s first exposure to football came during his time at Waltham High School . The school ' s football team practiced after classes . Youngstrom then sought his parent ’ s permission to go out for the football team . However his parents refused to let him play . Swede ’ s father feared that his son , who eighed just 140 pounds , would be susceptible to injury . However during his senior year at Waltham , Swedejoined the team without his parent ’ s consent or knowledge . However , when a local paper included some highlights involving Swede ' s on - field performance the secret was revealed . Youngstrom ' s father however did not let on that he knew of his son ’ s involvement with the team . Instead , he sneaked to a Waltham practice session and watched his boy in action . After being impressed by his son ' s performance , Swede ' s father permitted him to stay with the team . College . After high school , Swede entered Dartmouth College in 1914 . At Dartmouth , he played every position on the offensive line , however he was best known for playin the guard position . However he also played on defense as well . Swede ' s defensive play was also outstanding . He was credited with blocking nine punts in his senior year , three of those blocks came in the 1919 title game against Colgate University . His stellar play earned him a spot on Walter Camp ’ s All - American team . The NFL . Buffalo . After graduating , Swede was operating a candy store in Hanover , New Hampshire , with Dartmouth teammate Ed Healey when he was approached by representatives from Buffalo with an offer to play for their 1920 team in the new American Professional Football Association ( renamed the National Football League in 1922 ) . During his first season with the All - Americans , Youngstrom is reported to have blocked nine punts , the same number of blocks he attained during his senior year at Dartmouth . Three of those blocks were returned for touchdown s . In 1922 , Youngstrom ' s play began to attract All - Pro mention . In 1923 the All - Americans went 5 - 4 - 3 , but Youngstrom ’ s stellar play earned him a spot on the " Green Bay Press - Gazette " All - Pro team . A year later , Swede ended up being the only bright spot for the Buffalo franchise ( now called the Bisons ) during terrible season , receiving All - Pro honors for the third consecutive year . Frankford Yellow Jackets . In 1926 , Youngstrom accepted an offer to play for the Frankford Yellow Jackets . In addition to his duties on the field , Swede was asked to coach the linemen . He spent two seasons with the Jackets , and played a major role in helping the team win the 1926 NFL title . He would then serve as the team ' s player - coach for the 1927 season . Independent football . In 1921 the rules governing players in the AFPA were somewhat lax and many players took advantage of this situation by playing for teams in other leagues to make a little extra money between games . Eight members of the Buffalo squad , including Youngstrom ) played for a non - league team called the Union Quakers of Philadelphia on Saturdays , then hopped the train for Buffalo and the next day ’ s game . The Quakers played their games on Saturdays because Philadelphia blue laws prohibited professional sports being played on Sunday . Youngstrom also played for the Millville Big Blue , a professional football team based in Millville , New Jersey from 1921 until around 1928 . The team won the mythical " Pro Football Championship of New Jersey " in 1923 and again in 1925 . He also played for the Haven - Villa of Winter Haven , a barnstorming team , made up of several Big Blue members .