Staten Island Stapletons The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930 . The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten Island . Under the shortened nickname the " Stapes " they played an additional two seasons from 1931 to 1932 . Jack Shapiro , who was a blocking back for the Stapletons , was the shortest player in NFL history . The team was based in Staten Island , New York . History . Early years . The Staten Island Stapletons were originally founded in 1915 as a neighborhood team . The team was organized by Dan Blaine , who also served as the team ' s halfback . Blain later became rich by building up a chain of restaurants . The Stapletons played similar semi - pro neighborhood teams from the New York City area . During those early years the Stapes played more for fun than money . Crowds were small and player salaries averaged $ 10 per game . The team won several local semi - pro titles before World War I . The team was inactive in 1918 , due to Blaine ' s service commitment to the military and involvement in the war . However the team was renewed in 1919 . By that time , Blaine was the team ' s sole owner . He retired as a player in 1924 but continued as owner and manager of the Stapletons , who were commonly known as the Stapes . By that time the team set up Thompson Stadium , a cozy minor - league park in the neighborhood that gave them their name , as their permanent home field . Today the stadium site is occupied by Stapleton Housing located between Broad , Hill and Warren Streets and Tompkins Avenue . Prior to moving into Thompson Stadium , the Stapletons played in two temporary local parks : Stapleton Field and East Shore Oval . In 1924 the Stapes claimed the New York Metropolitan championship by beating the best independent pro teams in the area . However in 1925 , Tim Mara formed the New York Giants who moved into the Polo Grounds . The Giants presence in New York overshadowed the Stapes , particularly with the sell - out visit by Red Grange and the Chicago Bears on December 6 , 1925 . The Giants and Stapes began their New York rivalry on Thanksgiving Day 1925 . The Giants defeated the Stapes in an exhibition game 7 - 0 . Newark Bears takeover . Over the following couple of seasons , the Stapes would play exhibitions against pro teams from the NFL and various other leagues . On November 14 , 1926 , the Stapes were routed by the Newark Bears , 33 - 0 . The Bears belonged to Red Grange ' s American Football League , which served as competitor to the NFL during the 1926 season . Unhappy with the defeat , Blaine promptly hired most of the Newark players , including star rookie Doug Wycoff , who were still owed money because the Newark owner was having financial problems . As a result , the Bears went out of business while the Stapletons benefited from Newark ' s folding . In 1928 , Blaine further upgraded the team by signing some players from New York University . Pre - NFL . In 1927 , the Stapes fielded their ex - Newark Bears squad , although Wycoff signed to the Giants . The Giants would go on to win the 1927 NFL championship and defeated the Stapes twice in non - league games , 19 - 0 and 18 - 0 . The Stapes though did manage to beat the NFL ' s Duluth Eskimos , featuring Ernie Nevers 7 - 6 on November 27 , 1927 . By 1928 , Blaine wanted the Stapes to become an NFL franchise . He bolstered his squad by resigning Doug Wycoff back as a player - coach and by signing six graduates from the nationally - ranked New York University team . The Stapes had their best season on record , going 10 - 1 - 1 , including a 3 - 1 record against NFL teams . They even pulled out a 7 - 0 victory over the Giants on Thanksgiving Day . NFL . After they rolled up a 10 - 1 - 1 record in 1928 , Blaine applied for an NFL franchise in 1929 . He needed permission from Tim Mara , the owner of the Giants , because Staten Island was in Mara ' s exclusive territory . But Mara actually had an extra franchise . It had originally belonged to the Brooklyn Lions and had been given to Mara when the Lions folded in 1927 , because they owed him money . Mara had then allowed the New York Yankees , owned by Grange ' s manager C . C . Pyle , to use the franchise when that team moved from the defunct AFL into the NFL . The Yankees went out of business after the 1928 season , so the franchise again went back to Mara and he passed those franchise ' s rights on to Staten Island . Blaine promptly hired Ken Strong , who became a Stapletons Hall of Famer . Strong , who received All - American honors while at New York University , was a speedy , powerful runner who was also one of the best kickers of the era . The Stapletons would never have a winning season in the NFL . During their first NFL season in 1929 , the team went 3 - 4 - 3 , defeating the Dayton Triangles , Brooklyn Dodgers and the Minneapolis Red Jackets . They also managed to tie the Frankford Yellow Jackets once and Orange Tornadoes twice . The team improved to a 5 - 5 - 2 record in 1930 . That season the Stapes managed to defeat the rival New York Giants 7 - 6 , after a four yard touchdown run from Doug Wycoff and an extra point kick from Strong . In July 1931 , the team ' s official name on the league records was changed from the Stapleton Football Club , Inc . , to Staten Island Stapes . At this time , Doug Wycoff left the team to rejoin the Giants . In need of a coach , Blaine hired Hinkey Haines , who had played briefly for the Stapes in 1929 . The Stapes opened at home by beating the Dodgers 9 - 7 before 7 , 000 fans . However a week later at Ebbets Field , the Dodgers forced 3 interceptions to defeat the Stapes 18 - 6 . The team would post a 4 - 6 - 1 record in 1931 , defeating the Giants ( once ) , Dodgers ( twice ) and the Cleveland Indians . Decline . In 1932 , the Stapes finished dead last , defeating only the Giants and the Chicago Cardinals . Blaine was allowed by the NFL to suspend league play for the upcoming 1933 season . The team continued to lose money in 1933 . While the team posted losses against the Giants , Dodgers , Portsmouth Spartans , and Green Bay Packers , they did manage to defeat the newly established Philadelphia Eagles . Doug Wycoff and Bob Campiglio stayed with the Stapes in 1933 , but their star player Ken Strong signed with the Giants and helped them win the NFL Championship that season . Blaine went through the formality of getting NFL permission to suspend league operations for the 1934 season . The team played one more season of semi - pro football in 1934 before quietly folding a year later . On June 1935 , Blaine ' s franchise was finally declared forfeit . The franchise ' s failure can be blamed to a combination of the Great Depression and having too small of a stadium that could never accommodate enough fans to make the team profitable . Therefore , Stapes fans couldn ' t afford enough tickets to make a team possible .