- Duluth (NFL)
Duluth, Minnesota , hosted a professional football team called the Kelleys (officially the Kelley Duluths after the Kelley-Duluth Hardware Store) from 1923 to 1925 and the Eskimos (officiallyErnie Nevers ' Eskimos after their star player) from 1926 to1927 in sports in the
1927National Football League . After being atraveling team in 1927, the Eskimos were then sold to theOrange Tornadoes . WhenOle Haugsrud sold the team back to the league, part of the deal gave him first rights for any future NFL team inMinnesota . So when the NFL voted to expand in 1960 to theTwin Cities , Haugsrud was able to buy 10% of theMinnesota Vikings . A book, "Leatherheads of the North: The True Story of Ernie Nevers & the Duluth Eskimos" written by Chuck Frederick, is available through X-Communications. This book profiles the Duluth Eskimos and their star player,Ernie Nevers .The film
Leatherheads is partially based on the story of the Duluth Eskimos. [cite news |first=Bob |last=Kelleher |title=Hundred of fans welcome Clooney, Zellweger to Duluth |url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/03/24/duluthvisit/ |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |date=2008-03-24 |accessdate=2008-03-24]Pro Football Hall of Fame rs*
Walt Kiesling
*John "Blood" McNally
*Ernie Nevers eason-by-season
References
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