09/09/2026
On September 17, 1920, representatives from 10 teams around the country met to form the American Professional Football Association, the league that would become the NFL in just two years.
Eleven days later, the Rock Island Independents played a game at Douglas Park in Rock Island, defeating the St. Paul Ideals 48-0 in front of about 800 fans. While the first game between two league teams wouldn’t come until October 3rd (the first official NFL game), professional football had already plenty of roots right here in the Quad Cities.
More than a century later, the Quad Cities added another chapter to that story. This summer, Davenport Central graduate Roger Craig was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, becoming the first Quad Cities native to receive the honor, and fittingly, Davenport has since voted to rename Brady Street Stadium in his honor.
While we weren’t there for the initial kickoff in 1920, we have been a part of the Quad Cities story for more than half a century, and we’re proud to be here for this next season and beyond!