Ray Flaherty

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1903–1994)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Ray Flaherty

| image = Ray flaherty photo 1940s.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Flaherty {{circa}} 1940s

| number = 20, 11, 17, 6, 1

| position = End

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1903|9|1|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Lamont, Washington, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|7|19|1903|9|1}}

| death_place = Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.

| height_ft =

| height_in =

| weight_lb =

| high_school = Gonzaga {{nowrap|(Spokane, Washington)}}

| college = Washington State (1922)
Gonzaga (1923–1925)

| pastteams =

Los Angeles Wildcats (1926)
New York Yankees ({{NFL Year|1927|1928}})
New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1929}}; {{NFL Year|1931|1935}})

| pastcoaching =

Gonzaga (1930)
Head coach
Boston / Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1936|1942}})
Head coach
New York Yankees (1946–1948)
Head coach
Chicago Hornets (1949)
Head coach

| highlights =

; As a player

NFL champion (1934)
7× First-team All-Pro (1926–1929, 1932–1934)
Third-team All-Pro (1931)
NFL receptions leader (1932)
NFL receiving yards leader (1932)
NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1932)
New York Giants No. 1 retired (Unretired 2024)

; As a coach

2× NFL champion (1937, 1942)
Washington Commanders 90 Greatest

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 41

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 626

| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 20

| regular_record = College: {{Winning percentage|1|7|1|record=y}}
NFL: {{Winning percentage|54|21|5|record=y}}
AAFC: {{Winning percentage|26|16|2|record=y}}
Total: {{Winning percentage|81|44|8|record=y}}

| playoff_record = NFL: {{Winning percentage|2|2|record=y}}
AAFC: {{Winning percentage|2|4|record=y}}
Total: {{Winning percentage|4|6|record=y}}

| overall_record = College: {{Winning percentage|1|7|1|record=y}}
NFL: {{Winning percentage|56|23|5|record=y}}
AAFC: {{Winning percentage|28|20|2|record=y}}
Total: {{Winning percentage|85|50|8|record=y}}

| pfr = F/FlahRa20

| pfrcoach = FlahRa0

| HOF = ray-flaherty

}}

Raymond Paul Flaherty (September 1, 1903 – July 19, 1994) was an American professional football player and coach who spent 18 total seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as both a player and a coach. He played college football for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and played for the Los Angeles Wildcats of the American Football League (AFL) and the New York Yankees and New York Giants of the NFL. The Giants retired his jersey number 1, the first in NFL history, upon his playing retirement in 1935.

Flaherty was head coach of Gonzaga's football and basketball teams in 1930 and 1931, the NFL's Washington Redskins from 1936 to 1942, and the New York Yankees and Chicago Hornets of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in the latter half of the 1940s. He was a member of three NFL championship teams, one with the Giants in 1934 and two as Redskins head coach in 1937 and 1942, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

Early life

Born on a farm near Lamont in eastern Washington,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XD8xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cAoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6341%2C5252985 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Blanchette |first=John |title=NFL legend Ray Flaherty dies |date=July 20, 1994 |page=C1}} Flaherty grew up in Spokane and was a multi-sport athlete at Gonzaga High School (now Gonzaga Prep) and Gonzaga University,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vIZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DvsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3080%2C2795223 |newspaper=Spokane Chronicle |location=Washington|last=Godes |first=Kerry |title=Gonzaga Prep selects six for its new Hall of Fame |date=March 30, 1987|page=C5 }} where he played with Hust Stockton under head coach Gus Dorais. As a freshman, Flaherty attended Washington State College in Pullman, then transferred to Gonzaga before his sophomore year. Flaherty competed on the Gonzaga Bulldogs track and field, baseball, and basketball teams in addition to playing football.{{cite web |title=RAY FLAHERTY |url=https://gozags.com/honors/gonzaga-athletic-hall-of-fame/ray-flaherty/23 |website=Gonzaga Bulldogs |access-date=8 August 2024}}

Professional career

Flaherty began his professional football career in 1926 with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the American Football League, a team of western players based in Illinois.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H_AjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1fgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6615%2C2397094 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|last=Derrick |first=Merle |title=Flaherty honored |date=January 27, 1976 |page=17 }} It played all its games on the road in its only season, which ended with a post-season barnstorming tour through the South against league rival New York Yankees. Flaherty then played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, first with the Yankees (1927–1928) with Red Grange, until the franchise folded following the 1928 season. He joined the New York Giants, 1929 through the 1935 season, except for 1930, when he returned to Spokane as the head coach at his alma mater, Gonzaga.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RxVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3861%2C950088 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |title=Ray Flaherty Gonzaga coach |date=May 4, 1980 |page=1, sports }} He also coached the Bulldog basketball team for a season (1930–1931).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=1931010&id=is9XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zfQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6895,1269260 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|title=Irish casaba tossers hit winning stride; play Spokane Sparklers Saturday night |date=January 7, 1931 |page=15 }} At the end of the 1935 season, Flaherty's jersey number 1 was 'taken out of circulation', thus making Flaherty the first professional football player to have his number retired.{{cite news|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2105810_2105811_2105882,00.html |magazine=Time Magazine |last=Berry |first=Allison |title=Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About the New York Giants |date=February 2, 2012 |page=7 }} In 2024, wide receiver Malik Nabers was given permission by Flaherty's family to wear the number.{{cite web |last1=Eisen |first1=Michael |title=Malik Nabers to wear No. 1 with permission from Flaherty family |url=https://www.giants.com/news/malik-nabers-to-wear-no-1-with-permission-from-flahery-family |website=www.giants.com |access-date=29 August 2024}} In 1930, Flaherty played minor league baseball as a second baseman with the Providence Grays of the Eastern League.

Head coaching career

File:George Marshall and Ray Flaherty, football coach of Washington Redskins (cropped).jpg head coach meeting with team owner George Preston Marshall, 1937]]

Following his playing career, Flaherty was hired by George Preston Marshall, owner of the NFL's Boston Redskins, as head coach for the 1936 season.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t9RXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DPUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3155%2C7509107

|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle|location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Flaherty to coach Boston Redskins |date=December 24, 1935 |page=1 }}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UVsVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-gkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6345%2C607540 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |last=Blanchette |first=John |title=Flaherty earned due respect |date=July 22, 1994 |page=C1 }} The team won the division title that year, then relocated to Washington, D.C. for the 1937 season, and picked up future hall of fame quarterback Sammy Baugh in the first round of the 1937 NFL draft. In seven seasons at the helm of the Redskins, Flaherty won four division titles ({{NFL Year|1936}}, {{NFL Year|1937}}, {{NFL Year|1940}}, {{NFL Year|1942}}) and two NFL Championships (1937, 1942). Among his innovations on offense, Flaherty is credited with inventing the screen pass in 1937.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cVdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6O4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2145%2C484084 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|last=Blanchette |first=John |title=Papa Bear met his match in Ray Flaherty |date=November 2, 1983 |page=C1 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w4dUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Qo8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2931%2C4760806 |newspaper=Ellensburg Daily Record |location=Washington|agency=UPI |title=Legends: Flaherty in 'same class' |date=September 4, 1980 |page=8 }}

The Redskins held their 1940 training camp in Spokane at Gonzaga;{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ROJXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RvUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3352%2C1235253

|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Flaherty sends Redskins into first practice grind |date=August 6, 1940 |page=11 }} the previous year's camp was also held in Spokane County, at Eastern Washington College in Cheney.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Sx9WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9eMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5000%2C2250225 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|title=Pro grid squad begins practice |date=August 8, 1939 |page=11 }}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=geFXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PvUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6824%2C5105922

|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle|location=Washington|title=Redskins will train on Gonzaga field starting August 6 |date=July 24, 1940 |page=11}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6FVYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jvcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2452%2C3907340 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |last=Johnson |first=Bob |title=Woo Redskins |date=January 19, 1959 |page=13 }} In 1941 and 1942, the Redskins trained in California in San Diego at Brown Military Academy.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DrVYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5422%2C3662099 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Two trips west |last=Johnson |first=Bob |date=January 28, 1972 |page=13 }}{{cite web|url=http://redskinsrva.bonsecours.com/redskins-training-camp-history|publisher=Redskins RVA |title=Training camp history |access-date=February 7, 2014}}

Flaherty served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, then returned to pro football in 1946 as a head coach in the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). With the New York Yankees, he won division titles in each of his two full seasons at the helm, but lost to the Cleveland Browns in the title games. After a poor start in 1948, owner Dan Topping relieved Flaherty of his duties in mid-September.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GYFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mOUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6625%2C1193827 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Yankees "fire" Ray Flaherty as grid coach |date=September 18, 1948 |page=11 }} Several months later he was hired as head coach of the AAFC's Chicago Hornets, known as the Rockets in their three previous seasons.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cXgbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PE0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4075%2C5157575 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=United Press |title=Ray Flaherty named coach of Chicago Rockets |date=January 30, 1949 |page=24 }}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=teNXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=svUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4191%2C238383 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|agency=United Press |title=Ray Flaherty to get Chappuis and others |date=February 1, 1949 |page=11 }} He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976 for his contributions as a coach.{{cite news |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pfMjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=b-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7314%2C4434120 |location=Spokane, Washington | last=Missildine |first=Harry |title=Flaherty named to pro grid hall |date=January 27, 1976 |page=11}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XPdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ne0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2653%2C2952563 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|agency=Associated Press |title=Ray Flaherty gains Hall induction today |date=July 24, 1976 |page=13 }}

After football

After the end of the AAFC in 1949, Flaherty returned to the Spokane area to enter private business as a beverage distributor,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ry5WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3uUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6848%2C4546439 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review|location=Spokane, Washington |last=Hewins |first=Jack |agency=Associated Press |title=Flaherty won't coach unless offer "too good to decline" appears |date=August 22, 1951 |page=13 }} and lived in nearby northern Idaho. During football season, he was a part-time columnist for the Spokane Daily Chronicle.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7PlXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mvYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4531%2C818026|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Flaherty to conduct football dope column |date=September 3, 1954 |page=11 }}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-CZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5151%2C1095428

|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|title=Flaherty experts on football again |date=September 5, 1958 |page=11 }} A college friend of Bing Crosby, Flaherty participated in the singer's Spokane memorial service in 1977.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=C1ZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9vgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2148%2C16155 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington|title=Crosby service set |date=October 17, 1977 |page=3}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0_VLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0O0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6826%2C1632202 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Smith |first=Jim |title=Memorial rites held for city favorite, Bing Crosby |date=October 19, 1977 |page=7 }}

After an extended illness at the age of 90, Flaherty died on July 19, 1994, in Hayden, Idaho.

Head coaching record

=College=

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Gonzaga Bulldogs

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1930

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1930

| name = Gonzaga

| overall = 1–7–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Gonzaga

| overall = 1–7–1

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 1–7–1

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

{{cite web |author= |title=NCAA Statistics; Coach; Ray Flaherty |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/24329?sport_code=MFB |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=January 19, 2025 }}

=Professional=

rowspan="2"\|Team	rowspan="2"\|Year	colspan="5"\|Regular season	colspan="4"\|Post season
class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
style="background:#fdd;" !BOS	1936	7	5	0	.583	1st in Eastern Division	0	1	.000	Lost NFL Championship to Green Bay Packers
style="background:#FDE910;" !WAS\|\|1937 \|\|8\|\|3\|\|0\|\| .727 \|\|1st in Eastern Division\|\| 1 \|\| 0 \|\| 1.000 \|\| Won NFL Championship over Chicago Bears
WAS\|\|1938 \|\|6\|\|3\|\|2\|\| .667 \|\|2nd in Eastern Division\|\| - \|\| - \|\| - \|\| -
WAS\|\|1939 \|\|8\|\|2\|\|1\|\| .800 \|\|2nd in Eastern Division\|\| - \|\| - \|\| - \|\| -
style="background:#fdd;" !WAS	1940	9	2	0	.818	1st in Eastern Division	0	1	.000	Lost NFL Championship to Chicago Bears
WAS\|\|1941 \|\|6\|\|5\|\|0\|\| .545 \|\|3rd in Eastern Division\|\| - \|\| - \|\| - \|\| -
style="background:#FDE910;" !WAS\|\|1942 \|\|10\|\|1\|\|0\|\| .909 \|\|1st in Eastern Division\|\| 1 \|\| 0 \|\| 1.000 \|\| Won NFL Championship over Chicago Bears
colspan="2"\|WAS/NFL Total\|\| 54 \|\| 21 \|\| 5 \|\| 72.0 \|\|\|\| 2 \|\| 2 \|\| .500 \|\|
style="background:#fdd;" !NYY	1946	10	3	1	.769	1st in Eastern Division	0	1	.000	Lost AAFC Championship Game to Cleveland Browns
style="background:#fdd;" !NYY	1947	11	2	1	.846	1st in Eastern Division	0	1	.000	Lost AAFC Championship Game to Cleveland Browns
NYY\|\|1948 \|\|1\|\|3\|\|0\|\| .250 \|\|fired in mid-season\|\| - \|\| - \|\| - \|\| -
colspan="2"\|NYY AAFC Total\|\| 22 \|\| 8 \|\| 2 \|\| .733 \|\|\|\| 0 \|\| 2 \|\| .000 \|\|
CHI\|\|1949 \|\|4\|\|8\|\|0\|\| .333 \|\|4th in AAFC\|\| - \|\| - \|\| - \|\| -
colspan="2"\|CHI AAFC Total\|\| 4 \|\| 8 \|\| 0 \|\| .333 \|\|\|\| - \|\| - \|\| - \|\| -
colspan="2"\|AAFC Total\|\| 26 \|\| 16 \|\| 2 \|\| .619 \|\|\|\| 0 \|\| 2 \|\| .000 \|\| -
colspan="2"\|Professional Total\|\| 80 \|\| 37 \|\| 5 \|\| .684 \|\|\|\| 2 \|\| 4 \|\| .333 \|\|
colspan="11"\|Source: [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/FlahRa0.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]

References

External links

{{Profootballhof|id=68}}
{{Footballstats |nfl=FLA207644 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=FlahRa20 |dbf=FLAHERAY01 |rotoworld=}}
{{baseballstats|mlb= |espn=|br= |cube= |fangraphs= |brm=flaher001ray}}
{{Find a Grave|68750966}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Ray Flaherty—championships, awards, and honors

| list1 =