1924 Rock Island Independents season

[1] Ahead of the annual league meeting, held at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago on January 26–27, a representative of the Independents, noting endemic heavy financial losses in the 1923 NFL season, warned that many franchises might not be able to continue indefinitely under the current salary system.

[3] On September 21, it was announced that the Rock Island Independents has succeeded in outbidding several other teams around the NFL for the services of the legendary back Jim Thorpe for the 1924 season.

[4] The timeless 37-year old's tenure as captain and organizer of the Oorang Indians franchise had come to an end at the conclusion of the 1923 season, the team awash in red ink and terminated.

"Rock Island players said if 'Duke' Slater, former Iowa negro tackle, had been allowed to play the result would have been different," one Kansas City newspaper noted.

[9] For their part, Rock Island looked to "securing their revenge" when Kansas City was scheduled to travel to Illinois for the second leg of the home-and-home series three weeks later.

Map of the Quad Cities area from 1919. The four cities had a combined population of about 120,000 in 1920.
Quad-Cities fans were excited to learn in late September that the legendary Jim Thorpe was signed to play the 1924 NFL season with the Rock Island Independents.
Three members of the 1924 Islanders team: end Mike Wilson, Hall of Fame tackle Duke Slater, and halfback Johnny Armstrong.