The idea for the All-Stars came to Ollie Kraehe while he was still a substitute offensive lineman playing for the Rock Island Independents.
One of the most notorious All-American impostors for the All-Stars was a man using the alias Jack "Dolly" Gray.
The All-Stars began the 1923 season with a 25–0 defeat of a team from Murphysboro, Illinois in a non-league game.
For the second game, the All-Stars played the Green Bay Packers to a scoreless tie at Bellevue Park.
Kraehe lost more than $2,000, as only 719 spectators attended the team's home opener at Sportsman's Park.
He blamed the low attendance on rainy weather and the fact that most sports fans were concentrating on the World Series being played in New York City.
However, the lack of offense from the All-Stars made the St. Louis fans reluctant to spend their money to see a team that had not scored a touchdown in their first four NFL games.
Things did take a turn for the better when the All-Stars played the Oorang Indians, featuring Jim Thorpe, in front of 5,000 fans the following week.
The Badgers' Jimmy Conzelman was one of St. Louis' most popular athletes and Kraehe hoped that his presence would put fans in the stands.
He was forced to cancel his final NFL game of the season against the Cleveland Indians, as injuries left the All-Stars unable to field a team.