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479:. There he served as a salesman for the area and was selected for supervisor training. However, the company told Bowser that he had to give up playing football on the weekends or his job would be terminated. He decided that his job was too important. With a wife and new obligations, he could not give up his career. However Bowser still played on weekends, under an alias and playing for teams in small towns such as
460:. This led him to play for Cleveland Indians because he could also travel to Philadelphia to play with the Yellow Jackets. On again he found himself in a scenario whereone team played on Saturday and the other on Sunday. However, the Indians could not draw in the crowds. When Cleveland played the
440:
was the first year that the NFL required everyone to sign a contract, instead of an oral agreement sealed by a handshake. One of the clauses in that contract was that a player could play for only one team in the 'association' (league). That clause was aimed at eliminating team 'hopping'. However
444:
However most college officials tried to steer their personnel away from the pro game. This made Arda give up a coaching career in favor of playing professionally. In 1922 Arda won the 1922 NFL Championship with the Canton
Bulldogs, when he was made the team's kicker, after
516:. Tuckett later called Bowser "one of the easiest interviewees to work with." To tie together the beginning and the present of the pro game, the NFL held a ceremony in which Bowser would stand next to the current NFL stars. The ceremony took place on first game of the
436:, the Yellow Jackets played on Saturdays. So after the Yellow Jackets game, he would ride an overnight train for Canton, to play for the Bulldogs on Sundays. On one Thanksgiving weekend, he reportedly played 60 minutes of football in four consecutive games.
491:
Over time, Bowser became an insurance executive. However, a massive heart attack in 1947 forced him to retire. He had been told by doctors that he had a year to live. He moved to
Florida in 1947, and lived for almost another 50 years.
472:, while Bowser bested Thorpe in kicking. It was at this time, that Bowser became the first professional football player to use a tee for kicking. He designed the tee with the help of his coach from Bucknell, Pete Reynolds.
540:
As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations in 1994, the NFL honored Bowser, then 95, as the league's oldest living ex-NFL player. It was only later that NFL officials discovered that they had made a mistake – because
441:
Bowser still played with other teams that year besides Canton. The key words in that clause were 'association team', and according to Bowser, he felt that teams not members of the NFL were exempt from this rule.
381:, a noted football authority, to call Bowser "the greatest line 'cracker' in the country." That same year, Bowser made Kauffman's All-Pennsylvania College team and Kauffman's All-Eastern team as first-team
1067:
326:, he played for the Indians. He was the first NFL player to use the kicking tee. Arda was considered the last surviving member of the 1922 Canton Bulldogs team, when he died in 1996.
432:
also sought out Bower's services. He ended up playing for both teams. On
Saturdays, he played for the Yellow Jackets. The Bulldogs played on Sunday, and, because of Pennsylvania
1057:
468:, the Cleveland manager thought he could promote his team by having Arda challenge Thorpe in a kicking competition. During the competition, Thorpe bested Bowser in
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In 1922, Bowser discovered that he used up his all of college football eligibility. He however stayed on to finish his degree requirements and assist head coach
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532:, to attend. The Buccaneers, went beyond just having Bowser on the field to turning the event into an appreciation ceremony for Bowser.
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in 1921–23 season, was still alive and living in
Virginia. Horween later became the first NFL player to live to 100 years of age.
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In 1921, Bowser was
Bucknell's captain and again led the East in scoring with 112 points. He was named first-team All-America on
785:
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Arda had five children: Marilyn B. Siff, Nevin G. Bowser, Robert S. Bowser, Ann Murphy and Thomas A. Bowser. His father was a
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honors. He was captain of the 1921 Bucknell football team and is considered one of the great kickers in the school's history.
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team. Arda led all eastern colleges in scoring in 1920 with a 102 points, most of which came from 13 TD's he scored.
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in 1922. At this time Bowser also played professional football for two teams at three positions: fullback,
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minister. At the time of his death, a memorial service was held at the
Montgomeryville Baptist Church in
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338:. He was the son of Rev. Addison Bartholomew Bowser (1858-1936) and Ella Zelima Stebbins (1869-1954).
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528:. It was decided that a Buccaneers' game would be the easiest for Bowser, now a resident of
428:, the manager of the Bulldogs. Hay and Bowser agreed on a sum of $ 250 a game. However, the
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injured his foot. Arda replaced Jim Thorpe and played both fullback and linebacker.
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761:"Athletic Hall of Fame || Arda Bowser || Bucknell University"
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In 1979, Bowser was elected into the
Bucknell University Athletics Hall of Fame.
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856:"Ancestry® | Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records"
831:"Armstrong County Sportsman Hall of Fame - Past Hall of Fame Inductees"
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76:
729:
Old
Leather: An Oral History of Early Pro Football in Ohio, 1920–1935
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869:
483:. His playing career officially ended after the 1924 season.
610:
608:
606:
604:
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302:(January 9, 1899 – September 7, 1996) was a professional
318:. Bowser won an NFL championship with the Bulldogs in
502:
75 Seasons: The Story of the
National Football League
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In 1924, the White Motor
Company transferred Arda to
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Arda Crawford Bowser was born on January 9, 1899, in
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500:Bowser was interviewed in 1994 for the special
1068:Players of American football from Pennsylvania
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8:
21:
1058:United States Navy personnel of World War I
171:Career highlights and awards
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874:
866:
721:
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661:"Arda C. Bowser, Pro Football Pioneer, 97"
20:
589:, where Arda's father had been a pastor.
385:. He also made first-team All-America on
366:. At Bucknell, he received All-East and
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815:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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708:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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645:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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7:
1078:Cleveland Indians (NFL 1923) players
16:American football player (1899–1996)
452:In 1923, Bowser got a job with the
568:In 1973, he was inducted into the
561:In 1973, he was inducted into the
545:(then 99), who had played for the
306:player who spent two years of the
14:
373:He received Honorable Mention on
108:6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
1083:Frankford Yellow Jackets players
264:
248:
1088:Bucknell Bison football players
1063:American football running backs
1:
587:Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania
424:, in 1922, Bowser sought out
362:in 1920 where he also played
358:, however he transferred to
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300:Arda "Ard" Crawford Bowser
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572:Sportsman's Hall of Fame.
506:Turner Network Television
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238:
230:
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166:
512:. He was interviewed by
477:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
430:Frankford Yellow Jackets
308:National Football League
198:All-American team (1921)
116:210 lb (95 kg)
69:Place of death
42:Place of birth
1073:Canton Bulldogs players
192:All-America team (1920)
57:Date of death
27:Date of birth
520:in a game between the
336:Danville, Pennsylvania
726:Chris Willis (2005).
565:Hall of Fame in 1973.
346:After serving in the
276:Years of service
767:on November 27, 2008
667:. September 9, 1996.
530:Winter Park, Florida
522:Tampa Bay Buccaneers
222:DatabaseFootball.com
732:. Scarecrow Press.
454:White Motor Company
404:Professional career
400:All-American team.
391:New York Telegram's
377:All-American team.
360:Bucknell University
23:
903:1922 NFL champions
691:on October 7, 2010
665:The New York Times
628:on October 6, 2010
526:Indianapolis Colts
84:Career information
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1034:
547:Chicago Cardinals
354:, Bowser entered
316:Cleveland Indians
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220:Playing stats at
214:Playing stats at
206:Career stats
161:Cleveland Indians
60:September 7, 1996
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833:. Archived from
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798:on July 26, 2011
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621:. Archived from
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570:Armstrong County
420:. On a visit to
398:Grantland Rice's
389:'s team and the
364:college football
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1020:Ralph Waldsmith
995:Norb Sacksteder
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898:Canton Bulldogs
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786:"Archived copy"
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679:"Archived copy"
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616:"Archived copy"
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458:Cleveland, Ohio
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356:Bethany College
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312:Canton Bulldogs
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239:Military career
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151:Canton Bulldogs
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79:, United States
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52:, United States
37:January 9, 1899
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975:William Murrah
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965:Johnny McQuade
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930:Guy Chamberlin
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837:on May 7, 2009
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137:Career history
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945:Russ Hathaway
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915:Don Batchelor
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553:Halls of Fame
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543:Ralph Horween
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375:Walter Camp's
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1025:Head coach:
970:Candy Miller
955:Jim Kendrick
925:Bird Carroll
919:
850:
839:. Retrieved
835:the original
825:
800:. Retrieved
793:the original
780:
769:. Retrieved
765:the original
755:
743:. Retrieved
728:
693:. Retrieved
686:the original
673:
664:
655:
630:. Retrieved
623:the original
580:
539:
514:Phil Tuckett
499:
490:
481:Mount Carmel
474:
464:, featuring
451:
443:
422:Canton, Ohio
407:
395:
372:
368:All-American
345:
333:
299:
298:
284:Battles/wars
180:NFL champion
62:(1996-09-07)
50:Pennsylvania
18:
1053:1996 deaths
1048:1899 births
1010:Dutch Speck
980:Duke Osborn
940:Cecil Grigg
935:Doc Elliott
920:Arda Bowser
518:1994 season
496:75th Season
352:World War I
288:World War I
90:Position(s)
73:Winter Park
22:Arda Bowser
1042:Categories
985:Harry Robb
960:Link Lyman
950:Pete Henry
841:2009-04-07
802:2009-04-07
771:2009-04-07
695:2009-04-07
632:2009-04-07
536:Oldest pro
466:Jim Thorpe
447:Pete Henry
414:linebacker
330:Early life
244:Allegiance
122:US college
33:1899-01-09
1005:Lou Smyth
745:March 22,
563:Ford City
510:NFL Films
434:blue laws
426:Ralph Hay
310:with the
279:1917–1919
270:U.S. Navy
142:As player
811:cite web
704:cite web
641:cite web
524:and the
383:fullback
314:and the
304:football
259:Service/
127:Bucknell
99:Halfback
95:Fullback
46:Danville
1000:Ed Shaw
583:Baptist
470:punting
350:during
216:NFL.com
131:Bethany
77:Florida
736:
577:Family
418:kicker
261:branch
113:Weight
105:Height
796:(PDF)
789:(PDF)
689:(PDF)
682:(PDF)
626:(PDF)
619:(PDF)
593:Notes
322:. In
817:link
747:2013
734:ISBN
710:link
647:link
438:1922
416:and
348:Navy
324:1923
320:1922
184:1922
157:1923
147:1922
508:by
456:in
1044::
813:}}
809:{{
718:^
706:}}
702:{{
663:.
643:}}
639:{{
601:^
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858:.
844:.
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712:)
698:.
649:)
635:.
186:)
182:(
35:)
31:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
