| Born: | June 13, 1895 Goshen, Indiana, United States |
|---|---|
| Died: | July 19, 1968 (Aged 73) |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Head Coach, Fullback, Guard, Halfback, Tackle |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 250 lb (110 kg) |
| College | Kalamazoo |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1921–1922 | Evansville Crimson Giants |
| As player | |
| 1920 | Evansville Ex-Collegians |
| 1921–1922 | Evansville Crimson Giants |
| As owner | |
| 1921–1922 | Evansville Crimson Giants |
| Career stats | |
| |
Franklin Leo Fausch (born June 13, 1895 - July 19, 1968) was a professional football player-coach for the Evansville Crimson Giants of the National Football League in 1921 and 1922. He was also the owner, co-founder, president and general manager of the Crimson Giants during their brief time in the NFL. Prior to establishing the Crimson Giants, Fausch played for a local semi-pro team called the Evansville Ex-Collegians.
Fausch was also the owner of a local storage battery company and had much experience in football. He had played and won honors at Michigan's Kalamazoo College, and became involved with professional football in that state before coming to Evansville. In late August 1921 Fausch traveled to Chicago to secure an American Professional Football Association franchise for Evansville. He then lured many key players away from the Ex-Collegians, when he obtained the rights to the only football stadium in Evansville, Bosse Field. However scheduling issues and game cancellations led to many of the Crimson Giants not being paid. As a result, Fausch was forced from his position as manager of the Crimson Giants.
However, since he had obtained the franchise rights for Evansville, Fausch announced himself as the sole owner of the team. In 1922, he submitted a $1,000 bond to the league, now renamed the NFL. However baseball manager, Johnny Nee had established a new semi-pro team in Evansville and obtained the rights to Bosse Field. That team however folded after just two games. Negotiations between Fausch and Nee, over the sale of the Bosse Field rights, broke down and the Crimson Giants played in just three road games in 1922, before ended their season. Fausch talked briefly about restarting a new club for the 1923 season, but ultimately made no such effort.
References
- Quirk, Rodney D. Fort, James P. (1992). Pay Dirt: The Business of Professional Team Sports. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-04255-1.
- Maltby, Marc S. (1992). "The Early Struggles Of Professional Football: Evansville, Indiana" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 14 (4): 1–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-07.