World War II was taking its toll around the globe in 1942, and the United States was in need of healthy, young men to serve in the military. People from across the nation answered the call of duty including NFL athletes and owners. It was considered a great honor to enlist, and brave athletes put aside their promising pro football careers to contribute to the country’s war effort.
The most notable World War II participants from the Rams were the team’s owners, Dan Reeves and Fred Levy Jr. Reeves achieved the rank of lieutenant while Levy earned the rank of major.
Aside from the war, the team made a plethora of offseason decisions. General manager Billy Evans resigned at the start of the season due to a terrible previous season. Charles “Chile” Walsh replaced Art Lewis as the team’s assistant coach, and the Rams named Bob Kelley as the club secretary. The team left Municipal Stadium after three seasons and returned to League Park.
The club’s offseason activities paid off. The Rams improved quite a bit from the previous season, although they still failed to produce a winning campaign.
The Rams’ offensive problems continued from their previous season in the opener against the Cardinals in Chicago. The defense put together an outstanding performance, but the Rams failed to put any points on the board in the 7-0 shutout loss.
The team returned home to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the home opener. Sadly, the fans in Cleveland weren’t buying the product the Rams were putting on the field. Only 6,434 fans filled League Park against the Eagles, but they were treated to a great game as the Rams beat the Eagles 24-14.
The team hit the road the following week to play the Detroit Lions. Thanks to another stellar defensive effort they earned their second win of the season in a shutout the Lions, 14-0.
The team returned home with their spirits high, but the following three games brought them back to earth. First, they took on the Chicago Bears in front of an improved crowd of 17,161. Unfortunately, the increased fan support didn’t inspire the team, and they lost, 21-7. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Rams played the next two games on the road without much of a defense. The Washington Redskins crushed the Rams 33-14 in the first game, and the Green Bay Packers followed up with a 45-28 win.
The struggling Rams returned home to a surprise when they played the Cardinals in Week 6. A near-capacity crowd of 33,250 filled League Park, which was the largest showing of the season in Cleveland. The Rams rewarded the Cleveland faithful with a 7-3 victory in a defensive war with the Cardinals.
The team alternated wins and losses for the rest of the season and actually had a chance to finish with its first winning season. The problem was that they had to beat the undefeated Chicago Bears on the road to do it. The Bears were simply too strong at every position and dominated the Rams from the moment the game kicked off. In the end, the Rams’ horrific 47-0 loss marked a disappointing end to what was an improved effort from the team in 1942. The team finished third in the NFL West Division with a 5-6 record.
Season Notes
– The Rams selected Baylor halfback Jack Wilson with the second pick of the 1942 NFL Draft.
– Training camp was held at Hiram College after four seasons at Baldwin-Wallace College.
– Halfback Dante Magani, center Dutch Elston, halfback Bosh Pritchard, kicker Chet Adams and guard Riley Matheson represented the team in the Pro Bowl. Matheson also earned All-Pro Honors.
| 1942 Cleveland Rams Schedule | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 13 | @Chicago Cardinals | L, 0-7 | 0-1 |
| 2 | Sunday, Sept. 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | W, 24-14 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday, Sept. 27 | @Detroit Lions | W, 14-0 | 2-1 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 4 | Chicago Bears | L, 7-21 | 2-2 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 11 | @Washington Redskins | L, 14-33 | 2-3 |
| 6 | Sunday, Oct. 18 | @Green Bay Packers | L, 28-45 | 2-4 |
| 7 | Sunday, Oct. 25 | Chicago Cardinals | W, 7-3 | 3-4 |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 1 | @Brooklyn Dodgers | W, 17-0 | 4-4 |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 8 | Green Bay Packers | L, 12-30 | 4-5 |
| 10 | Sunday, Nov. 15 | Detroit Lions | W, 27-7 | 5-5 |
| 11 | Sunday, Nov. 29 | @Chicago Bears | L, 0-47 | 5-6 |
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
