In 1943, the heated battles of World War II were escalating to a boiling point. As a result, more NFL athletes and personnel enlisted in the war. The Cleveland Rams received permission from the NFL to suspend its operations for one season due to personnel shortages related to the war effort.
The Rams weren’t the only team in the NFL to cancel their season. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles suspended their seasons too, and instead of bowing out completely, the teams merged to become known as the “Steagles.”
Some of the Rams players who didn’t enlist in the war were “loaned” to other teams. Former All-Pro offensive guard Riley Matheson was the most notable player sent to another team. He spent the season with the Detroit Lions. Despite having one of the Rams’ best players, the Lions still finished with a 3-6-1 record.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Jim Benton played for the Chicago Bears. Benton didn’t see much playing time on an already stacked Bears offense, but he did go back to Cleveland with something special: a championship ring. The Bears continued their dominance from the previous season finishing first in the NFL West Division with a record of 8-1-1. The team then beat the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship game, 41-21.
Despite the “lost” season, the Rams still made some transactions, including Dan Reeves’s purchase of Fred Levy Jr.’s share of the team. Reeves entered the 1943 offseason as the sole owner of the Rams.
Earl “Dutch” Clark resigned as the team’s head coach after compiling a career record of 16-26-2. The Rams promoted Chile Walsh to the position after serving as the team’s assistant coach for one season.
Season Notes
– The Rams selected Boston College fullback Mike Holovak in the first round of the 1943 NFL Draft.
– A total of 15 games were lost in this season, many of those games were as a result of the Rams’ suspended season.
– G Riley Matheson was named as an All-Pro.
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
