Newark Bears (AFL)

After its withdrawal from the AFL, the Bears became an independent team. During a November 14, 1926, game against the Staten Island Stapletons, the Bears defeated the Stapes, 33–0. Unhappy with the defeat of his Staten Island team, owner Dan Blaine promptly hired most of the Newark players, including star rookie Doug Wycoff, who were still owed money because of Newark's financial problems. As a result, the Bears went out of business while the Stapletons benefited from Newark's folding. In 1928, Blaine further upgraded the team by signing some players from New York University. The Stapletons had a 10–1–1 record that season and were 3–1 against NFL teams. The Stapletons joined the NFL in 1929 and played there until 1932. ==After the first AFL==

After the dissolution of the Newark Bears on October 24, 1926, guard Art McManus returned to his hometown Boston to play with the Bulldogs for the remainder of the season. While his major league football career ended with the folding of the Bulldogs three weeks later, the career of the only person to score points for the Bears, Doug Wycoff extended beyond the end of the AFL, joining the New York Giants for the 1927 season. Wycoff later played for the 1927 New York Giants, 1929–30 Staten Island Stapletons, 1931 New York Giants, 1932 Staten Island Stapletons, and the 1934 Boston Redskins of the National Football League. He came out of retirement in 1936 to play for the Boston Shamrocks in the second American Football League. While Wycoff was the only member of the 1926 Newark Bears playing in the NFL in 1927, four of his Newark teammates eventually joined NFL rosters: • Orin Rice – 1929 New York Giants • Sammy Stein – 1929–30 Staten Island Stapletons, 1931 New York Giants, and 1932 Brooklyn Dodgers • Cy Williams – 1929–30 Staten Island Stapletons, 1932 Brooklyn Dodgers • Ike Williams – 1929 Staten Island Stapletons ==See also==