Hap Moran
Francis Dale "Hap" Moran was an American professional football halfback who played eight seasons in the National Football League, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football for the Carnegie Tech Tartans and Grinnell Pioneers.
Playing career
High school
Although he eventually made his name in football, Moran was better known in high school for basketball. He was captain of the Iowa All-State team in 1920, and his team from Boone represented Iowa at the National Interscholastic Tournament at the University of Chicago, where he was named a High School All-American by Amos Alonzo Stagg.Collegiate
He was recruited by Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh primarily for basketball, but also played football. In the 1922 Carnegie–[1922 1922 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame] game, the Four Horsemen first formed up as a backfield under the coaching of Knute Rockne. Moran would also play against the Four Horsemen in their last game together in 1930, when the Notre Dame All-Stars faced the New York Giants in a charity game which raised $115,000 to benefit New York City's unemployed.In 1923, Moran returned to Iowa and played football and basketball for Grinnell College. As a passer, his favorite receiver was Morgan Taylor, who won the first gold medal for the United States in the 1924 Olympics in Paris running the 400-meter hurdles.
Professional
In 1926, Moran was hired by Frankford Yellow Jackets' coach Guy Chamberlin, and his first professional game was against the Akron Pros, led by Fritz Pollard, the All-American from Brown University, one of the few black players in the NFL. Moran scored Frankford's only points of the game and earned a starting spot as halfback. Frankford won the NFL Championship that season, and Moran was their second-highest scorer.Moran played the first part of the 1927 season with the Yellow Jackets and was then recruited by the Chicago Cardinals, primarily for his kicking skills. He was ranked second in the league for field goals and ninth for points after touchdowns that year. In 1928, he played in the backfield for the Pottsville Maroons with Johnny Blood. After the New York Giants' lineman Steve Owen knocked himself unconscious trying to tackle Moran, the Giants invited him to join their team for the last game of the 1928 season. Moran stayed with the Giants for the next five seasons.
In the course of his career Moran started at halfback, tailback, wingback, quarterback, blocking back, defensive back and linebacker.
In 1931, he was the Giants' scoring leader.
When he retired from the NFL in 1933, he held the league records for the longest run from scrimmage and most receiving yards in a single game with 114 yards against the Eagles on October 15, 1933. His 91-yard run remained a Giants record for 75 years until it was broken by Tiki Barber on December 31, 2005.