Elmer Layden Commissioner
How did Layden become commissioner?
How did Elmer Layden become commissioner?
In 1941, the National Football League franchise owners voted to change the league's constitution in an attempt to bring all professional football leagues under the authority of one commissioner, who would have similar powers to that of Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Chicago Tribune journalist Arch Ward was offered the position of commissioner, but he turned it down and suggested Elmer Layden for the position.  Layden was appointed commissioner in February 1941. His appointment was not voted on by the entire league, which upset owners Alexis Thompson, Bert Bell, and Dan Topping. Chicago Bears owner George Halas contended that Layden's hiring was legal because it had been agreed upon by a majority of owners. Layden was signed to a five-year contract with an annual salary of $20,000.  In five years as Commissioner, Layden saw the NFL through the World War II years, in which teams had to use many men of inferior abilities as replacements while most of the regulars were fighting in the war (as did Major League Baseball). During this period a few teams temporarily merged due to lack of manpower, most notably the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Philadelphia Eagles (who were nicknamed the Steagles). The Cleveland Rams ceased operations for the 1943 season.  As NFL commissioner, Layden had once conducted an investigation into a betting scam, without advising the owners, which did not reveal any conspiracy.  Layden's tenure as NFL commissioner came to an end in January 1946. After Brooklyn owner Dan Topping withdrew his team from the league to join the new All-America Football Conference, the remaining owners agreed not to renew Layden's contract, feeling that he was too much of a gentleman and not forceful enough. Layden was succeeded by Bert Bell. CANNOTANSWER
it had been agreed upon by a majority of owners.
Elmer Francis Layden (May 4, 1903 – June 30, 1973) was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive.  He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at fullback as a member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield.  Layden played professionally in the original AFL in 1925 and 1926 with three clubs, the Hartford Blues, the Brooklyn Horsemen, and the Rock Island Independents.  He began his coaching career during the same two seasons at Columbia College in Dubuque, Iowa, now known as Loras College.  Layden then served as the head coach at Duquesne University from 1927 to 1933 and at his alma mater, Notre Dame, from 1934 to 1940, where he also held the position of athletic director.  From 1941 to 1946, Layden was the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL).  He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1951.

Playing career
Layden was born in Davenport, Iowa, where he attended Davenport High School, now Davenport Central High School. At Notre Dame, he played fullback alongside quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, left halfback Jim Crowley, and right halfback Don Miller; the four collectively earned the nickname of "The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame" from legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice, and are still considered one of the best backfields in college football history. Named an All-American during his senior year, Layden culminated his collegiate career in the 1925 Rose Bowl against Stanford, returning two interceptions for touchdowns in Notre Dame's 27–10 victory. The Four Horsemen were reunited for a professional football game in 1925 by the Hartford Blues as they played the Cleveland Bulldogs. The game though resulted in a 13–6 Hartford loss, with the Blues reportedly spending $5,000 on the Horsemen for just one game.

Coaching career
After his playing days, Layden was head football coach at Columbia College (Dubuque, Iowa) in 1925–26, where he compiled an 8–5–2 record.  From 1927 to 1933 he was head coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, going 48–16–6 and winning the 1933 season's Festival of Palms Bowl (a precursor to the Orange Bowl) on New Year's Day, 1934.

Also in 1934, he became head coach and athletic director at Notre Dame, three years after his legendary mentor Knute Rockne was killed in an airplane crash on March 31, 1931.

Layden led the Irish for seven years and posted an overall 47–13–3 docket.  His 1935 squad posted one of the greatest wins in school history by rallying to defeat Ohio State 18–13. His 1938 team finished 8–1, losing only to USC in the season finale. This loss cost them a possible consensus national championship, but the team was named national champion by the Dickinson System.

Like Rockne before him, Layden was a goodwill ambassador for Notre Dame.  He was able to schedule a home-and-home series with Michigan after meeting with Fielding H. Yost, healing a rift between the two schools.  The two teams had not met since 1909, when, after eight straight losses to the Wolverines, the Irish posted their first win.  They were scheduled to meet again in 1910, but Michigan canceled the game and refused to play the Irish again.  By the time they met again in 1942–43, Layden had left Notre Dame and Frank Leahy had taken his place.  Unlike the easygoing Layden, Leahy was intense, and after the Irish had thrashed Michigan by a score of 35–12 in 1943, Wolverine coach and athletic director Fritz Crisler never scheduled the Irish again.

While Layden was a solid, competent coach, he was subjected to criticism during his later years at Notre Dame. Critics felt that his teams played too conservatively and lacked scoring punch. Consequently, it was felt that they lost games they should have won.

Commissioner
In 1941, the National Football League franchise owners voted to change the league's constitution in an attempt to bring all professional football leagues under the authority of one commissioner, who would have similar powers to that of Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Chicago Tribune journalist Arch Ward was offered the position of commissioner, but he turned it down and suggested Elmer Layden for the position.

Layden was appointed commissioner in February 1941. His appointment was not voted on by the entire league, which upset owners Alexis Thompson, Bert Bell, and Dan Topping. Chicago Bears owner George Halas contended that Layden's hiring was legal because it had been agreed upon by a majority of owners. Layden was signed to a five-year contract with an annual salary of $20,000.

In five years as Commissioner, Layden saw the NFL through the World War II years, in which teams had to use many men of inferior abilities as replacements while most of the regulars were fighting in the war (as did Major League Baseball). During this period a few teams temporarily merged due to lack of manpower, most notably the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Philadelphia Eagles (who were nicknamed the Steagles).  The Cleveland Rams ceased operations for the 1943 season.

As NFL commissioner, Layden had once conducted an investigation into a betting scam, without advising the owners, which did not reveal any conspiracy.

At the end of the war, after Japan announced it would surrender, NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden called for all of the league's teams to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” at their games, arguing, “The National Anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kick-off. We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for.” Prior to this proclamation "The Star-Spangled Banner" had not been officially required to be sung before the start of any NFL games.

Layden's tenure as NFL commissioner came to an end in January 1946. After Brooklyn owner Dan Topping withdrew his team from the league to join the new All-America Football Conference, the remaining owners agreed not to renew Layden's contract, feeling that he was too much of a gentleman and not forceful enough. Layden was succeeded by Bert Bell.

Later years

After leaving the NFL, Layden embarked on a successful business career in Chicago, where he died at the age of 70. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 as a charter member.

Personal life
Layden married Edythe Davis on October 25, 1926.

Head coaching record

References

Sources
 Davis, Jeff (2005). Papa Bear, The Life and Legacy of George Halas. New York: McGraw-Hill 
 DeVito, Carlo (2006). Wellington: the Maras, the Giants, and the City of New York. Chicago: Triumph Books. 
 Layden, Elmer; with Snyder, Ed (1969). It Was a Different Game: The Elmer Layden Story. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:Prentice-Hall, Inc.
 Littlewood, Thomas B. (1990). Arch : a promoter, not a poet : the story of Arch Ward. Ames,IA:Iowa State University Press. 
 Lyons, Robert S. (2010). On Any Given Sunday, A Life of Bert Bell. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 
 MacCambridge, Michael (2005). America's Game. New York: Anchor Books 
 Piascik, Andy (2007). The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns. Lanham, Maryland: Taylor Trade Publishing. 
 Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. New York: Oxford University Press. 
 Pervin, Lawrence A. (2009). Football's New York Giants. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, Inc. 
 Willis, Chris (2010). The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc.

External links
 
 

1903 births
1973 deaths
American football fullbacks
American men's basketball players
Brooklyn Horsemen players
College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Duquesne Dukes athletic directors
Duquesne Dukes football coaches
Hartford Blues players
Loras Duhawks football coaches
Loras Duhawks men's basketball coaches
National Football League commissioners
Notre Dame Fighting Irish athletic directors
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball players
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's track and field athletes
Rock Island Independents (AFL) players
All-American college football players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Sportspeople from Davenport, Iowa
Coaches of American football from Iowa
Players of American football from Iowa
Basketball coaches from Iowa
Basketball players from Iowa
Track and field athletes from Iowa
Catholics from Iowa
Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Evanston, Illinois)
Layden may refer to:
Elmer Layden, former Commissioner of the National Football League and head football coach at University of Notre Dame
Frank Layden, a former coach and executive of the Utah Jazz
Gene Layden, a Major League Baseball outfielder
Matt Layden, an American designer and builder of small sailboats
Penny Layden, a British Actor
Pete Layden, a Major League Baseball outfielder
Scott Layden, an assistant general manager with the San Antonio Spurs
Tim Layden, senior writer for Sports Illustrated Shane Layden (born 9 September 1992) is a rugby union player from Ireland. He has played as a fullback, in the centre and on the wing. Layden previously played for the Irish sevens team and played professionally with provincial team Connacht Rugby in the Pro12.  Layden plays his club rugby for Buccaneers.

Youth
Layden is a graduate of Cistercian College in Roscrea. He also played Gaelic football at inter-county minor (under-18) level for Roscommon.

Club
Layden joined the Connacht academy for the 2011–12 season. Layden had previously been part of a combined Connacht/Munster side that played against a Leinster/Ulster selection in an Under-20 match to open the Aviva Stadium in 2010. He was part of the Connacht team that won the Under-20 Interprovincial Championship in 2011, and scored a hat-trick of tries in the game against Munster. Layden made his senior Connacht debut on 8 October 2011, coming on in a 2011–12 Pro12 match as a replacement against Leinster.

Layden's next two seasons were hampered by injuries, and although he featured for the second tier team, the Connacht Eagles, in the British and Irish Cup, Layden did not play for the senior side again during his time in the academy. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Layden had completed the maximum three years in the academy. Despite his injury problems, Connacht offered Layden a further one-year contract, which saw him become a member of the senior team for the 2014–15 season. Layden made three appearances in the 2014–15 Pro12, starting against Newport Gwent Dragons and Ospreys, and coming on as a replacement against Cardiff Blues. Layden left Connacht at the end of the season.

Layden now plays with Buccaneers in the All-Ireland League.

International

Under-20
Layden represented Ireland internationally at under-age level. He played for the Ireland Under-20s in the 2012 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. Layden started in all five games, and sscored tries against Wales, Italy and Scotland. Layden was also initially named to the Ireland Under-20 squad for the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship, but injury forced him to miss the tournament, and he was replaced by his fellow Connacht academy member Conor Finn.

Sevens
In 2015 Layden left Connacht and his international focus switched to the sevens game. He represented Ireland at the 2015 European Olympic repechage competition in Lisbon, at which Ireland finished third. This was a good enough result for Ireland to be entered into the World Olympic repechage competition. This competition, played in 2016, offered an opportunity to qualify for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, but Ireland lost to Spain in the quarterfinal and failed to qualify.

Layden was part of Ireland's 2017 training squad for the national sevens team. Layden, however, did not earn a spot on the twelve-man roster for any of the four tournaments on the 2017 Sevens Grand Prix Series.

References

1992 births
Living people
Buccaneers RFC players
Connacht Rugby players
Sportspeople from County Roscommon
Ireland international rugby sevens players