View source for Jim Crowley

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1902–1986)}}
{{Other people|Jim Crowley|James Crowley (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Jim Crowley
| image = Jim Crowley.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1902|9|10}}
| birth_place = [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1986|1|15|1902|9|10}}
| death_place = [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1922–1924
| player_team1 = [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]
| player_years2 = 1925
| player_team2 = [[Waterbury Blues]]
| player_years3 = 1925
| player_team3 = [[Green Bay Packers]]
| player_years4 = 1925
| player_team4 = [[Providence Steam Rollers]]
| player_positions = [[Halfback (American football)|Halfback]]
| coach_years1 = 1926–1927
| coach_team1 = [[Georgia Bulldogs football|Georgia]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1929–1932
| coach_team2 = [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]]
| coach_years3 = 1933–1941
| coach_team3 = [[Fordham Rams football|Fordham]]
| coach_years4 = 1942
| coach_team4 = [[North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football|North Carolina Pre-Flight]]
| coach_years5 = 1944
| coach_team5 = [[Sampson Naval Training Station Bluejackets football|Sampson NTS]]
| coach_years6 = 1947
| coach_team6 = [[Chicago Rockets]]
| overall_record = 88–30–11 (college)<br>0–10 (AAFC)
| bowl_record = 1–1
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
* [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|National]] ([[1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|1924]])
| awards = 
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1924 College Football All-America Team|1924]])
| coaching_records = 
| CFBHOF_year = 1966
| CFBHOF_id = 1371
}}

'''James Harold''' "'''Sleepy Jim'''" '''Crowley''' (September 10, 1902 – January 15, 1986) was an [[American football]] player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the [[University of Notre Dame]]'s legendary "[[Four Horsemen (American football)|Four Horsemen]]" backfield where he played [[Halfback (American football)|halfback]] from 1922 to 1924.

After a brief career as a professional football player, Crowley turned to coaching. He served as the head football coach at [[Michigan State University|Michigan State College]] from 1929 to 1932, at [[Fordham University]] from 1933 to 1941 and at the [[North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football|North Carolina Pre-Flight School]] in 1942, compiling a career [[college football]] record of 86–23–11. Crowley also coached the [[Chicago Rockets]] of the [[All-America Football Conference]] in 1947. He was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] as a player in 1966.

==Professional playing and college coaching careers==
Jim Crowley played football and basketball at East High from 1918 to 1921. His high school coach during the 1919 football season was [[Curly Lambeau]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sites.google.com/a/gbaps.org/green-bay-east-boys-basketball/jim-crowley-played-basketball |title = Jim Crowley and Tom Hearden - 2 Historical East Figures - Green Bay East Boys' Basketball}}</ref>

Following his graduation from Notre Dame in 1925, Crowley played in just three professional football games with the National Football League's Green Bay Packers and [[Providence Steamrollers (NFL)|Providence Steamrollers]]. In 1925, the [[Waterbury Blues]] signed  Crowley, to join ex-Horseman Stuhldreher in the backfield against a team from [[Adams, Massachusetts]]. Crowley's regular job at the time was assistant coach at the [[University of Georgia]]. The Blues put on a good show by driving to a 34–0 triumph, with Crowley scoring three touchdowns and Stuhldreher booting two field goals and three extra points. Crowley picked up his check after the game and left the team.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Hartford Blues Part I |journal=Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |volume=4 |issue=8 |year=1982 |pages=1–5 |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-08-107.pdf |author=Hogrogian, John |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127044620/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-08-107.pdf |archive-date=November 27, 2010 }}</ref> Crowley stayed in football as an assistant coach at Georgia and was named head coach at [[Michigan State University]], then known as Michigan State College, in 1929. In four seasons, Crowley's [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State Spartans]] went 22–8–3.

Football power [[Fordham University]] lured Crowley away from Michigan State in 1933.  Crowley enjoyed tremendous success at Fordham by building one of the top defensive teams in the country.  The Rams' stout defensive line, coached by future Notre Dame head coach [[Frank Leahy]], was dubbed the "[[Seven Blocks of Granite]]."  The defense was led by two-time All-American lineman [[Alex Wojciechowicz]], who later starred professionally for the [[Detroit Lions]] and was named to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]].  Another "Block of Granite", [[Vince Lombardi]], would gain fame as a championship coach for the [[New York Giants]] and [[Green Bay Packers]].

In 1938, Crowley brings a group of former college players to [[France]] for a series of performances to be played in various cities. In the Debut at the [[Parc des Princes]] in [[Paris]] a crowd of 20,000 attend the victory of ''"New Yorkers"'' against the ''"All Stars"'' 25–14.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://leuropalungaunpiede.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00%2B01:00&max-results=27|publisher=Il libro "L'Europa lunga un piede|access-date=August 1, 2015|title=Parigi, 1938}}</ref>

In 1939, Crowley coached Fordham in the [[1939 Waynesburg vs. Fordham football game|first-ever televised football game]].  The Rams defeated the [[Waynesburg Yellow Jackets football|Waynesburg Yellow Jackets]] by a score of 34–7.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/patriot/fordham/yearly_results.php?year=1935 |publisher=[[College Football Data Warehouse]] |first=David |last=DeLassus |access-date=February 11, 2011 |title=Fordham game-by-game results (1935-1939) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708133218/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/patriot/fordham/yearly_results.php?year=1935 |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}</ref>

Crowley's last two teams at Fordham each went to bowl games.  The Rams lost, 13–12, to [[1940 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] in the [[1941 Cotton Bowl Classic]] and defeated the [[Missouri Tigers football|Missouri]], 2–0, in the 1942 [[Sugar Bowl]]. Crowley left Fordham after the Sugar Bowl, having compiled a record of 56–13–7 as the Rams' head coach.

==World War II and the AAFC==
During [[World War II]], Crowley served with the [[United States Navy]] in the [[Pacific Ocean Areas (command)|South Pacific]]. In 1942, he served as the head coach for the North Carolina Pre-Flight School team and led the [[North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football|Cloudbusters]] to an overall record of 8–2–1.<ref name="JonesBook">{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Wilbur D. |title="Football! Navy! War!": How Military "Lend-Lease" Players Saved the College Game and Helped Win World War II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0EkyXxoyJcoC&q=North+Carolina+Pre-Flight+football |access-date=January 16, 2012 |year=2009 |publisher=McFarland & Company |location=Jefferson, NC |isbn=978-0-7864-4219-5 |pages=124–126}}</ref> In late 1944, he agreed to become the first commissioner of a new professional football league, the [[All-America Football Conference]].  The league kicked off in 1946 and quickly became a formidable rival to the National Football League.

Following the 1946 season, Crowley stepped down as commissioner to become part-owner and coach of the AAFC's worst team, the [[Chicago Rockets]].  Crowley's success as a college coach didn't translate to the pros.  The Rockets went just 1–13 in 1947 and Crowley quit his dual role with the team before the 1948 season.

==Later life==
Crowley left football behind following his disastrous stint with Chicago, moving to [[Pennsylvania]] to become an insurance salesman. In 1953, he moved to [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], to take over as station manager and sports director of independent television station WTVU.  Two years later, Crowley was named chairman of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, a position he held until 1963.

Named to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1966 as a player, Crowley cashed in on his football fame in the 1960s and 1970s as a much sought-after speaker at banquets and dinners.  The last living member of the "Four Horsemen," Crowley died in Scranton on January 15, 1986.

==Head coaching record==
===College===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = AP }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State Spartans]]
 | conf      = Independent
 | startyear = 1929
 | endyear   = 1932
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1929 college football season|1929]]
 | name         = [[1929 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]]
 | overall      = 5–3
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1930 college football season|1930]]
 | name         = [[1930 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]]
 | overall      = 5–1–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1931 college football season|1931]]
 | name         = [[1931 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]]
 | overall      = 5–3–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1932 college football season|1932]]
 | name         = [[1932 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]]
 | overall      = 7–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Michigan State
 | overall    = 22–8–3
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Fordham Rams football|Fordham Rams]]
 | conf      = Independent
 | startyear = 1933
 | endyear   = 1941
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship =
 | year         = [[1933 college football season|1933]]
 | name         = [[1933 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 6–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1934 college football season|1934]]
 | name         = [[1934 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 5–3
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1935 college football season|1935]]
 | name         = [[1935 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 6–1–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1936 college football season|1936]]
 | name         = [[1936 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 5–1–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 15
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1937 college football season|1937]]
 | name         = [[1937 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 7–0–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 3
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1938 college football season|1938]]
 | name         = [[1938 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 6–1–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 15
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1939 college football season|1939]]
 | name         = [[1939 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 6–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 17
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1940 college football season|1940]]
 | name         = [[1940 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 7–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[1941 Cotton Bowl Classic|Cotton]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 12
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1941 college football season|1941]]
 | name         = [[1941 Fordham Rams football team|Fordham]]
 | overall      = 8–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[1942 Sugar Bowl|Sugar]]
 | bowloutcome  = W
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 6
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Fordham
 | overall    = 56–13–7
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football|North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters]]
 | conf      = Independent
 | startyear = 1942
 | endyear   = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1942 college football season|1942]]
 | name         = [[1942 North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football team|North Carolina Pre-Flight]]
 | overall      = 8–2–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = North Carolina Pre-Flight
 | overall    = 8–2–1
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Sampson Naval Training Station Bluejackets football|Sampson Naval Training Station Bluejackets]]
 | conf      = Independent
 | startyear = 1944
 | endyear   = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1944 college football season|1944]]
 | name         = [[1944 Sampson Naval Training Station Bluejackets football team|Sampson NTS]]
 | overall      = 2–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      =
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Sampson NTS
 | overall    = 2–7
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 88–30–11
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     =
 | polltype = Rankings from final [[AP Poll]]
 | legend   = no
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{College Football HoF|1371}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=jim-crowley |pfr=C/CrowJi20}}
* {{Find a Grave}}

{{Michigan State Spartans football coach navbox}}
{{Fordham Rams football coach navbox}}
{{North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football coach navbox}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Jim Crowley—championships, awards, and honors
| list1 =
{{1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navbox}}
{{1927 Georgia Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{1924 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowley, Jim}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:American football halfbacks]]
[[Category:Chicago Rockets coaches]]
[[Category:Fordham Rams football coaches]]
[[Category:Georgia Bulldogs football coaches]]
[[Category:Green Bay Packers players]]
[[Category:Michigan State Spartans football coaches]]
[[Category:North Carolina Pre-Flight Cloudbusters football coaches]]
[[Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players]]
[[Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey players]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania state athletic commissioners]]
[[Category:Providence Steam Roller players]]
[[Category:Sampson Naval Training Station Bluejackets football coaches]]
[[Category:Waterbury Blues players]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Green Bay East High School alumni]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Illinois]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Chicago]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Chicago]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Green Bay, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Ice hockey players from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]