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{{short description|National Football League team season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox NFL season
| team = Yanks
| year = 1945
| record = 3–6–1
| division_place = 3rd (tied) [[Eastern and Western Conferences (NFL) 1933–69|NFL Eastern]]
| coach = [[Herb Kopf]]
| stadium = [[Fenway Park]] <br> [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]
| radio = [[WBIX|WNAC]]<br>[[WNBC (AM)|WEAF]]
| playoffs = ''Did not qualify''
| alternatenav =
* ← [[1944 Boston Yanks season|1944]]
* [[Boston Yanks]]
* [[1946 Boston Yanks season|1946]] →<br/>← [[1944 Brooklyn Tigers season|1944]]
* [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Tigers]]
}}

The '''[[1945 NFL season|1945]] [[Boston Yanks|Yanks]] season''' was their second in the [[National Football League]]. They merged with the [[1944 Brooklyn Tigers season|Brooklyn Tigers]] (who had previously been the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers]]) for the season and played under the name '''Yanks'''. The team improved on their [[1944 Boston Yanks season|previous season]]'s output of 2–8, winning three games.<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/byk/1945.htm 1945 Boston Yanks]</ref> They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Four home games were played in Boston and the home game against the New York Giants was played at Yankee Stadium. The result of these two teams merging for a season is similar to the [[Steagles]] and [[Card-Pitt]] teams.

==Before the season==
===Brooklyn Tigers draftees===
{{main article|1945 NFL Draft}}
{{NFL team draft start|year=1945|teamname=Brooklyn Tigers}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=1|pick=3|player=[[Joe Renfroe]]|position=[[Back (American football)|Back]]|college=[[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=2|pick=13|player=[[Wayne Williams (American football)|Wayne Williams]]|position=Back|college=[[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=3|pick=17|player=Cecil Gray|position=[[Center (gridiron football)|Center]]|college=[[Oregon Ducks football|Oregon]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=4|pick=30|player=[[Steve Enich]]|position=[[Guard (gridiron football)|Guard]]|college=[[Marquette Golden Avalanche football|Marquette]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=5|pick=34|player=Al Kowalski|position=Back|college=[[Tulsa Golden Hurricane football|Tulsa]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=6|pick=44|player=[[Dick Barwegen]]|position=Guard|college=[[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]]|probowl=yes|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=7|pick=57|player=Louie Futrell|position=Back|college=[[Fresno State Bulldogs football|Fresno State]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=8|pick=67|player=John Dodds|position=Guard|college=[[California Golden Bears football|California]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=9|pick=77|player=Elting Johnson|position=Back|college=[[Bucknell Bison football|Bucknell]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=10|pick=90|player=Roy Cross|position=[[End (gridiron football)|End]]|college=[[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=11|pick=100|player=Earl Haury|position=[[Tackle (gridiron football position)|Tackle]]|college=[[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=12|pick=110|player=John Martin|position=Back|college=[[East Tennessee State Buccaneers football|East Tennessee State]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=13|pick=123|player=George McDonald|position=Tackle|college=[[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=14|pick=133|player=[[Hal Self]]|position=Back|college=[[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=15|pick=143|player=Tom Reilly|position=Guard|college=[[Fordham Rams football|Fordham]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=16|pick=156|player=Skimp Harrison|position=End|college=[[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=17|pick=166|player=[[Arnie Weinmeister]]|position=Tackle|college=[[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]|notes=|probowl=yes|hof=yes}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=18|pick=176|player=[[Charley Eikenberg]]|position=[[Quarterback]]|college=[[Rice Owls football|Rice]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=19|pick=189|player=Al Kasulin|position=Back|college=[[Villanova Wildcats football|Villanova]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=20|pick=199|player=Charley Lively|position=Tackle|college=[[Arkansas Razorbacks football|Arkansas]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=21|pick=209|player=Ted Curran|position=Back|college=[[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=22|pick=222|player=Don Fabling|position=Back|college=[[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=23|pick=232|player=Wally Crittenden|position=Back|college=[[USC Trojans football|USC]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=24|pick=242|player=Jules Taddie|position=Center|college=[[Rochester Yellowjackets football|Rochester]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=25|pick=255|player=Jerry Whitney|position=Back|college=[[USC Trojans football|USC]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=26|pick=265|player=Felix Trapani|position=Guard|college=[[LSU Tigers football|LSU]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=27|pick=275|player=Hal Finney|position=Back|college=[[USC Trojans football|USC]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=28|pick=288|player=Don Fauble|position=Back|college=[[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=29|pick=298|player=Nick Studen|position=Back|college=[[Denver Pioneers football|Denver]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=30|pick=308|player=LaMar Dykstra|position=Back|college=[[Colorado Buffaloes football|Colorado]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft end|maderoster=no}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/byk/1945_draft.htm|title=1945 Bos/Bkn Yanks/Tigers Draftees|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=April 28, 2023}}</ref>

===Boston Yanks draftees===
{{main article|1945 NFL Draft}}
{{NFL team draft start|year=1945|teamname=Boston Yanks}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=1|pick=4|player=[[Eddie Prokop]]|position=[[Back (American football)|Back]]|college=[[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football|Georgia Tech]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=2|pick=15|player=Tom Dean|position=[[Tackle (gridiron football position)|Tackle]]|college=[[SMU Mustangs football|SMU]]|notes=played with Yanks in 1946}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=3|pick=20|player=[[Damon Tassos]]|position=[[Guard (gridiron football)|Guard]]|college=[[Texas A&M Aggies football|Texas A&M]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=4|pick=31|player=[[Don Deeks]]|position=Tackle|college=[[Washington Huskies football|Washington]]|notes=|maderoster=yes}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=5|pick=36|player=[[Johnny Strzykalski]]|position=Back|college=[[Marquette Golden Avalanche football|Marquette]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=6|pick=47|player=[[Jim Mello]]|position=Back|college=[[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]]|notes=played with Yanks in 1947}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=7|pick=58|player=Marty Silovich|position=[[Center (gridiron football)|Center]]|college=Marquette|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=8|pick=69|player=[[Ellis Jones (American football)|Ellis Jones]]|position=Guard|college=[[Tulsa Golden Hurricane football|Tulsa]]|notes=|maderoster=yes}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=9|pick=80|player=Earl Lambert|position=Back|college=[[Manhattan Jaspers football|Manhattan]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=10|pick=91|player=Don Kasprzak|position=Back|college=[[Dartmouth Big Green football|Dartmouth]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=11|pick=102|player=Ben Jones|position=[[End (gridiron football)|End]]|college=[[Arkansas Razorbacks football|Arkansas]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=12|pick=113|player=[[Herb Coleman (center)|Herb Coleman]]|position=Center|college=Notre Dame|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=13|pick=124|player=Joe Pezelski|position=Back|college=[[Villanova Wildcats football|Villanova]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=14|pick=135|player=John DiGangi|position=Tackle|college=[[Holy Cross Crusaders football|Holy Cross]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=15|pick=146|player=Chan Highsmith|position=Center|college=[[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=16|pick=157|player=Mike Costello|position=End|college=[[Georgetown Hoyas football|Georgetown]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=17|pick=168|player=Paul Dromgoole|position=End|college=Manhattan|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=18|pick=179|player=Dolph Czekala|position=Tackle|college=[[Syracuse Orange football|Syracuse]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=19|pick=190|player=Joe Drumm|position=Tackle|college=Georgetown|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=20|pick=201|player=[[Mario Giannelli]]|position=Guard|college=[[Boston College Eagles football|Boston College]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=21|pick=212|player=Eric Jamison|position=Tackle|college=[[San Francisco Dons football|San Francisco]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=22|pick=223|player=Walt Kretz|position=Back|college=[[Cornell Big Red football|Cornell]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=23|pick=234|player=Marty Grbovaz|position=End|college=[[San Francisco Dons football|San Francisco]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=24|pick=245|player=Ziggy Gory|position=Center|college=Villanova|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=25|pick=256|player=Bill Iancelli|position=End|college=[[William & Mary Tribe football|William & Mary]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=26|pick=267|player=Al Kull|position=Tackle|college=[[Fordham Rams football|Fordham]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=27|pick=278|player=Bob Mangene|position=Back|college=Boston College|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=28|pick=289|player=[[John Morelli (American football)|John Morelli]]|position=Guard|college=Georgetown|notes=Already on Yanks roster|maderoster=yes}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=29|pick=300|player=John Fisher|position=Center|college=[[Harvard Crimson football|Harvard]]|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft entry|round=30|pick=311|player=Elmer Oberto|position=Guard|college=Georgetown|notes=}}
{{NFL team draft end|hof=no|probowl=no}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/byk/1945_draft.htm|title=1945 Bos/Bkn Yanks/Tigers Draftees|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=April 28, 2023}}</ref>

==1945 season==
The Yanks started well with an win at Fenway Park over Pittsburgh, played on Tuesday, September 25, as both Boston baseball teams were at home over the weekend. (As of 2024, this is the last NFL game actually scheduled to be played on a Tuesday.)<ref>Five NFL games have been since played on a Tuesday, all rescheduled from another day: the Yanks themselves had a Monday contest bumped by a rainstorm in 1946; the [[Philadelphia Eagles|Eagles]] had a Sunday contest moved up thanks to the [[December 2010 North American blizzard]]; and the [[Tennessee Titans|Titans]] and [[Baltimore Ravens|Ravens]] each had Sunday home games delayed in 2020 due to restrictions caused by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. In 2021, the [[Los Angeles Rams|Rams]] had a Sunday home game postponed to Tuesday, also due to COVID-19 issues.</ref> After a victory over eventual Eastern Division champion Washington, a tie with the Giants in Yankee Stadium and splitting two road games, the Yanks were 3–1–1, tied with the 3–1 Redskins atop the East (ties did not count in the standings then).

After that, it all came apart. After a tough 10–9 loss to Detroit at Fenway Park ([[Don Currivan]] caught a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter only to watch the extra point attempt go awry), the Yanks were crushed in their final four contests, finding the end zone only three times while allowing a whopping 117 points. They finished 3–6–1, tied for third with New York.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"| Week
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"| Date
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"| Opponent
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"| Result
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"| Record
!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"| Venue
|-style="background:#cfc"
! 1
| {{dow tooltip|September 25, 1945}}
| '''[[1945 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]'''
| '''W''' 28–7
| 1–0
| [[Fenway Park]]
|-
! 2
|colspan="6"| ''[[Bye (sports)|Bye]]''
|-style="background:#cfc"
! 3
| October 7
| '''[[1945 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]]'''
| '''W''' 28–20
| 2–0
| Fenway Park
|-style="background:#ffc"
! 4
| October 14
| '''[[1945 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]'''
| '''T''' 13–13
| 2–0–1
| [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]
|-style="background:#fcc"
! 5
| October 21
| at [[1945 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
| '''L''' 14–38
| 2–1–1
| [[Wisconsin State Fair Park]]
|-style="background:#cfc"
! 6
| October 28
| at '''[[1945 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]'''
| '''W''' 10–6
| 3–1–1
| [[Forbes Field]]
|-style="background:#fcc"
! 7
| November 4
| [[1945 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]]
| '''L''' 9–10
| 3–2–1
| Fenway Park
|-style="background:#fcc"
! 8
| November 11
| at '''[[1945 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]]'''
| '''L''' 7–34
| 3–3–1
| [[Griffith Stadium]]
|-style="background:#fcc"
! 9
| November 18
| [[1945 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
| '''L''' 0–28
| 3–4–1
| Fenway Park
|-
! 10
|colspan="6"| ''[[Bye (sports)|Bye]]''
|-style="background:#fcc"
! 11
| December 2
| at [[1945 Cleveland Rams season|Cleveland Rams]]
| '''L''' 7–20
| 3–5–1
| [[League Park]]
|-style="background:#fcc"
! 12
| December 9
| at '''[[1945 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]'''
| '''L''' 7–35
| 3–6–1
| [[Shibe Park]]
|-style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Yanks|year=1945|border=2}}"
|colspan="8"| '''Note:''' Intra-division opponents are in '''bold''' text.
|}

==Standings==
{{1945 NFL Eastern standings}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Boston Yanks seasons}}

{{1945 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1945 Boston Yanks Season}}
[[Category:Dallas Texans (NFL) seasons|1945]]
[[Category:1945 NFL season by team|Yanks]]
[[Category:1940s in Boston]]
[[Category:1945 in sports in Massachusetts|Yanks]]
[[Category:1945 in sports in New York City|Yanks]]
[[Category:Long stubs with short prose]]
{{Americanfootball-season-stub}}

1945 Yanks season - Revision history

imported>WikiOriginal-9: added Category:Long stubs with short prose using HotCat