| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Guard,Center,End,Head Coach, Owner |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1898-08-22)August 22, 1898 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | November 2, 1969(1969-11-02) (aged 71) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1922 | Rock Island Independents |
| 1923 | St. Louis All-Stars |
Coaching | |
| 1923 | St. Louis All-Stars |
manager/owner | |
| 1923 | St. Louis All-Stars |
Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference  | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
Oliver Robert Kraehe (August 22, 1898 – December 19, 1966) was a professionalfootball player for theRock Island Independents in1922. In1923, he founded theSt. Louis All Stars and served, not only as aplayer-coach, but as the team's manager and owner.
Kraehe began his pro football career in 1923 as a substituteoffensive lineman playing for the Rock Island Independents. Ollie Kraehe figured that if small towns markets, likeGreen Bay andRock Island, could be successful operating a professional football, then operating in a larger market, likeSt. Louis would bring in even more income. For this reason, Kraehe decided to start his own franchise. He was a local football hero in St. Louis since he had playedcollege football atWashington University in St. Louis, alongsideJimmy Conzelman and had captained the school's 1921 team.
In 1923, NFL PresidentJoe Carr gave Kraehe an NFL franchise. He paid $100 for the franchise and began organizing a team, about a month before the 1923 season was to start. He also named his club the "All-Stars", however he soon discovered that there was a lack ofAll-American talent available. Many of the players were locals who came fromSt. Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis. He was able to sign college All-AmericansBub Weller andDick King.
Kraech also was able to sign an agreement with theSt. Louis Browns that allowed them to useSportsman's Park as their home field.
At the end of the 1923 season, Kraech and the All-Stars lost over $3,600. The following September, theNational Football League canceled the All-Stars franchise.
After the All-Stars second game with the Packers, Ollie Kraehe traded a man who claimed to beHowdy Gray, a former All-Americanend fromPrinceton for cash toCurly Lambeau and the Packers. It appeared as if Kraehe (who was in financial distress) had sold one of his best players. This player, however, was not Howdy Gray, but "Jack Gray", an impostor who never played at Princeton. Lambeau discovered this after watching his new end perform so badly the next game, that he addressed Kraehe on the matter. Kraehe told Lambeau that trading away the impostor was meant as a "joke" and that he would return the money paid for Gray to Lambeau.