Raymond Paul Flaherty (September 1, 1903 – July 19, 1994) was an American professional football player and coach who spent 18 total seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as both a player and a coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
Early Life
Flaherty was born on a farm near Lamont in eastern Washington and grew up in Spokane. He was a multi-sport athlete at Gonzaga High School (now Gonzaga Prep) and Gonzaga University, where he played under head coach Gus Dorais. He also competed in track and field, baseball, and basketball at Gonzaga. As a freshman, he briefly attended Washington State College before transferring to Gonzaga.
Playing Career
Flaherty began his professional football career in 1926 with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the American Football League (AFL). He then played in the NFL for eight seasons, first with the New York Yankees (1927–1928) alongside Red Grange, and then with the New York Giants (1929, 1931–1935). He was a member of the Giants' 1934 NFL Championship team. Upon his retirement as a player in 1935, the Giants retired his jersey number 1, making Flaherty the first professional football player in history to have his number retired. He was a seven-time First-team All-Pro selection (1926–1929, 1932–1934) and led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 1932.
Coaching Career
Flaherty served as head coach of Gonzaga's football and basketball teams in 1930 and 1931. He was hired as head coach of the NFL's Boston Redskins in 1936, leading them to a division title that year. The team relocated to Washington, D.C. for the 1937 season, and Flaherty led them to NFL Championships in 1937 and 1942. Over seven seasons with the Redskins, he won four division titles (1936, 1937, 1940, 1942). He is credited with inventing the screen pass in 1937.
After serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Flaherty returned to coaching in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) as head coach of the New York Yankees (1946–1948) and the Chicago Hornets (1949). His Yankees won division titles in 1946 and 1947 but lost both AAFC Championship Games to the Cleveland Browns.
Coaching Record
- College (Gonzaga, 1930): 1–7–1
- NFL (Washington Redskins, 1936–1942): 54–21–5 regular season (.720), 2–2 postseason
- AAFC (New York Yankees/Chicago Hornets, 1946–1949): 26–16–2 regular season (.614), 0–2 postseason
- Professional total: 80–37–5 (.684) regular season, 2–4 (.333) postseason
Innovations and Legacy
Flaherty is widely credited with inventing the screen pass, which he introduced in 1937 to counter the aggressive pass rush of the Chicago Bears. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. In 2024, the New York Giants granted rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers permission from Flaherty's family to wear the previously retired number 1 jersey.
Personal Life and Death
After the AAFC folded in 1949, Flaherty returned to the Spokane area to work as a beverage distributor and wrote a part-time column for the Spokane Daily Chronicle. He was a college friend of Bing Crosby. Flaherty died on July 19, 1994, at age 90 in Hayden, Idaho, following an extended illness.
