In 1943 America was entrenched in World War II, both in European and Japanese theaters. Most young men who were of the age to play professional football were also of the age to fight for their country. This badly damaged the well-being of the NFL, but obviously the well-being of the country was the top priority.
At the annual spring meeting, the NFL decided to play through the roster adversity for much the same reasons that Major League Baseball continued to play. While at war, the country needed some form of entertainment and sense of normalcy. Sports were a much-needed diversion.
The young men who remained in the States to play football were by and large deferred from the draft. There were basically three types of deferment that defined 1943 NFL players: The first group was if a man was supporting a family Uncle Sam would not make him a draft priority. To keep things clean, the government defined a 3-A as a father whose child/children was born or conceived prior to Pearl Harbor. The second group consisted of those men who worked in the war industry, producing and preparing ammunition, weapons and materials. The third group were those deemed physically unfit. They were called 4-Fs. Common ailments were ulcers, perforated eardrums, partial blindness or deafness and even flat feet.
Even with these deferments, NFL rosters were hurting. The Cleveland Rams suspended operations. The Steelers had only six men left under contract. The Philadelphia Eagles had 16. The 1943 NFL draft was a waste, with most players going off to the war instead of joining NFL teams.
Art Rooney's (Steelers) and Lex Thompson (Eagles) agreed to combine teams. The league approved the plan by a slim vote of 5-4. The league stipulation was that the merger would expire as soon as the regular season ended, keeping the Pittsburgh/Philadelphia combine out of any playoffs. The other owners feared the merger would produce a team with an unfair advantage.
The other stipulations were imposed by Thompson. The team would be known as the Philadelphia Eagles and be based in Philly, playing only two games in Pittsburgh.The team was also to wear the Eagles' green and white colors instead of black and gold.
As the season got underway, fans and newspapers, everywhere but in Philadelphia, began calling the team the Steagles, a combination of Steelers and Eagles. It had a nice ring to it and was fair to both cities. In Philly, the writers and even the team insisted on Philadelphia Eagles. Steagles eventually became nomenclature throughout most of the country.
The team finished 5-4-1. In many ways 1943 was a major success. Total attendance was 129,000, a record for both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Total NFL attendance experienced a huge spike, averaging 24,000 per game.
It should also be noted that all the Steagles' players were full-time war workers in Philadelphia. Playing football was extracurricular.