The Bear's First Quarterback
Walter Irving "Pard" Pearce was an outstanding all-around athlete at Classical High School. He received letters in football, hockey, track and baseball. He was 1st Team All-State at quarterback twice in football and a 1st Team All-State shortstop in baseball upon graduation in 1915. He moved to the Morris Heights School of Providence the following year. He played for Apponaug and Pawtuxet A.C. in 1915, Crescent A.A. (1916) ans the Providence Steam Roller (1916-17) before entering the University of Pennsylvania in 1917 playing on both the freshman football and baseball teams. After a year in the Navy “Pard” played shortstop for the Rockford Rox (a Chicago Cubs affiliate) in the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League under the name “Dwyer" in hopes of not losing his college athletic eligibility and someday playing for the Cubs in the Major Leagues. This was not without controversy. Ironically he never played for the Cubs but three years later this future UPenn halfback became the first quarterback for the Chicago Bears franchise in the newly formed National Football League. Pard re-enrolled at UPenn and played halfback on the varsity football team. But just before the Thanksgiving game Coach Folwell declared him ineligible when he found out he received money playing minor league baseball. Pearce dropped out of school and was back with Rockford for the 1919 season. Next came football and the former halfback became the first string QB for the 1920 Decatur Staleys in the first professional season of the franchise that would go on to be known as the Chicago Bears. Under player/head coach George Halas they competed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association. He was under center in their opening game 20-0 win against the Moline Universal Tractors. Pard started all 13 games becoming the first starting quarterback in the team's franchise history. In the spring of 1921 Pearce was back to baseball with the Reading Aces and the Rochester Colts of the AA International League. He returned to the newly named Chicago Staleys that fall and started 8 of the 12 games as the team moved from Decatur to Chicago and won the American Professional Football Association championship.
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At the end of the 1921 football season, the Staleys decided to change their name once again to the Chicago Bears. Given that they shared Wrigley field with the Chicago Cubs, they argued tongue in cheek, that football players are larger in size than baseball players. In 1922 Pard played minor league baseball for the Sacramento Senators in the AA Pacific Coast League and then was backup quarterback on the Chicago Bears in the newly named National Football League. He spent the 1923 and 1924 baseball seasons playing for the Salt Lake City Bees in the AA Pacific Coast League and the Scranton Miners in Class B New York Penn League in 1925. After a stint as assistant football coach at Providence College in 1923 he finished his NFL career for the Kenosha Maroons in 1924 and the Providence Steam Roller in 1925. Staying in Providence he continued playing semi-pro baseball, officiating sporting events and becoming a teacher. He served as football and baseball coach at Pawtucket East High School in the 1930s and finally in 1944 as a coach and teacher at Providence Central High School until his retirement in 1965.
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