Otto Graham Quarterback Years

Lore & Background

Graham grew up in Waukegan, Illinois, the son of music teachers. He entered Northwestern University in 1940 on a basketball scholarship, but football soon became his main sport. After a brief stint in the military at the end of World War II, Graham played for the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League (NBL), winning the 1945–46 championship. Paul Brown, Cleveland's coach, signed Graham to play for the Browns, where he thrived. Graham's 1946 NBL and AAFC titles made him one of several athletes—including Gene Conley and Deion Sanders—to have won championships in two of the four major North American sports, though his NBL title predates the NBA's formation and is not counted among the modern four major leagues. After he retired from playing football in 1955, Graham coached college teams in the College All-Star Game and became head football coach for the Coast Guard Bears at the United States Coast Guard Academy. After seven years there, he was hired as head coach of the Washington Redskins in 1966. Following three unsuccessful years with them, he resigned and returned to the Coast Guard Academy, where he served as athletic director until his retirement in 1984. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled off Lake Erie, biting through the wool uniforms of the players lined up in the snow. Otto Graham stood under center, breath visible in the frigid air of Municipal Stadium. The crowd roared, a sea of brown and orange against the grey sky. He took the snap, scanned the frozen gridiron, and launched a perfect spiral toward the end zone. It was another championship afternoon for Cleveland.

Reader's Guide

Graham played 10 seasons for the Cleveland Browns, from 1946 to 1955. He led the team to league championship games every year, winning seven championships. With Graham at quarterback, the Browns posted a record of 105 wins, 17 losses, and 4 ties, including a 9–3 win–loss record in the AAFC and NFL playoffs. After retiring from football in 1955, he coached at the Coast Guard Academy and later the Washington Redskins, then returned to the Coast Guard Academy as athletic director until 1984.

Did You Know?

• Graham set a state record at birth weighing 14 pounds 12 ounces.
• He was a first-team basketball All-American at Northwestern.
• He won championships in both the NBL (1946) and AAFC (1946), making him one of several athletes to win titles in two of the four major North American sports, though his NBL title predates the NBA's formation.
• Long-time New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner called Graham 'as great of a quarterback as there ever was.'