George Ratterman

Lore & Background

Ratterman played professional football with the Buffalo Bills of the AAFC from 1947 to 1949, then with the New York Yanks of the NFL in 1950 and 1951, the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 1951, and finished with the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 1952 through 1956. He led the NFL in touchdown passes in 1950 while playing for New York. In 1956, he became the Browns' starting quarterback, succeeding Otto Graham, and was one of the first players in football history to wear a radio receiver in his helmet, allowing coach Paul Brown to call plays via microphone. A leg injury on October 21, 1956, ended his career.

In Their Own Story

The crowd at Municipal Stadium roared as the opposing quarterback dropped back to pass, eyes scanning for an open receiver. Suddenly, a blur of brown and orange erupted from the defensive line. It was Ratterman, his powerful frame surging through the gap with terrifying speed. Before the ball could leave the quarterback's hand, 'The Gorilla' had him on the turf, the impact shaking the very ground beneath them. In that moment, the defense held firm, and another Browns victory was secured.

Reader's Guide

Ratterman earned his law degree in 1956 and was admitted to practice in Ohio and Kentucky. He acted as general counsel for the American Football League Players Association in the mid-1960s. He was elected sheriff of Campbell County, Kentucky, in 1961 after a failed blackmail attempt involving chloral hydrate and a stripper. His tenure saw a reduction in gambling, prostitution, and vice in Newport. He was an unsuccessful candidate for county judge and U.S. Congress. He authored the book 'Confessions of a Gypsy Quarterback' (1962). He worked as a color commentator for ABC-TV (1960–1964) and NBC-TV (1965–1973), and provided analysis for NBC Radio's broadcast of Super Bowl I.

Did You Know?

• Ratterman threw 22 touchdown passes in his rookie season (1947) in the AAFC, a league record that stood until the NFL's Peyton Manning broke the NFL rookie mark in 1998.
• He was the last of only four students in Notre Dame history to earn letters in four different sports: football, basketball, baseball, and tennis.
• He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated on October 8, 1956.
• Ratterman once told a messenger guard to 'go back and get another one' because he didn't like the play call from coach Paul Brown.