The Legendary Otto Graham

[stillmotion]

Always been a fan of Otto since my grandpa (RIP) played cards with him and drank with him. Looking at highlights, it has me thinking, Otto's play reminds me very much so of Baker's play. Making quick reads, and if the play breaks down and no ones open, taking it off for a huge gain. Still having the ability to throw accurately (unlike Lamar Jackson), and the ability to run and take it to the house too.

Really liked this clip by NFL films. Enjoy Fellas, because i'm more stoked for the 2019 season than ever.

[mjp28]

A different era, only 12 games plus Otto never played in the NFL until he was 29.....and won it of course.

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	QBrec	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	TD%	Int	Int%	Lng	Y/A	AY/A	Y/C	Y/G	Rate	Sk	Yds	NY/A	ANY/A	Sk%	4QC	GWD	AV
Career					126	114	57-13-1	1464	2626	55.8	23584	174	6.6	135	5.1	99	9.0	8.0	16.1	187.2	86.6						9	8
1946	25	CLE	QB		14	9		95	174	54.6	1834	17	9.8	5	2.9	79	10.5	11.2	19.3	131.0	112.1
1947+	26	CLE	QB		14	9		163	269	60.6	2753	25	9.3	11	4.1	99	10.2	10.3	16.9	196.6	109.2
1948+	27	CLE	QB		14	14		173	333	52.0	2713	25	7.5	15	4.5	78	8.1	7.6	15.7	193.8	85.6
1949+	28	CLE	QB		12	11		161	285	56.5	2785	19	6.7	10	3.5	74	9.8	9.5	17.3	232.1	97.5
1950*	29	CLE	QB	60	12	12	10-2-0	137	253	54.2	1943	14	5.5	20	7.9	80	7.7	5.2	14.2	161.9	64.7						2	2
1951*+	30	CLE	QB	60	12	12	11-1-0	147	265	55.5	2205	17	6.4	16	6.0	81	8.3	6.9	15.0	183.8	79.2						1	1
1952*	31	CLE	QB	14	12	12	8-4-0	181	364	49.7	2816	20	5.5	24	6.6	68	7.7	5.9	15.6	234.7	66.6						1	1
1953*+	32	CLE	QB	14	12	11	10-1-0	167	258	64.7	2722	11	4.3	9	3.5	70	10.6	9.8	16.3	226.8	99.7						2	2
1954*+	33	CLE	QB	14	12	12	9-3-0	142	240	59.2	2092	11	4.6	17	7.1	64	8.7	6.4	14.7	174.3	73.5
1955+	34	CLE	QB	14	12	12	9-2-1	98	185	53.0	1721	15	8.1	8	4.3	61	9.3	9.0	17.6	143.4	94.0						3	2

 

[gumby73]

      this is midway into video..backup at your choice... A true Cleveland Brown finally gets his Day 👍   

[Tour2ma]

I'm not quite old enough to have seen Otto play (or remember if I did), but his statue looks right at home...

 

As does this one...

[Flugel]

On 1/12/2019 at 9:59 PM, mjp28 said:

A different era, only 12 games plus Otto never played in the NFL until he was 29.....and won it of course.

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	QBrec	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	TD%	Int	Int%	Lng	Y/A	AY/A	Y/C	Y/G	Rate	Sk	Yds	NY/A	ANY/A	Sk%	4QC	GWD	AV
Career					126	114	57-13-1	1464	2626	55.8	23584	174	6.6	135	5.1	99	9.0	8.0	16.1	187.2	86.6						9	8
1946	25	CLE	QB		14	9		95	174	54.6	1834	17	9.8	5	2.9	79	10.5	11.2	19.3	131.0	112.1
1947+	26	CLE	QB		14	9		163	269	60.6	2753	25	9.3	11	4.1	99	10.2	10.3	16.9	196.6	109.2
1948+	27	CLE	QB		14	14		173	333	52.0	2713	25	7.5	15	4.5	78	8.1	7.6	15.7	193.8	85.6
1949+	28	CLE	QB		12	11		161	285	56.5	2785	19	6.7	10	3.5	74	9.8	9.5	17.3	232.1	97.5
1950*	29	CLE	QB	60	12	12	10-2-0	137	253	54.2	1943	14	5.5	20	7.9	80	7.7	5.2	14.2	161.9	64.7						2	2
1951*+	30	CLE	QB	60	12	12	11-1-0	147	265	55.5	2205	17	6.4	16	6.0	81	8.3	6.9	15.0	183.8	79.2						1	1
1952*	31	CLE	QB	14	12	12	8-4-0	181	364	49.7	2816	20	5.5	24	6.6	68	7.7	5.9	15.6	234.7	66.6						1	1
1953*+	32	CLE	QB	14	12	11	10-1-0	167	258	64.7	2722	11	4.3	9	3.5	70	10.6	9.8	16.3	226.8	99.7						2	2
1954*+	33	CLE	QB	14	12	12	9-3-0	142	240	59.2	2092	11	4.6	17	7.1	64	8.7	6.4	14.7	174.3	73.5
1955+	34	CLE	QB	14	12	12	9-2-1	98	185	53.0	1721	15	8.1	8	4.3	61	9.3	9.0	17.6	143.4	94.0						3	2

 

You can only play in the Era you live in.  They didn't baby QBs with extra protective rules also designed to promote more scoring when he played. They also didn't begin the rule that DBs can't bump Receivers after 5 yards back when Otto played, which didn't help the passers in his era.  Furthermore, the NFL only played 12 game seasons when Otto played.

Forget all that. Can you name me 1 other Pro Football QB that took his team to the Championship Game EVERY single season he played over the first 10 years of his career/the entire career?   After winning all 4 AAFC Championship Games - Otto and the Browns were told they didn't stand a chance against real pro football in the NFL.  That led to 6 straight NFL Championship appearances and winning 3 of them (inclusive of the very 1st appearance) despite the decline in his TD: INT ratio during that span.  Then again, check out Terry Bradshaw's numbers during his 1st 5 years in the NFL...

Otto also played Professional Basketball for the Rochester Royals back when they won the Championship.  After football, he became a golf pro at a country club in Sarasota where my dad got to meet his childhood idol.  Jim Brown played college football in Upstate NY (Syracuse).  SU's Heisman Trophy Winner Ernie Davis was also drafted by Cleveland before his terminal illness unfolded.  That sheds some light on why so many people in Western and Upstate NY took a peculiar interest in the Browns.  That and Rochester is just 4 hour car ride to Cleveland while it takes anywhere from 5-6 hours to drive to NY City. 

Even though many hail Jim Brown as the best football player that ever lived (and rightfully so) - when you really think about it, Otto Graham was more influential to this franchise winning than Jim Brown ever was (albeit different eras).  Regardless of era, an intelligent GM still drafts QB Baker Mayfield in lieu of RB Saquon Barkley with the #1pick. That's why Dorsey's team improved by 7 wins...

[Buck The Frowns]

Yep, no one will ever touch that record of going to the championship every year he played. Many good QBs had as many or more INT than TD in that era, because the rules were different. 

Ernie Davis was never drafted by the Browns, though.

[Gunz41]

5 minutes ago, Buck The Frowns said:

Yep, no one will ever touch that record of going to the championship every year he played. Many good QBs had as many or more INT than TD in that era, because the rules were different. 

Ernie Davis was never drafted by the Browns, though.

True, as in same way Eli was never drafted by Giants

[Tour2ma]

1 hour ago, Gunz41 said:

True, as in same way Eli was never drafted by Giants

Makes you wonder if Washington knew something...

[Gunz41]

10 hours ago, Tour2ma said:

Makes you wonder if Washington knew something...

From what I remember, it was their owner who was racist. He hadn't integrated and was told by someone he had to or would lose his stadium. But he wouldn't Draft a black man, so he left it up to his gm. They drafted him, but Davis said he wouldn't play for them because of this so Paul Brown made the trade (without the approval of Modell). 

[Flugel]

12 hours ago, Buck The Frowns said:

Yep, no one will ever touch that record of going to the championship every year he played. Many good QBs had as many or more INT than TD in that era, because the rules were different. 

Ernie Davis was never drafted by the Browns, though.

Good points and great catch about Ernie so thanks.  He was drafted by the Washington Redskins with the 1st pick of the draft in December of 1961 where he was traded immediately thereafter to Cleveland.  I never knew that.   He was diagnosed with leukemia in the summer of 1962; and died in 1963 without ever playing in an NFL game.