Otto Graham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Otto Graham

Graham in 1959
No. 60, 14
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1921-12-06)December 6, 1921 Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.
Died:	December 17, 2003(2003-12-17) (aged 82) Sarasota, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	196 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school:	Waukegan (Waukegan, IL)
College:	Northwestern (1941–1943)
NFL Draft:	1944 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
As player:
Cleveland Browns (1946–1955)
As coach:
Coast Guard Bears (1959–1965) Head coach Washington Redskins (1966) Head coach Coast Guard Bears (1974–1975) Head coach
As executive:
Washington Redskins (1966–1968) General manager
Career highlights and awards
3× NFL champion (1950, 1954, 1955) 3× NFL Most Valuable Player (1951, 1953, 1955) 4× First-team All-Pro (1951, 1953–1955) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1950, 1952) 5× Pro Bowl (1950–1954) 2× NFL passing yards leader (1952, 1953) NFL passing touchdowns leader (1952) 2× NFL passer rating leader (1953, 1955) 3× NFL completion percentage leader (1953–1955) NFL 1950s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team 4× AAFC champion (1946–1949) 2× AAFC Most Valuable Player (1947, 1948) 3× First-team All-AAFC (1947–1949) Second-team All-AAFC (1946) 3× AAFC passing yards leader (1947–1949) 2× AAFC passing touchdowns leader (1946, 1947) AAFC completion percentage leader (1947) Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor Cleveland Browns No. 14 retired Big Ten Player of the Year (1943) First-team All-American (1943) First-team All-Big Ten (1943) 2× Second-team All-Big Ten (1941, 1942)
Career AAFC/NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 2,626 Passing completions: 1,464 Completion percentage: 55.8% TD–INT: 174–135 Passing yards: 23,584 Passer rating: 86.6 Rushing yards: 882 Rushing touchdowns: 44 Player stats at NFL.com
Head coaching record
Career:	NFL: 17–22–3 (.440)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Otto Everett Graham Jr. (born December 6, 1921 – died December 17, 2003) was an amazing American football player. He was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns for 10 seasons. Many people think Otto Graham was one of the best players of his time.

He led the Browns to the championship game every single year from 1946 to 1955, making it to ten championship games and winning seven of them! With Otto Graham as quarterback, the Browns won 105 games, lost only 17, and had 4 ties. This includes a fantastic 9–3 record in playoff games. He still holds the NFL record for the highest career winning percentage for a starting quarterback, at 81.0%. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who was a friend of Graham's, once called him "as great of a quarterback as there ever was."

Otto Graham grew up in Waukegan, Illinois. His parents were both music teachers. He went to Northwestern University in 1940 on a basketball scholarship. But football quickly became his main sport. After a short time in the military during World War II, Graham also played professional basketball for the Rochester Royals. He even won a championship with them in 1946! This made him one of only two people to win championships in two major North American sports.

After he stopped playing football in 1955, Graham became a coach. He coached college teams and was the head football coach for the Coast Guard Bears at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Later, he coached the Washington Redskins in the NFL. After coaching, he returned to the Coast Guard Academy as their athletic director until he retired in 1984. He was honored by being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

Otto Graham's Early Life and College Years

Otto Graham was born in Waukegan, Illinois, and was a very big baby, weighing almost 15 pounds! Growing up, he was first interested in music because both his parents were music teachers. He learned to play several instruments like the piano, violin, and French horn.

But Otto was also great at sports. He went to Northwestern University in 1940 with a scholarship for basketball. He played on the varsity basketball team and kept studying music. He didn't start playing football until his second year. The Northwestern coach saw him throwing a football in a casual game and invited him to practice. The coaches were so impressed with his running and passing that they convinced him to join the team. Even though football became his main sport, he also played baseball and continued with basketball. In his senior year, he was named an All-American in basketball.

Otto Graham's first football game for the Northwestern Wildcats football team was on October 4, 1941. He returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown! He scored two more touchdowns in that game. Northwestern finished that year ranked 11th in the country.

During World War II, Otto Graham joined the United States Coast Guard. He was able to stay at Northwestern while waiting for his active duty. In 1942, he set a new passing record in the Big Ten Conference, which is a group of major college teams.

In 1943, Otto Graham had a great season. His team beat Ohio State Buckeyes, who were the national champions from the year before. He set another Big Ten passing record and was named the conference's Most Valuable Player. He also finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which is a huge award for college football players. By the end of his college career, he had a Big Ten record for passing yards with 2,132.

In 1945, Paul Brown, who would become the coach of the Cleveland Browns, offered Otto Graham a contract to play professional football. It was a lot of money for that time, $7,500 a year! Otto Graham was also drafted by the Detroit Lions in the National Football League, but he chose to play for Paul Brown's new team.

Before the first professional football season started in 1946, Otto Graham played basketball. He joined the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League (NBL). In March 1946, his team won the NBL championship!

Otto Graham's Pro Football Career

Playing for the Cleveland Browns (1946–1949)

When Otto Graham finished his time in the Navy in 1946, he joined the new Cleveland Browns team. At first, his coach, Paul Brown, wasn't sure if Graham was ready to start. But Otto quickly became the starting quarterback. He led the team to an amazing 12–2 record in their first season. They then won the championship game against the New York Yankees.

This started a period where the Browns were super dominant. The team won all four championships in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946 to 1949. In 1948, they had a perfect season, winning every game and the championship! This made them the first professional football team to be undefeated champions. Between 1947 and 1949, the Browns played 29 games in a row without losing.

Otto Graham was key to the Browns' success. He was named the AAFC's Most Valuable Player in 1947 and 1948. He also led the league in passing yards for three straight years. When the AAFC ended after the 1949 season, Otto Graham was the league's all-time leading passer. He had thrown for over 10,000 yards and 86 touchdowns.

His teammates said he was a great leader but also just "one of the guys." He was known for his ability to move well in the pocket (the area where the quarterback stands). Paul Brown, his coach, praised Otto's vision and his ability to throw the ball far and accurately. His short passes were strong and precise, and his long passes were soft, making them easy for receivers to catch. People nicknamed him "Automatic Otto" because he was so consistent and tough.

Playing for the Cleveland Browns (1950–1955)

When the Browns joined the more established National Football League (NFL) in 1950, they continued to be successful with Otto Graham. He was voted the NFL Player of the Year. The Browns had a 10–2 record and made it to the championship game. They beat the New York Giants in a tough playoff game in the snow.

Then, they played the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL championship game. Otto Graham's running and passing helped the Browns win 30–28. He led the team down the field in the final seconds to set up a game-winning field goal. Graham rushed for 99 yards and passed for 298 yards with four touchdowns in that game.

In 1951, Cleveland had an 11–1 record, but they lost the championship game to the Rams. Even though they lost, Otto Graham was named the league's Most Valuable Player after the season.

Otto Graham on a 1954 Bowman football card

In 1952, the Browns faced the Detroit Lions in the NFL championship game. Even though the Browns gained more yards, they lost 17–7. Otto Graham was again named the NFL Player of the Year that season.

The 1953 season started with 11 straight wins for the Browns. Near the end of the season, Otto Graham got a cut on his chin that needed 15 stitches. He came back into the game with a clear plastic face mask on his helmet. This injury helped lead to the development of the modern face mask in football! Despite their great record, Cleveland lost the championship game to the Detroit Lions for the third year in a row. Otto Graham finished the season as the NFL's leading passer and won the Most Valuable Player award again.

Before the 1954 season, Otto Graham told Coach Brown that he would retire after that year. The Browns lost their first three games, but then won eight in a row. They earned another chance at the championship, again against the Lions. This time, the Browns won big, 56–10! Otto Graham ran for three touchdowns and passed for three more. He announced his retirement after the game.

However, Otto Graham's possible replacements struggled in 1955. So, Coach Brown convinced him to come back for one more year. He was offered a salary of $25,000, which made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The Browns had another great season, and Otto Graham led them to another championship. They beat the Rams 38–14. When Coach Brown took Graham out of the game, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. It was the end of a 10-year career where his team reached the championship game every single year and won seven of them! He was the NFL's passing leader and Most Valuable Player in 1955.

Otto Graham and Coach Paul Brown helped create the modern quarterback position and how professional offenses work today. Otto Graham led his league in many passing categories multiple times. He still holds the NFL career record for yards per pass attempt, averaging 8.63. He also has the highest career winning percentage for an NFL starting quarterback, at 81.0%. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. Otto Graham never missed a game in his entire career.

He wore number 60 for most of his career. But in 1952, he had to change to number 14 because of a new NFL rule. The Browns later retired his number 14 to honor him.

Otto Graham's Coaching Career

After retiring from playing football, Otto Graham planned to focus on his businesses. But in 1957, he became an assistant coach for the college team in the annual College All-Star Game. This was a game where the NFL champions played against the best college players. The next year, he became the head coach of the college team. In 1958, his college team beat the Detroit Lions 35–19!

Coaching at the Coast Guard Academy

After his success in the All-Star game, Otto Graham became the head football coach and athletic director for the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1959. It was a smaller school, but Graham helped their team improve a lot. In 1963, his team went undefeated, which was the first time the academy had ever done that! They played in the Tangerine Bowl that year. Graham also continued to coach the College All-Star Game, and in 1963, his college team upset Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. Graham was offered many NFL coaching jobs, but he said he was happy at the Coast Guard Academy.

Coaching the Washington Redskins

Despite his earlier thoughts, Otto Graham left the Coast Guard Academy in 1966 to become the head coach and general manager of the NFL's Washington Redskins. His three seasons with the Redskins (1966–1968) were not as successful. After the 1968 season, he resigned.

Returning to the Coast Guard Academy

After leaving the Redskins, Graham returned to the Coast Guard Academy as the athletic director. He coached the college team in the College All-Star Game one last time in 1970. In 1974, he became the Coast Guard's football coach again for two more years. In total, his Coast Guard teams had a record of 44 wins, 32 losses, and 1 tie. After eight more years as the school's athletic director, Otto Graham retired in 1984.

Later Life and Death

Otto Graham loved to play golf and tennis. He often played golf with famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio. He retired to a house on a golf course in Florida.

Otto Graham had some health problems later in life, including heart issues. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2001 and passed away from a heart aneurysm on December 17, 2003, in Sarasota, Florida. He had two sons and a daughter with his wife, Beverly. Northwestern University created the Otto Graham Society to honor his achievements at the school.

Career Statistics

Head Coaching Record

College Coaching

NFL Coaching

See also

• List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders
• Chicago Tribune Silver Football