Graham, Otto E. Jr.
Football
b. Dec. 6, 1921, Waukegan, IL
d. Dec. 17, 2003
Graham went to Northwestern University on a basketball scholarship. When "Pappy" Waldorf saw him throwing a football in an intramural game, he got him to come out for the team as a sophomore, and Graham immediately became the starting tailback. He set a Big Ten record in 1942, his junior season, by completing 89 of 182 passes for 1,092 yards. As a senior, he was an All-American in both football and basketball.
After graduating, Graham spent two years in the Navy and then joined the Cleveland Browns of the new All America Football Conference, where he became a T formation quarterback for the first time. Using a "pass and trap" offense in which Graham's passing ability was employed to set up trap runs by other backs, Cleveland was the most successful team in pro football for the next decade.
The Browns won all four AAFC championships, winning 52 games while losing only 4 and tying 3. Graham led in touchdown passes with 17 in 1946 and 25 in 1947; in passing percentage in 1947 with 60.6; and in yardage with 2,753 in 1947, 2,713 in 1948, and 2,785 in 1949.
When the AAFC folded in 1950, the Browns entered the NFL. Most experts felt they would be overmatched against the stronger competition, but Cleveland won the NFL championship by beating the Los Angeles Rams 30-28, with Graham throwing four touchdown passes. Four years later, he passed for three touchdowns and ran for three in a 56-10 championship victory over the Detroit Lions.
Graham announced his retirement after that season, but he returned in 1955 after Cleveland got off to a slow start and led the Browns to yet another championship, passing for two touchdowns and running for two more to beat Los Angeles 38-14 in the title game.
All-league quarterback in all four AAFC seasons, Graham was also an NFL All-Pro in 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1955, and he was named the league's player of the year in 1953 and 1955. He led the NFL in completion percentage from 1953 through 1955; in yardage in 1952 and 1953; and in touchdown passes in 1952.
During his 10 professional seasons, Graham completed 1,464 of 2,626 attempts for 23,584 yards and 174 touchdowns. He rushed 405 times for 882 yards, a 2.2 average, and 44 touchdowns.
In 1959, Graham became football coach at the Coast Guard Academy, where he produced an undefeated team in 1963. The Washington Redskins hired him as head coach in 1966 and he had a 17-22-3 record in four seasons there before returning to the Coast Guard Academy as athletic director in 1970. He retired in 1984.