Athletes - Paul Brown

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	Athletes - Paul Brown

Paul Eugene Brown (September 7, 1908 - August 5, 1991) A seminal figure in American football history, Brown is considered the "father of the modern offense," with many also adding that he ranks as the greatest football coach in history. Such claims are backed by significant evidence: Brown dominated as a gridiron general on every major level -- high school, college, and professional. Born in Norwalk, Ohio, Brown graduated from Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio in 1925.

Originally intending to play for Ohio State University, he found his 135-pound frame would not stand the rigors of major college football, and transferred to Miami University of Ohio. In 1930, he graduated from the school with a B.A. in Education after having played quarterback for the Redskins. He would complete his academic career in 1940 when he received an M.A. in Education from The Ohio State University.

As his academic pursuits may allude to, Brown was as much a teacher as he was a coach. His coaching career began in 1930 at the Naval Academy's Severn School, in Severna Park, Maryland.

Tasting success with a 16-1-1 mark in two seasons st Severn, Brown gave up a brief attempt at law school to return home to Ohio, where he spent the next nine years posting an 80-8-2 record as coach of his hometown Washington High Tigers. After his first three years, he had improved the fortunes of the Tigers, but still had problems with the team's bitter rival, Canton McKinley High School, losing all three meetings. However, he rectified the problem by not only ending that frustrating losing streak, but also winning 58 of the next 60 contests. During this period, his achievements also helped build a new stadium for the high school that seated 20,000 people, and drew crowds that were only surpassed by those at Ohio State University.

With avid support from an influential group of people, Brown moved into the college ranks by becoming head coach of those same Ohio State Buckeyes in 1941. Under Brown, the Buckeyes went 18-8-1 (1941-43), with his only loss during that first season coming against Northwestern University and their running back Otto Graham. The following year, Brown led the Buckeyes to the university's first National championship in 1942, but was unable to sustain that success when World War II depleted his talented corps of players the following year.

After Brown was re-classified 1-A in February 1944, he entered the Navy and served at the Great Lakes Naval Station, putting together a mark of 15-5-2 during the final two years of World War II. After the war, Brown once again returned home to Ohio, becoming the first head coach for Arthur 'Mickey' McBride's new All America Football Conference franchise, the Cleveland Browns -- Such was his popularity that the team was named in his honor following a poll taken in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

While the AAFC lasted only four seasons, the Browns served as the gold standard for the league, winning the championship each year and outdrawing the Cleveland's NFL franchise, the Rams, who had left town for Los Angeles after winning the NFL championship in 1945.

Brown had put together a talented team, primarily by combining players from Massillon, Ohio State and Great Lakes. One key move came when he shifted Otto Graham to quarterback, providing the team with a signal caller who would lead the team to the league title game in each of his 10 seasons. In addition, Brown ignored the gentlemen's agreement that then existed regarding African-American players, adding future Pro Football Hall of Famers Marion Motley and Bill Willis.

Following the merger between the NFL and AAFC, The Browns, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts, moved to the NFL in 1950 and didn't miss a beat, winning the NFL Championship in their first year. Critics had predicted that the overall weakness of the AAFC would expose the Browns, but the team defeated the Rams in the title game on December 24 on a last-minute field goal by Lou Groza. The Browns went on to appear in the next five title games, winning back-to-back titles in 1954 and 1955.

Brown gained a reputation as an innovator during his time in Cleveland. He was the first to use intelligence tests to judge players, establish a film library, and install face masks on helmets. Another innovation was the use of "messenger guards" to relay plays from the sidelines, and he even experimented with helmet radios, decades before they became part of the game. The offense directed by Graham was the predecessor of the West Coast Offense made famous by Bill Walsh, a protege of Brown.

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Athletes - Paul Brown

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