128: Otto Graham-NFL

Sports' Forgotten Heroes

He is the only quarterback - ever - to only play for 10 seasons and lead his team into the championship game every year of his career. He won the championship seven (7) times. And, yet, when the discussion about who is the greatest QB of all-time comes up, very few football fans mention the name Otto Graham. He played for the Cleveland Browns when they were "born" as an AAFC (All America Football Conference) team. The Browns, simply stated, were the best team in the league. In fact, Graham led the Browns to the AAFC title every year of the league's existence: 1946, 47, 48, 49. When the Browns (along with the San Francisco 49'ers and Baltimore Colts) moved into the NFL, most thought they had no chance to compete. Well, not only did the Browns compete, Graham led them to the NFL Championship in 1950. Graham played with the Browns, NFL-style, in 1950, 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55. He won the Championship withe Bowns three times. The four years he didn't win the Championship, the Browns made the title game, but lost. Graham won the NFL MVP in 1951, 1953 and 1955. In his six years in the NFL, he led the league in passing yards twice, QBR twice and completion percentage three times. Yet, Graham is one of the most overlooked superstars in the history of the game. On this episode of SFH, Ken Crippen from the Football Learning Academy, a football historian, author and expert on the AAFC joins the podcast as we discuss the career of Otto Graham and so much more.