Otto Graham

Football Player

• Born: December 6, 1921
• Birthplace: Waukegan, Illinois
• Died: December 17, 2003
• Place of death: Sarasota, Florida

Sport: Football

Early Life

Otto Everett Graham, Jr., was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on December 6, 1921. The son of two music instructors, he grew up loving music. Early on, he proved to be a musically talented child, learning to play the piano, the cornet, the violin, and the French horn. During his teenage years, Otto developed other talents. He was an exceptional, all-around athlete. At Waukegan High School, he won varsity letters in baseball, football, track, and tennis. Long before he graduated, he made his parents proud by becoming not only his school’s best basketball player but also the best high school player in the state. Otto was offered many college scholarships for his basketball skills, and soon earned the title of all-American basketball player at Northwestern University.

The Road to Excellence

Otto played intermural football but did not take the sport seriously until the day he attracted the attention of Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf, a football coach. Pappy persuaded Otto to join Northwestern’s football team. By 1941, Otto was playing tailback on the team’s single-wing offense. No one was surprised that Otto excelled as a quarterback. Before long, he had completed a record 156 passes in 321 attempts, for 2,162 yards. In 1943, Otto won all-American honors for helping Northwestern finish second in its conference. He was chosen the conference’s most valuable player. Before that season, Otto played for the college all-stars against the Washington Redskins, and he intercepted a pass and made a remarkable 97-yard touchdown. The qualities that helped make Otto shine as a collegiate athlete were his daring, his excellent sense of timing, and his ability to throw long, accurate passes.

When it came time for Otto to leave Northwestern University, World War II was still raging. Otto wanted to become a professional football player but, instead, he left school in mid-year to join the United States Naval Flight Training Program. In 1944, he finally earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern. Just before the war ended, Otto received an excellent offer from Paul Brown, a renowned collegiate football coach. Brown had recently founded a new professional team called the Cleveland Browns. As soon as the war ended, the team began to play in the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Otto, a three-letter athlete and an all-American in both football and basketball, joined the Browns.

The Emerging Champion

Otto began his professional football career as the Browns’ first quarterback. With his astonishing ability to throw long forward passes, Otto completed 95 of 174 passes, 17 of which were touchdowns. He led the team to the league championship, winning thirteen out of fifteen games. For this, he earned the nickname “Automatic Otto.” As the seasons continued, Otto’s ability to inspire and control his team made him the heart of the Cleveland Browns. For four successive seasons, his efficient forward passes brought the Browns four league championships. Shortly after the Browns’ fourth championship, though, the AAFC collapsed.

The Browns were considered a team of minor status, but, nevertheless, they were invited to join the proud and tough NFL. Critics said “Automatic Otto” would be fortunate to gain any victories for his team in the face of major competition. Otto proved his critics wrong in his first season in the NFL. His passes took his competition by surprise, and the Browns became the professional football champions of the world. Year after year, Otto pitched his team into the championship title game, where he always played his best. In seven out of ten years, Otto’s teams claimed the league championship, while Otto set records for most yards gained, most passes completed, and most touchdown passes in the NFL’s history to that point.

Continuing the Story

In 1954, Otto chose to quit football when he was thirty-two years old. He wanted to leave the game while he was still a champion. However, Paul Brown, his coach, inspired him to play one last season as pro football’s greatest quarterback. Otto won another world championship. Afterward, Otto nearly retired from his brief but fabulous football career. Again, Paul Brown somehow persuaded him to give one more year to his team, and to football history, and “Automatic Otto” played his final year. In his last game, before a crowd of 100,000, he played magnificently. He threw two long touchdown passes, and the Browns beat the Los Angeles Rams 38-14 for another NFL title.

That game marked the end of Otto’s career. His place in football history was secure, though. His 88 touchdown passes were only two short of the record held by Frankie Albert of San Francisco. While playing in the AAFC, Otto won passing honors for four years, and was voted the AAFC most valuable player in 1947, 1948, and 1949. In the NFL, he led the league in passing in 1953 and 1955. From 1951-1955 he was the all-NFL selection at quarterback. He also was selected as NFL player of the year in 1953 and 1955.

Otto was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956 and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. Some football historians feel he was the finest professional quarterback ever. In his ten-year professional career, he completed 1,464 of 2,626 forward passes for 23,584 yards and 174 touchdowns. His winning streak was unparalleled, and seems unlikely to be equaled.

Summary

“Automatic Otto” Graham was one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play pro football. He was renowned for his highly efficient passing ability. He led the Cleveland Browns to championship games for ten successive years, and won championships seven of those ten times.

Bibliography

Aikman, Troy. “Ranking the Greatest Quarterbacks Is a Winning Proposition.” Sporting News 228, no. 41 (October 11, 2004): 44.

Attner, Paul. “The Best There Ever Was.” Sporting News 227, no. 52 (December 29, 2003): 5.

Graham, Duey. Ottomatic: The Remarkable Story of Otto Graham. Wayne, Mich.: Immortal Investments, 2004.

Sugar, Bert R. The One Hundred Greatest Athletes of All Time. New York: Citadel Press, 1995.

Zimmerman, Paul, Kostya Kennedy, and Mark Bechtel. “Pass Perfect.” Sports Illustrated 99, no. 25 (December 29, 2003): 36.