Paul Brown

Paul Eugene Brown (Born: September 7, 1908; Norwalk, Ohio. - Died: August 5, 1991) A seminal figure in Football History. Considered the "father of the modern offense," there are many who consider Paul Brown to be the 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. He graduated from Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio in 1925. In 1930, he graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a B.A. in Education; in 1940, he received an M.A. in Education from The Ohio State University.

Related Topics:
September 7 - 1908 - Norwalk, Ohio - August 5 - 1991 - Football - Washington High School - Massillon, Ohio - 1925 - Miami University - The Ohio State University

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As his academic pursuits may allude to, Brown was as much a teacher as he was a coach. His 61-year coaching career began in 1930 at the Naval Academy's Severn preparatory school, in Maryland. Returning home to Ohio, Brown spent 1932 to 1940 posting an 80-8-2 record as coach of his hometown Washington High Tigers -- and only one of these losses occurred after the 1935 season! Brown's coaching career follwed a natural progression; graduating into the college ranks, he became head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 1941. Under Brown, the Buckeyes, went 18-8-1 (1941-43), winning the university's first National Championship in 1942.

Related Topics:
Naval Academy - Severn - Ohio - Tigers - Ohio State Buckeyes - 1941 - National Championship

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During World War II Brown was coach of the football team at Great Lakes Pre-Flight.

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After the war, Brown once again returned home to Ohio. In 1946, he became the first coach for Arthur 'Mickey' McBride's new All American Football Conference franchise, the Cleveland Browns -- the team was named as the result of a poll taken in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The AAFC lasted only four seasons, with the Brown's winning each year. The team, however, became a bigger draw than Cleveland's NFL franchise, the Rams, who had left town for Los Angeles in 1945. The Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 without missing a beat: they won the NFL Championship -- despite what critics had predicted -- their first year in the league. To add to the victory, the Browns defeated the Rams in the title game. The Browns went on to appear in the next five consecutive title games, winning back-to-back titles in 1954 and 1955.

Related Topics:
Arthur 'Mickey' McBride - All American Football Conference - Cleveland Browns - Cleveland Plain Dealer - Cleveland - Rams - Los Angeles - NFL Championship

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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. He helped break the color barrier in major league sports when he signed fullback Marion Motley and lineman Bill Willis in 1946. 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 Otto Graham was the progenitor of the West Coast Offense made famous by Bill Walsh, a protege of Brown.

Related Topics:
Helmet - Fullback - Marion Motley - Lineman - Bill Willis - Otto Graham - West Coast Offense - Bill Walsh

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Brown was fired as coach after the 1962 season by the new majority owner Art Modell, who had purchased the club a year earlier and wanted more control of the team. The dismissal came in the wake of a dispute over whether to keep Ernie Davis, the star running back from Syracuse University, on the roster after he fell ill with leukemia; Modell kept Davis on the team over Brown's objections. (Davis would die in May 1963.)

Related Topics:
1962 - Art Modell - Ernie Davis - Syracuse University - Leukemia

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In 1967, Brown returned to professional football as founding owner of the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football League. Against the wishes of many AFL owners and fans, he did not support the retention of the name and logo of the American Football League when the NFL merged with the AFL. This was in spite of the fact that the AFL was the genesis of professional football as it is known today. Brown coached the Bengals for eight seasons. Brown served as team president until his death in 1991, when he was succeeded by his son Mike.

Related Topics:
1967 - Cincinnati Bengals - American Football League

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Brown has been honored in a variety of ways. In 1965, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon is named for him. Paul Brown Stadium, current home of the Cincinnati Bengals, is also named for him. Paul Brown is buried in Massillon.

Related Topics:
1965 - Pro Football Hall of Fame - Canton - Ohio - Paul Brown Stadium

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