41 Facts About Otto Graham

Otto Graham holds the NFL record for career average yards gained per pass attempt, with 8.63.

Otto Graham grew up in Waukegan, Illinois, the son of music teachers.

Otto Graham entered Northwestern University in 1940 on a basketball scholarship, but football soon became his main sport.

Otto Graham was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

Otto Graham excelled in athletics, and attended Northwestern University on a basketball scholarship in 1940.

Otto Graham did not take up football until his sophomore year, when Northwestern coach Pappy Waldorf saw him throwing in an intramural game and invited him to practice with the team.

Otto Graham was able to stay at Northwestern as he waited to be called for active duty.

Otto Graham still had 89 completions, setting a single-season passing record in the Big Ten Conference, a division of major college teams from the Midwestern United States.

Otto Graham set another Big Ten passing record, was named the conference's Most Valuable Player, received All-American honors and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.

Otto Graham played basketball for Colgate before moving to North Carolina Pre-Flight later in 1944, where he played on the Cloudbusters football team under coaches Glenn Killinger and Bear Bryant.

The AAFC's first season was not set to start until the fall of 1946, and Otto Graham occupied the intervening months by joining the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League, a forerunner of the National Basketball Association.

Concerned that Otto Graham was not ready to start, Brown put in Cliff Lewis at quarterback in the first game of the season.

Otto Graham soon replaced Lewis in Brown's T formation offense.

Otto Graham was named the AAFC's Most Valuable Player in 1947 and shared the Most Valuable Player award with Frankie Albert of the San Francisco 49ers in 1948.

Otto Graham led the league in passing yards between 1947 and 1949.

Otto Graham became the Browns' uncontested leader, but he was "just one of the guys", tackle Mike McCormack said in 1999.

Otto Graham's short passes were hard and accurate, teammates later said, and his long balls were soft.

Otto Graham drove the offense downfield as time expired to set up a last-minute Groza field goal that sealed the win.

Cleveland had several long drives that ended with missed field goals, and a fourth-quarter touchdown was negated because Otto Graham's throw to Pete Brewster was first tipped by receiver Ray Renfro; under rules in place at the time, balls deflected by offensive teammates were automatic incompletions.

Otto Graham's helmet was fitted with a clear plastic face mask, and he came back into the game; the injury helped inspire the development of the modern face mask.

Otto Graham said after the game that he wanted to "jump off a building" for letting his teammates down.

Otto Graham told police that while he and Beverly liked the Sheppards, they did not know much about their relationship.

Otto Graham, meanwhile, told Brown that he would retire after the season.

Otto Graham was offered a salary of $25,000, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

Otto Graham was the NFL's passing leader and Most Valuable Player in 1955.

Otto Graham won the Hickok Belt, awarded to the best professional athlete of the year.

Otto Graham still holds the NFL career record for yards per pass attempt, averaging 8.63.

Otto Graham holds the record for the highest career winning percentage for an NFL starting quarterback, with 0.810.

Otto Graham was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

When Otto Graham retired from football, he planned to focus on managing the insurance and appliance businesses he owned.

However, in 1957 Otto Graham signed on as an assistant coach for the college squad in the annual College All-Star Game, a now-defunct exhibition contest between the NFL champion and a selection of the best collegiate players from around the country.

Otto Graham was offered coaching jobs in the NFL numerous times during his tenure at Coast Guard, but he said in 1964 that he was content to stay at the small school on a $9,000 salary.

Otto Graham said he deplored the "win at all costs philosophy" that was necessary to be successful in the professional ranks.

Otto Graham coached the college team in the College All-Star Game in 1970 for his tenth and final time.

Otto Graham was replaced in 1971 by Blanton Collier, who had retired after succeeding Brown as Cleveland's head coach.

In 1974, Otto Graham was named Coast Guard's football coach , although he resigned two years later to focus on his duties as athletic director.

An avid golfer and tennis player, Otto Graham partnered with New York Yankees great Joe DiMaggio in numerous golf tournaments later in life.

Otto Graham retired to a house on a golf course in Florida.

Otto Graham overcame colon cancer in 1977, but was later plagued by heart ailments and other health problems.

Otto Graham was diagnosed as being in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease in 2001, and died of a heart aneurysm in Sarasota, Florida, on December 17,2003.

Otto Graham had two sons and a daughter with his wife Beverly.