Aug. 11, 1964 - Otto Graham (right in 1947), who quarterbacked the Cleveland Browns to six consecutive Eastern Division championships (1950-55) and three NFL titles (1950-54-55) lashed out today against the Browns’ current star, Jim Brown (left).
“If I were the Browns’ coach, I would tell the fullback [Brown] that I would trade him if he didn’t block and fake,” Graham told a shocked audience at an NFL Hall of Fame luncheon. “The Browns will not win anything as long as Jim Brown is there. Now chew on that for a while.”
Graham, who is the coach of the Coast Guard Academy, didn’t dispute Brown’s great talents. “He’s a great athlete and he could block, but he doesn’t,” he said. “If I were coaching a pro team, I would have everyone pulling together.” However, Graham quickly added that he has no interest in coaching in the NFL. “I wouldn’t want to get involved in that rat race.”
Brown, who has led the NFL in rushing six of the seven years he’s been in the league, was reached in Stanford, Calif., where Cleveland is working out for Saturday’s exhibition game against the Rams.
“I feel that this isn’t important because Otto has no connection with pro football or the Browns,” Jim said. “I feel this is just like a statement from any football fan. And any fan has a right to his opinion.”
But reaction to Graham’s charges was swift and vehement from both Blanton Collier, coach of the Browns, and Art Modell, the team’s owner.
“Jim Brown has done everything he has been asked,” Collier said. “If there is criticism for him not blocking, it should be of me, not Brown. On pass protection, he does a good job. When halfback Ernie Green carries the ball, Jim blocks. I don’t want Brown to take the blame for not blocking. He does it when I ask him to.”
“It is obvious that Otto Graham is not the coach of the Browns,” Modell said. “The charge that Jim doesn’t fake is ridiculous. Against New York, he fakes quite a bit because we know their middle linebacker keys on him. That clears out the middle for the rest of the offense.”
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