Card: 1950 Bowman, Card #45

Team/Position: The Cleveland Browns / Quarterback

Cost: $15.50 for this snowed in version of one of the greatest rookie cards of all time

There were three or four cards that I genuinely thought I’d have no chance in hell of acquiring for a reasonable price.  The two big boys from the 1957 set, Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr, are almost impossible to acquire on the cheap regardless of condition — so they’ve been back-burnered.  Then there’s Topps’ 1965 version of Joe Namath, which literally offers no hope for eventual purchase.  Namath’s numbers don’t jump out at you, but when you’re the quarterback of the New York Jets and you captivated a nation of young people, your rookie card’s going to sit at 250 bucks with 24 bids and 4 days left in an eBay auction as a PSA5 .

Finally, there’s the 1950 Bowman rookie card of Cleveland’s Otto Graham. If you’re of the belief that a quarterback is the field general and should be judged based on his accomplishments rather than statistics: Otto Graham is the best quarterback of all-time, with very little room for argument.

Some people look at Montana and Bradshaw’s four Superbowls a piece or maybe Bart Starr’s epic courage under fire, but all Otto Graham did was win — something the Cleveland Browns haven’t done since his departure.  Graham’s career started with the Browns in 1946 after he finished his service with the U.S. Navy’s coast-guard division.  The legendary Paul Brown signed Graham to a 2-year deal paying him $7,500 per year to play with the AAFC’s Cleveland Browns.

Football History doesn’t look back kindly upon AAFC statistics, as it was generally considered an inferior league that produced meaningless statistics.  From 1946 until the 1950 merger, Otto Graham and his Cleveland Browns won four consecutive AAFC championships through utter domination.  In 1950 when the leagues merged, Otto Graham finally got his rookie card — a beautiful small Bowman, colour and all.

Graham also provided vindication for the AAFC in 1950 by leading the Cleveland Browns to the NFL Championship Game in their inaugural season.  Cleveland finished up the 1950 regular season with a 10-2 record with both loses coming courtesy of the New York Giants’ Umbrella defense (see. Emlen Tunnell). Graham would gain his revenge in the playoffs by defeating the Giants before leading a masterful drive against the Los Angeles Rams to win the NFL Championship for the Cleveland Browns.

In Graham’s six years with the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, he lead the team to six consecutive championship games (winning three).  If his AAFC career’s included, Graham lead the Browns to the title game in each of his 10 professional seasons: An accomplishment that’ll live on in the history books for eternity.

Graham’s four AAFC and three NFL titles place him amongst the most successful quarterbacks of all time; even if he is technically one NFL Championship short of matching Montana and Bradshaw.  Graham’s 57-13-1 record as a starter in the NFL represents the greatest winning percentage (81%) of all time for a starting quarterback.

Automatic Otto Graham or Otto-matic, also won an NBL Championship with the Rochester Royals, who would eventually become the Sacramento Kings,  in his only season of Professional Basketball.  Graham had an uncanny ability to excel in whatever athletic pursuit he engaged in, which will forever remain his legacy.

Graham was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 along with Sid Luckman, Steve Van Buren and Bob Waterfield, forming one of the best NFL HOF classes of all-time.

Graham’s statistics are nowhere near those of the great quarterbacks, but nary a soul could match his proficiency on the field.  It’s unfair to Graham to limit him solely to his NFL statistics, eliminating some of his best years because they occurred in the AAFC.  With Lou Groza and Marion Motley at his side, Otto Graham was the perfect vessel for Paul Brown’s version of Football.

Card: 1950 Bowman Football, Card #43

Team/Position: Cleveland Browns / Fullback

Cost: $30.00

The 1950 Bowman Gum Football set is one of the greatest sets of all time.  Prior to the 1950 season, the AAFC merged with the NFL and some of the all-time greats finally got their first rookie cards.  The Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers joined the NFL intact; meanwhile, the AAFC New York franchise was split evenly between the two NFL teams in New York.

The remainder of the AAFC players were dispersed evenly amongst the NFL franchises in a draft.  So there you have it, that’s why the 1950 Bowman set is absolutely loaded.

In the AAFC’s four year existence, Marion Motley and the Cleveland Browns won every championship.  When the AAFC shut down in 1949, Motley was the league’s all time leading rusher with 3,048 yards.

When Motley and the Browns joined the NFL, Marion Motley lead the league in rushing in his very first NFL season with 810 yards on 140 carries.  Motley averaged 5.8 yards per carry that year, averaging under a dozen carries per game.

No cards were produced for the AAFC, so Motley’s first card came when he was already 30 years old.  The front of the card makes Marion Motley look like an absolute beast, and at 6’1″ / 235lbs, he certainly was.  When you first look at the card, Motley’s number 76 and large stature make him look more like an offensive lineman than a fullback.

During a game against the Steelers in 1950, Motley rushed for a staggering 188 yards on only 11 carries: In turn, setting a yards per carry average record of 17 yards per attempt.

When it comes to the best runningback of all-time, Marion Motley’s definitely in the conversation with Jim Brown, Walter Peyton and Barry Sanders.

Motley was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

Card: 1967 Philadelphia Football Card #43

Team/Position: Cleveland Browns / Runningback

Cost: $13.00

For some reason, this card eluded me for a good chunk of time.  When I finally saw one on eBay, I pounced all over it.  I probably ended up overpaying for a GAI graded 2, but at least I’m able to check it off the list.

Leroy Kelly was drafted by the Browns in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft; seven rounds after Paul Warfield.  Kelly went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Browns, while Warfield went on to do the same with the Dolphins.

After becoming the starting runningback in 1966, Leroy went on to amass three consecutive 1000-yard seasons.  1966 was also the start of Kelly’s streak of six consecutive Pro Bowl and five consecutive All Pro selections.  Kelly was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1970, but failed to make the First-Team All American squad that year.

Kelly lead the league in rushing yards in ’67 and ’68 and rushing touchdowns in ’67 through ’69.

Kelly was blessed with a great combination of acceleration, balance and evasiveness, which allowed him to excel in the less than ideal conditions of Cleveland.

Kelly was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, yet is still often overlooked in the grand scheme of things.  Kelly piled up terrific yardage numbers, yet many are beginning to fall to the wayside as the NFL trudges along with it’s evolution.

Card: 1959 Topps Football Card #140

Team/Position: Halfback, Flanker / Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns

Cost: $9.00

Bobby Mitchell was yet another incredible athlete from the prestigious Big-10 conference.  This time, rather than ranting and raving about Ohio State, we’re taking a trek westward to visit Champaign, Illinois, and their Fightin’ Illini.   Mitchell was a half-back for the Illini, but didn’t start until late in his sophomore season.  Mitchell finished up the season with a bang, but lost the majority of his junior year due to knee injuries.  His senior season was successful, but he failed to match his First Team All-American performance of just two years previous.

Mitchell’s athleticism landed him an offer from the St. Louis Cardinals to play baseball before even attending the University of Illinois.  Mitchell obviously declined and subsequently starred on the track and field team where his Olympic aspirations were born.

After the Browns drafted Mitchell in the 7th round of the 1958 Draft, Paul Brown had to contend with Mitchell’s Olympic dreams.  Brown’s offer of a $7000 salary was enough to change Mitchell’s mind and set the stage for arguably the best one-two combination that the game’s ever seen: Bobby Mitchell and Jim Brown.

Mitchell had track speed and unbelievable “make-ya-miss” potential.  Brown had the “make-yah-wish-yah-missed” skill that made him arguably the best player ever to have put on a helmet.

The combination was broken up in 1962 when the Washington Redskins underwent a drastic transformation.  The ‘Skins were under tremendous pressure to integrate the team by the local media and even congress, which lead to the eventual acquisition of Bobby Mitchell.  The ‘Skins had drafted Heisman winner, Ernie Davis, with the number one pick but traded him to the Browns for Mitchell and Leroy Jackson.

In one of the saddest stories ever told by the NFL (and eventually the silver screen,) Davis was the first African American to win the Heisman; However, Davis  succumbed to leukemia before ever playing a down of football in the National Football League.

The Redskins and Bill McPeak saw Mitchell as better suited for the outside and switched him to Flanker.  In Mitchell’s first year, he went off for — check this — 72 receptions, 1384 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Mitchell was absolutely Dyn-o-mite.

Throughout the remainder of his career with the Redskins, Mitchell would never catch fewer than 58 passes in a year, despite being returned to his original half-back position in 1967 by new head-coach, Otto Graham.  When Mitchell retired after the 1968 season, his 14,078 combined yards was the second highest total in NFL history.

Mitchell was truly special in every aspect of the game. As a returner, Mitchell would end up returning almost 5% of kickoffs for touchdowns, which ranks fourth in NFL history.  As a runner, Mitchell was blessed with the break-away potential that few runningbacks, let alone defenders, could ever match.  As a receiver, Mitchell managed almost 8000 yards receiving despite spending a large portion of his career in the backfield.

Mitchell was inducted into the HOF in 1983 after being on the ballot for 10 years.

Seriously, 10 years.

Card: 1965 Philadelphia Football Card #41

Team/Position: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins / Split End, Wide Receiver

Cost: $20

The 1965 Philadelphia Football Set is absolutely gorgeous and as far as I can tell, it was the first set to place the NFL Shield on the front of the card.  Upper Deck released their very own version of Philadelphia Football in 2009, which stayed fairly true to form, but was modeled after the ’64 set.

Anyways, onto yet another famous Ohio State Alum, Paul Warfield.  Warfield came out of Ohio State as a two-time Big-10 Halfback of the year, along with being a critical part of Ohio State track team.  Warfield was blazing fast and as smooth as anyone in the game. 

The Cleveland Browns drafted Warfield in the first round of the ’64 draft with the 11th overall selection.  Warfield was immediately switched into a wide-receiver, as Cleveland just happened to have a man by the name of Jim Brown in the backfield.  Along with Warfield, the Cleveland Browns took a young LeRoy Kelly (Who I’ll feature later) in the 7th round of the 1964 Draft.

A silky smooth runner with blazing speed, Warfield was born to be a part of the vertical passing game.  In his first year with the Browns, Warfield caught 52 balls for 920 yards and 9 touchdowns.  The Browns eventually won the NFL Championship that year and Warfield was voted to the Pro Bowl for his part.  Warfield would go on to earn eight Pro Bowl Selections and six All Pro Selections after winning both awards in his rookie year.

In 1970, Warfield was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a draft pick in what’s still considered a rather controversial trade.  Warfield would go onto play in three Superbowls with the Miami Dolphins, winning two of them (vs. Washington and vs. Minnesota).

The Dolphins were a run oriented team during Warfield’s career, so his numbers are a testament to his athletic ability.  It seems like every year a new receiver is surpassing ten-thousand yards, yet Warfield finished his career with only 8565 yards and 85 touchdowns and is in the HOF.

It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how players like Warfield hold up against the new generation of receivers.  Warfield had the it factor that HOF voters look for, but fewer and fewer fans will remember just how terrific he was on the field.  I suppose it’s up to the NFL and the NFL FILMS department to keep everyone’s memory fresh.

As long as the 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated team, people will remember Paul Warfield.  If you were curious how Warfield did in the lowest scoring Superbowl of all time — He caught three balls for thirty-seven yards.

Warfield went back to Cleveland to finish up his career, and continues to work for the Browns as a Scouting Consultant.

Card: 1958 Topps Football Card #62

Team/Position:Cleveland Browns / Runningback

Cost: About 80 Bucks

I probably overpaid as this is topping out at a PSA 3, but more likely we’re dealing with the 1 to 2 range.  But Goshdarnit, what a card!

The ’58 version of Topps included Brown’s first card, but the design itself isn’t all that stunning.

It’s definitely beautiful in it’s simplicity, but if you’re looking for a “Holy Shit!” card of Jim Brown, it’s Topps’ next endeavor:

1959 Topps really makes Brown look regally badass which is exactly how the man played the game.  The 1958 card produced in Brown’s second year is a beautiful photo, but the 1959-version pictures a man that could run you and your entire family over.  The 1959-version can be had at a very reasonable price and I’m sure I’ll be grabbing one at some point.

What Made Jimmy Brown Special?

Anyone who’s watched a football game knows Jim Brown’s story:  NFL HOF, NCAA HOF, Lacrosse HOF.

Brown was without a doubt, the best runningback ever to lace up a pair of cleats.  Many of his records have been broken, but comparing greats like Sweetness, or Emmitt Smith is blasphemy.  The only runningback that’s within an earshot of Jim Brown was Barry Sanders, who we’ll get to later.

Brown’s Accolades

9 Pro Bowls in 9 Epic Seasons.

3 NFL MVPs in 9 Seasons.

12,312 Career Yards with a 5.2YPC average.

106 Touchdowns (on the ground)

Basically, everyone knows everything about Brown, right?

I find it somewhat repetitive to rant and rave about Brown’s power running style, so instead I’ll tell one of my favorite stories.

Coming into the 1957 draft, Cleveland was falling on it’s face on route to an eventual 5-and-7 finish.  Otto Graham had retired after the ’55 season and Cleveland needed a Quarterback — Paul Brown needed a Quarterback!

Paul Brown was eying Len Dawson, Big-10 Quarterback extraordinaire from Purdue. One problem, though; The Pittsburgh Steelers picked before the Browns and they needed a quarterback too. The Steelers eventually got their man and while Dawson eventually went on to have a HOF-career, much like Johnny Unitas, it was with another team.

Without Dawson on the board, Paul Brown had no choice but to select Jim Brown out of Syracuse university.

It’s strange to think of everything in context, but maybe the Philadephia Eagles select Brown instead of Clarence Peaks.  The entire story can be found here.

What’s Brown Up To These Days?

Brown’s doing his thing:

..and quite honestly, it still looks as though the man could suit up for half the teams in the NFL.

Brown’s currently an executive adviser for the youngins at his former team.  In addition, he’s still working hard with his Amer-I-Can program, which definitely deserves a shout-out.