Tag: Frank Ryan

Frank Ryan, QB of the Browns’ last championship team, has died at 87

Cleveland Browns legendary QB and NFL champion Frank Ryan passed away at the age of 87.

Frank Ryan, former NFL Champion quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, died on Monday in a nursing home in Connecticut. Ryan was 87 years old and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

In a statement from the Ryan family, they believed Ryan suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). His family donated his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center. 

Ryan was known for his talents on the field and his intellect off of the gridiron. In the 1964 Championship game, Ryan threw three touchdown passes as the Browns dominated the Baltimore Colts. Half a year later, Ryan was awarded a doctorate in mathematics from Rice University. Ryan taught at Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) during the offseason while he played with the Browns.

Ryan played seven seasons for the Cleveland Browns before injuries ended his career short. He made three Pro Bowls during that time. He threw for over 13,000 yards, and 134 touchdowns during his tenure. His 29 touchdown passes in the 1966 season still rank second in franchise history. Ryan is one of the best quarterbacks in Cleveland Browns history.

Ryan is survived by his wife Joan Ryan, a former columnist for The Cleveland Plain Dealer; and four sons Frank Jr., Stuart, and Heberden.

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QB Frank Ryan, who led Browns to last championship, dies at 87

Cleveland Browns star QB from the ’60s Frank Ryan has died at 87

Frank Ryan, who quarterbacked the Cleveland Browns to the NFL championship in 1964, died Monday at a Connecticut nursing home.

Ryan was 87 and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Ryan threw three touchdown passes to Gary Collins as the Browns upset the Baltimore Colts 27-0 on Dec. 27, 1964.

Ryan played college football at Rice. He was a fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1958.

He spent four years as a Ram before being traded to Cleveland in 1962.

Ryan was 52-22-2 in seven seasons with the Browns.

His career ended with sparse duty in Washington from 1969-70.

The 7 best Browns players not in the Hall of Fame

Who are the 7 best Cleveland Browns not already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

The Cleveland Browns are well-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame down I-77 in Canton. There are 22 Hall of Famers who spent at least one season with the franchise, including founder/coach Paul Brown.

There are several other Browns alums who at least merit a conversation about Hall-of-Fame worthiness. At least one of these players will eventually earn enshrinement, but all are worth discussing. Here are the seven Cleveland Browns not currently in the Hall of Fame that have the best cases for getting in at some point.

Clay Matthews

(Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images)

It’s almost shameful that Matthews wasn’t part of the centennial class in 2020. He’s widely cited as one of the best players not already in the Hall, and has held that status for several years.

During his 16 seasons in Cleveland (1978-1993), Matthews was a model of consistent excellence. The Browns list Matthews as the team’s career sack leader with 76.5, although some of those were notched before sacks became an official NFL statistic in 1982.

Matthews made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team, but he was a player whose impact transcended the traditional statistics. He does have the stats too, however; Matthews led the NFL in total tackles four times and he’s the only player to log at least one 100-tackle season in three separate decades.

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