AAFC Browns influence on the 1960's AFL.

[Saban1]

How much did the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Conference (1946-49) influence the American Football League of the 1960's? Maybe quite a bit.

Once the AFL got started in 1960, the teams naturally wanted to win. So, the most successful team in any new football league was the Cleveland Browns of the AAFC from 1946 through 1949 that only lost 4 games in 4 years. The Browns also won all 4 championships of the old AAFC. Therefore, some teams owners apparently got the idea that who would know more about starting a new team in a new league than people that played on those Browns teams, especially people that played on that original Cleveland team in 1946.

Two of the eight new AFL teams in 1960 hired head coaches that played on that 1946 Browns team, Lou Saban at Boston and Lou Rymkus at Houston. The Houston Oilers also hired former Cleveland end Mac Speedie, who also played on the 1946 Browns team, as an assistant coach. Saban lasted 2 years at Boston, but then became the head coach at Buffalo where he led the Bills to American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965. Rymkus' Houston Oilers won the original AFL Championship in 1960, but Lou lost his head coaching job in Houston after the Oilers got off to a bad start in 1961.

As for assistants, Tom Catlin was the defensive line coach for the Dallas Texans in 1960 and for a few more years before joining Chuck Knox and was maybe his top assistant for many years at Los Angeles, Buffalo, and Seattle. Catlin had been a linebacker on those Otto Graham Browns teams during the early 1950's.

50's Cleveland Browns G/LB Chuck Noll assisted Sid Gilman at Los Angeles in 1960 and San Diego for a few years after before joining Don Shula at Baltimore later and becoming the head coach with the Steelers where his teams won 4 Super Bowls.

Weeb Ewbank became head coach of the New York Jets in 1963, and his Jets were the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl. Ewbank had been an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns when they played in the AAFC and after they joined the NFL in 1950. Ewbank later became head coach of the Baltimore Colts and his team won NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959.

Former Cleveland end (1952-58) Darrell Brewster joined the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff (receivers coach) around 1963 and was an assistant there for several years, including 1966 when the Chiefs won the AFL Championship and in 1969 when Kansas City won the AFL title and went on to beat Minnesota in the Super Bowl, 23 to 7.

[Rupert Patrick]

I think at that point (1960-early 60's), the Browns players of the championship years were retiring along with those who came along later but were very smart young men (Chuck Noll and Don Shula) who studied under Brown and were breaking into the coaching ranks. The AAFC Browns and later Browns players who were Paul Brown proteges like Shula and Noll were just getting ready to spread their influence on pro football. With eight new teams coming along in 1960 thanks to the AFL, there were a lot of job openings and these guys filled a good number of the openings. Even if the AFL had never come along, I think these former Browns like Chuck Noll would have found their way to a coaching job in the NFL, or at the very least a major university, where I think they would have been successful to the point where the NFL would have taken notice.

[Saban1]

I think at that point (1960-early 60's), the Browns players of the championship years were retiring along with those who came along later but were very smart young men (Chuck Noll and Don Shula) who studied under Brown and were breaking into the coaching ranks. The AAFC Browns and later Browns players who were Paul Brown proteges like Shula and Noll were just getting ready to spread their influence on pro football. With eight new teams coming along in 1960 thanks to the AFL, there were a lot of job openings and these guys filled a good number of the openings. Even if the AFL had never come along, I think these former Browns like Chuck Noll would have found their way to a coaching job in the NFL, or at the very least a major university, where I think they would have been successful to the point where the NFL would have taken notice.

I think you are right. Most of those former Browns mentioned probably would have found coaching jobs somewhere, whether there was an AFL in the 60's or not.

Be that as it may, I think that the players and a coach (Ewbank) from those early Browns teams did have quite an influence on the 1960's American Football League.

[BD Sullivan]

Noll actually retired to take the Chargers DL job on 2/2/60. He was only 28 at the time.

While not AFL related, when Blanton Collier went from the Browns to coach at Kentucky, he helped jump-start a lot of major coaching careers like Shula, Bill Arnsparger, Howard Schnellenberger and Chuck Knox.

[Saban1]

Actually, when Lamar Hunt and others started the AFL in 1960, Hunt had no illusions of competing on the field with the NFL right away, unlike the earlier AAFC. The AFL had a draft that was aimed at equality between the AFL teams, and also getting players that would get fans interested in the different teams. After the draft, Hunt said "We accomplished exactly what we wanted. We were striving primarily for equalization, and we did a good job in that respect."

There was also a territorial draft in which every team got one player from their area. Houston did pretty well in that part of the draft getting much sought after college All-American back Billy Cannon, who was thought to be a sure fire star and draw in the new league. Hunt's team, the Dallas Texans, took quarterback Don Meredith, but Dandy Don signed with the NFL Cowboys instead. This draft was held before most of the teams even had a coaching staff.

Of course, once the teams were formed and had coaching staffs, it was every team for themselves, with the object of winning as much as possible

[rhickok1109]

The AAFC had a great big advantage over all of the other leagues that have challenged the NFL: Because of World War II, they basically had four years' worth of college players available. There were hundreds of players who graduated, or would have graduated, in 1943, 1944, 1945, and 1946 and had never signed with an NFL team. Many of them had college eligibility remaining but were available to play pro football because their classes had graduated.

Paul Brown had a further advantage in that he had coached college football at Ohio State and service football at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, so he had seen a lot of the talent that was available.

Some examples of how this all helped Brown: Lou Groza had played freshman football at Ohio State and had three years of eligibility left. Dante Lavelli had played on Brown's national championship team as a sophomore in 1942 and had two years of eligibility left. Bill Willis had also played for that championship team as a junior. He graduated in 1944 but drew no interest from the NFL because he was black. Marion Motley played for Brown at Great Lakes. Brown coached against Otto Graham, who led Northwestern to an upset of Ohio State in 1941 and an upset of the Great Lakes team in 1944, so he was well aware of Graham's abilities. Brown wanted Graham to quarterback his T-formation offense, even though Graham had been a single-wing tailback in college. Mac Speedie was on the Fort Warren, Wyoming, military team that played against Brown's Great Lakes team.

So, much as AFL teams might have tried to copy Paul Brown's methods for creating a successful team from scratch, he had some advantages that they couldn't hope to duplicate.

[Saban1]

Also, Horace Gillom, Lin Houston, and Tommy James all played on Paul Brown's high school team at Massillon, Ohio. Yes, the AAFC had more players to choose from when they started in 1946. However, I was planning to make a different point.

The AFL, unlike the AAFC, had a draft in 1960 in order to prevent one team from dominating the league as the Browns had the AAFC. The object was to make the teams as equal as possible whereas the AAFC teams in 1946 just went out and signed as many of the best players that they could. Many people blamed the Browns domination for ruining the AAFC, but I personally don't agree.

Despite striving to have so much equality, the Houston Oilers played in the first 3 AFL championship games and won the first two, despite having three different head coaches for those years. If they had been able to keep their 2nd head coach, Wally Lemm, they might have kept dominating the AFL much like Cleveland had dominated the AAFC. Also, the Chargers played in the AFL championship 5 of the first 6 years of the league. So much for equalization.

The AAFC Browns had the most competition from the 49ers and the New York Yankees. 49ers head coach Buck Shaw had a similar advantage as Paul Brown because he had been a college coach in California and knew a lot of good players from the West Coast. The New York Yankees brought most of a whole NFL team into the AAFC and had a head coach, Ray Flaherty, who had been a very successful coach for the Washington Redskins.

[BD Sullivan]

Despite striving to have so much equality, the Houston Oilers played in the first 3 AFL championship games and won the first two, despite having three different head coaches for those years. If they had been able to keep their 2nd head coach, Wally Lemm, they might have kept dominating the AFL much like Cleveland had dominated the AAFC. Also, the Chargers played in the AFL championship 5 of the first 6 years of the league. So much for equalization.

Lemm quit so he could be closer to his home in Illinois(?), although working for Bud Adams was probably no picnic, either. I always found it odd that the Oilers and Cardinals "traded" head coaches, with Pop Ivy coming to the OIlers. I can't understand what made Ivy so appealing, considering he was 15-31-2 with the Cardinals and had gotten fired with two games left in the 61 season. Sammy Baugh had actually been Adams' first choice, which was ironic considering that Adams screwed over Ivy in June 1964 by firing him and hiring Baugh--who Ivy had just hired as an assistant. The other candidate was Kansas HC Jack Mitchell. Why? Because Adams was a graduate of Kansas and was good friends with Mitchell.

[SixtiesFan]

Also, Horace Gillom, Lin Houston, and Tommy James all played on Paul Brown's high school team at Massillon, Ohio. Yes, the AAFC had more players to choose from when they started in 1946. However, I was planning to make a different point.

The AFL, unlike the AAFC, had a draft in 1960 in order to prevent one team from dominating the league as the Browns had the AAFC. The object was to make the teams as equal as possible whereas the AAFC teams in 1946 just went out and signed as many of the best players that they could. Many people blamed the Browns domination for ruining the AAFC, but I personally don't agree.

Despite striving to have so much equality, the Houston Oilers played in the first 3 AFL championship games and won the first two, despite having three different head coaches for those years. If they had been able to keep their 2nd head coach, Wally Lemm, they might have kept dominating the AFL much like Cleveland had dominated the AAFC. Also, the Chargers played in the AFL championship 5 of the first 6 years of the league. So much for equalization.

The AAFC Browns had the most competition from the 49ers and the New York Yankees. 49ers head coach Buck Shaw had a similar advantage as Paul Brown because he had been a college coach in California and knew a lot of good players from the West Coast. The New York Yankees brought most of a whole NFL team into the AAFC and had a head coach, Ray Flaherty, who had been a very successful coach for the Washington Redskins.

I recall reading Wells Twombly's 1972 biography of George Blanda. Twombly wrote that Blanda was very much in demand when the AFL was being formed due to being the best veteran QB available as a free agent. The point was whichever AFL team signed Blanda, providing they had a good enough supporting cast, was likely to win the league title.

[Saban1]

Also, Horace Gillom, Lin Houston, and Tommy James all played on Paul Brown's high school team at Massillon, Ohio. Yes, the AAFC had more players to choose from when they started in 1946. However, I was planning to make a different point.

The AFL, unlike the AAFC, had a draft in 1960 in order to prevent one team from dominating the league as the Browns had the AAFC. The object was to make the teams as equal as possible whereas the AAFC teams in 1946 just went out and signed as many of the best players that they could. Many people blamed the Browns domination for ruining the AAFC, but I personally don't agree.

Despite striving to have so much equality, the Houston Oilers played in the first 3 AFL championship games and won the first two, despite having three different head coaches for those years. If they had been able to keep their 2nd head coach, Wally Lemm, they might have kept dominating the AFL much like Cleveland had dominated the AAFC. Also, the Chargers played in the AFL championship 5 of the first 6 years of the league. So much for equalization.

The AAFC Browns had the most competition from the 49ers and the New York Yankees. 49ers head coach Buck Shaw had a similar advantage as Paul Brown because he had been a college coach in California and knew a lot of good players from the West Coast. The New York Yankees brought most of a whole NFL team into the AAFC and had a head coach, Ray Flaherty, who had been a very successful coach for the Washington Redskins.

I recall reading Wells Twombly's 1972 biography of George Blanda. Twombly wrote that Blanda was very much in demand when the AFL was being formed due to being the best veteran QB available as a free agent. The point was whichever AFL team signed Blanda, providing they had a good enough supporting cast, was likely to win the league title.

I think that is true. Blanda was probably considered the best available veteran quarterback. There was Babe Parilli, but Parilli backed up rookie quarterback Tom Flores for Oakland in 1960. Then there was Jack Kemp, Cotton Davidson, and Frank Tripucka. Houston also got Heisman trophy winner Billy Cannon, which didn't hurt. Cannon was also the first overall pick in the 1960 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams.