Frank Ryan (American football)

Frank Beall Ryan (July 12, 1936 – January 1, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams (1958–1961), Cleveland Browns (1962–1968), and Washington Redskins (1969–1970).

He played college football for the Rice Owls.

Given his desire to obtain a Ph.D., Ryan originally decided not to play professional football after the Los Angeles Rams chose him in the fifth round of the 1958 NFL Draft.

He changed his mind after he was able to enroll at both UCLA and the University of California, Berkeley in pursuit of an advanced degree.

Ryan then transferred back to Rice, where he studied during the off-season.

Ryan spent the first four years of his career primarily in a reserve capacity, making $12,000 per year.

He did start a handful of games in competition with Billy Wade and Zeke Bratkowski.

In 1961, he and future Hall of Famer Ollie Matson connected on a 96-yard touchdown reception, establishing a new team record.

However, after sitting on the bench for the last four games of the 1961 season, Ryan stormed into the dressing room and threatened General Manager Elroy Hirsch that he was going to quit football if he were not traded.

He became part of a multi-player deal with the Cleveland Browns on July 12, 1962, his 26th birthday, as the arrival of highly touted newcomer Roman Gabriel made Ryan expendable.

Acquired to back up starting quarterback Jim Ninowski, Ryan moved into the starting slot on October 28 when Ninowski broke his collarbone while being tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive lineman Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb.

With no other candidates to compete with, Ryan established his leadership and held on to the starting role for much of the next six seasons.

In his first full season as a starter, 1963, Ryan threw for 2,026 yards and 25 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions, helping the Browns to a 10–4 record.

Thirteen of those touchdowns went to Gary Collins, who tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns that year.

He threw for 2,404 yards and repeated his 1963 performance by completing 25 touchdown passes, which was enough to lead the league.

Ryan had excellent company on the Browns offense: fullback Jim Brown; wide receivers Gary Collins and Paul Warfield; and an outstanding offensive line which included Dick Schafrath, John Morrow, John Wooten, Monte Clark, and future Hall of Famer Gene Hickerson.

But Ryan was also a clutch performer during the Browns' memorable 10–3–1 season.

Needing a win in the December 12 regular season finale against the New York Giants to clinch a berth in the NFL title game, Ryan completed 12 of 13 passes for five touchdowns and ran for a sixth touchdown in the 52–20 win.

Two weeks later in the championship game against the Baltimore Colts, Ryan hit Collins for three touchdowns to win the title, 27–0.

Ryan was rewarded for his performance with the first of three straight Pro Bowl appearances.

Unfortunately, on the first play of the second half, he suffered a severe shoulder injury in the game after the combined 800-pound trio of Packer Willie Davis, Lion Roger Brown and Colt Gino Marchetti converged on the signal caller.

Speculation persists to this day that Marchetti went out of his way to injure Ryan due to the perception that the quarterback ran up the score in the championship, with Marchetti's statement that he wanted "one more shot" at Ryan also fueling the rumors.

However, a study of the film by Cleveland coaches in the weeks after the game exonerated Marchetti.

After winning the championship, Art Modell raised his salary to $25,000, up from about $18,000 per season.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection with Cleveland, Ryan led the Browns to their most recent National Football League title in 1964.

In 1964, Ryan established himself as one of the league's best passers.

Ryan's numbers dropped in 1965, throwing for only 1,751 yards and 18 touchdowns.

While his shoulder had completely healed, a sore elbow in training camp and an injured arch early in the regular season played a role in his completing fewer than half of his passes during the campaign.

Those struggles resulted in a continuing cool relationship with Browns' fans, who booed him often during home contests.

Part of Ryan's decline can also be traced to the absence of second-year wide receiver Paul Warfield, who missed much of the season after suffering a double fracture of the collarbone in the team's first exhibition game.

Despite this, the Browns reached the 1965 NFL Championship Game.

Facing the Packers, he went 8-of-18 for 115 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the 23–12 loss.

In 1966, he bounced back with a superb season, leading the league with 29 touchdown passes and finishing second with 2,976 yards despite playing with intense pain.

Ryan's output helped alleviate the absence of the legendary Jim Brown, who had retired prior to the start of training camp.

He was also a mathematician, serving as a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University from 1967 to 1974.

Ryan played football while attending R. L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas.

He was recruited by college coaches from across the country, including Bear Bryant, and he was admitted to Yale University.

Ryan declared a major in physics at Rice University, becoming the first in his family not to go to Yale.

He was unable to establish himself during the course of his collegiate career, splitting time behind center with King Hill, who was receiving most of the snaps.

His 29 touchdown passes in 14 games ranks second in Browns franchise history to Brian Sipe, who got 30 in a 16-game 1980 season.