January 2 – Frank Ryan, the last quarterback to win an NFL championship with the Cleveland Browns, died on
Monday, aged 87.
He died in a Connecticut care facility after a struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, according to his family.
On December 27, 1964, Ryan threw three touchdown passes to Gary Collins in the NFL championship game in
Cleveland, defeating the Baltimore Colts 27-0.
Jim Brown, who died in May, led the Browns with 117 rushing yards that day. The Browns have not won a
championship since and have never made it to the Super Bowl.
Ryan was selected to three Pro Bowls during his seven seasons with the Browns, with a 52-22-2 record as a starter
from 1962 to 1968.
Ryan, a Texas native who thrived at Rice, began his career as the Los Angeles Rams’ fifth-round selection pick in
1958. He spent his first four seasons with the Rams, and his final two with the Washington Redskins (1969-70).
Ryan passed for 16,042 yards, 149 touchdowns, and 111 interceptions across 126 games (87 starts).
Ryan obtained a Ph.D. from Rice after his playing career and later taught mathematics. He spent ten years as Yale’s
athletic director.
