1964 Cleveland Browns season
Encyclopedia
The 1964
Cleveland Browns
season was the team's 15th season with the National Football League
. The Browns' championship is the most recent championship by a professional sports team in the Cleveland area
.
who had their best season since their 1959 championship season, and had a star-studded lineup with the likes of Johnny Unitas
, Lenny Moore
, John Mackey
, and Raymond Berry
. But the Browns had home field advantage and the best fans in the NFL. After a scoreless first half, the Browns exploded for 27 unanswered points, and wide receiver Gary Collins became the unsung hero of the game, as he caught 2 critical touchdown passes, as the Browns shocked the football world by beating the Colts and earned their fourth (as of 2011) and most recent NFL championship.
27, Baltimore Colts
0
Scoring
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was the team's 15th season with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The Browns' championship is the most recent championship by a professional sports team in the Cleveland area
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
.
The Upset Heard 'Round Pro Football World
The Browns were not expected to win the NFL Championship when they faced the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
who had their best season since their 1959 championship season, and had a star-studded lineup with the likes of Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
, Lenny Moore
Lenny Moore
Leonard Edward Moore is a former American football halfback who played for Penn State in college and the Baltimore Colts. He came to the Colts in 1956, and had a productive first pro season and was named the NFL Rookie of The Year...
, John Mackey
John Mackey (American football)
John Mackey was an American Football tight end who grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island and played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers . He played college football at Syracuse University...
, and Raymond Berry
Raymond Berry
Raymond Emmett Berry is a former football wide receiver. He played for the Baltimore Colts during their two NFL championship wins. He later had a career in coaching, highlighted by his trip to Super Bowl XX as head coach of the New England Patriots...
. But the Browns had home field advantage and the best fans in the NFL. After a scoreless first half, the Browns exploded for 27 unanswered points, and wide receiver Gary Collins became the unsung hero of the game, as he caught 2 critical touchdown passes, as the Browns shocked the football world by beating the Colts and earned their fourth (as of 2011) and most recent NFL championship.
NFL Draft
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Paul Warfield Paul Warfield Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :... |
Wide Receiver | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... |
| 2 | 26 | Billy Truax | Defensive End | LSU LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as... |
| 4 | 54 | Don Shackelford | Tackle | Pacific Pacific Tigers football The Pacific Tigers football team represented University of the Pacific in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team competed in the Big West Conference during their last season in 1995... |
| 5 | 67 | Dick Klein | Tackle | Wichita State |
| 7 | 95 | Sammy Odom | Linebacker | Northwestern (LA) State |
| 8 | 110 | Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.... |
Running Back | Morgan State |
| 9 | 123 | John Briscoe | Linebacker | Arizona Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:... |
| 10 | 135 | Bobby Robinson | Guard | Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
| 10 | 138 | Dick Van Raaphorst | Kicker | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... |
| 11 | 151 | Eddie Versprille | Fullback | Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide football |TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team... |
| 12 | 166 | Ed Mitchell | Tackle | Southern Southern Jaguars football The Southern Jaguars are the college football team representing the Southern University. The Jaguars play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.-National championships:*1948*1949*1950*1952*1954*1957... |
| 13 | 179 | Bob Meehan | Guard | Syracuse Syracuse Orange football The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision... |
| 14 | 194 | Terry Sieg | Running Back | Virginia Virginia Cavaliers football Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 15 | 207 | John Houtman | Tackle | Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
| 16 | 222 | Sid Williams Sid Williams Sidney Williams is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Southern University.Williams grew up in Houston, Texas and graduated from Phillis... |
End | Southern Southern Jaguars football The Southern Jaguars are the college football team representing the Southern University. The Jaguars play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.-National championships:*1948*1949*1950*1952*1954*1957... |
| 17 | 235 | Larry Bartolameolli | Tackle | Western Michigan Western Michigan Broncos football The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I and the Mid-American Conference . Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played three games in their inaugural season... |
| 18 | 250 | Sherman Lewis | Defensive Back | Michigan State Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
| 19 | 263 | Jim Higgins | Guard | Xavier |
| 20 | 278 | Dave Archer | Tackle | Syracuse Syracuse Orange football The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision... |
Exhibition schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9, 1964 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 26–7 |
| 2 | August 15, 1964 | at Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 56–31 |
| 3 | August 22, 1964 | vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... at Akron Akron, Ohio Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan... |
W 42–7 |
| 4 | August 28, 1964 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 35–14 |
| 5 | September 5, 1964 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 20–17 |
Regular season schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13, 1964 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 27–13 |
| 2 | September 20, 1964 | St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
T 33–33 |
| 3 | September 27, 1964 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28–20 |
| 4 | October 4, 1964 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 27–6 |
| 5 | October 10, 1964 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 23–7 |
| 6 | October 18, 1964 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 20–16 |
| 7 | October 25, 1964 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 42–20 |
| 8 | November 1, 1964 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 30–17 |
| 9 | November 8, 1964 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 34–24 |
| 10 | November 15, 1964 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 37–21 |
| 11 | November 22, 1964 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 28–21 |
| 12 | November 29, 1964 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 38–24 |
| 13 | December 6, 1964 | at St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–19 |
| 14 | December 12, 1964 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 52–20 |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 27, 1964 | Baltimore Colts History of the Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls.... |
W 27–0 |
Standings
| NFL Eastern Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Cleveland Browns | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 415 | 293 | W-1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals 1964 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season The 1964 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 45th year with the National Football League and the 5th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-NFL Playoff Bowl: -References:**... |
9 | 3 | 2 | .750 | 357 | 331 | W-4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles 1964 Philadelphia Eagles season -Offseason:Joe Kuharich is hired as Head Coach after he leaves Notre Dames. He is still their only head coach with a lifetime losing record while coaching there, going 17 – 23 in 4 years. Owner Jerry Wolman give Kuharich a unheard of contract of $1 million over 15 years... |
6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 312 | 313 | L-1 |
| Washington Redskins 1964 Washington Redskins season The 1964 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 3-11 record from 1963.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 307 | 305 | L-2 |
| Dallas Cowboys 1964 Dallas Cowboys season The 1964 Dallas Cowboys season was their fifth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 4–10, winning five games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:... |
5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 250 | 289 | W-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers 1964 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 1964 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the 32nd in franchise history. The team played all of their home games at Pitt Stadium, and won five games, while losing nine, resulting in a fifth-place finish in the NFL Eastern Conference... |
5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 253 | 315 | L-1 |
| New York Giants 1964 New York Giants season The 1964 New York Giants season was the 40th season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:* *... |
2 | 10 | 2 | .167 | 241 | 399 | L-4 |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen
John Wooten John B. Wooten is a former American football guard who played nine professional seasons in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins... G Dale Memmelaar Dale Edward Memmelaar is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore Colts... G Gene Hickerson Robert Gene Hickerson was a former American Football offensive guard who played for the Cleveland Browns in a fifteen-year career from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1973. Hickerson was a six-time Pro Bowler from 1965 to 1970... G Monte Clark Monte Dale Clark was an American football player who served as head coach for two National Football League teams: the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions.-College career:... T Roger Shoals Roger Shoals is a former American football player who played nine seasons in the NFL.He currently is 1/3 owner of a Cadillac dealership in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, known as Kutztown Auto Company.... T Dick Schafrath Richard Philip "Dick" Schafrath is a retired offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, former Ohio State Senator and author. During his tenure as an athlete, he won a national football championship with the 1957 Ohio State University Buckeyes and the 1964 NFL Championship with the Cleveland Browns... T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Galen Fiss Galen Fiss is a former American football linebacker who played eleven seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. Fiss was captain on Cleveland’s NFL championship team in 1964. Fiss, who had Alzheimer's disease, died of cardiac arrest in 2006.... OLB Vince Costello Vincent Costello is a former American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants... MLB Mike Lucci Mike Lucci is a former National Football League player for the Cleveland Browns for 3 seasons from 1962 to 1964 and 9 seasons with the Detroit Lions from 1965 to 1973. Lucci played collegiately at the University of Tennessee and for one year at the University of Pittsburgh.He was a 6'2", 230-pound... MLB Sid Williams Sidney Williams is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Southern University.Williams grew up in Houston, Texas and graduated from Phillis... OLB Jim Houston James Edward "Jim" Houston is a former American football linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.... OLB/DE Defensive Backs
Special Teams
Rookies in italics |
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NFL Championship Game
Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
27, Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
0
Scoring
- CLE – FG GrozaLou GrozaLouis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
43 - CLE – Collins 18 yard pass from Ryan (Groza kick)
- CLE – Collins 42 yard pass from Ryan (Groza kick)
- CLE – FG Groza 9
- CLE – Collins 51 yard pass from Ryan (Groza kick)
Awards and records
- Jim Brown, NFL Rushing Leader, (1,446 yards)
- Frank Ryan, NFL Leader, Touchdown Passes, (25)