Hall of Fame
Position: Halfback
Years: 1941-1943
Place of Birth: Waukegan, IL
Date of Birth: Dec 06, 1921
Place of Death: Sarasota, FL
Date of Death: Dec 17, 2003
Jersey Number: 48
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
High School: Waukegan, IL (Waukegan Township HS)
Otto Graham was all-state in football and basketball at Waukegan, Illinois, High School. At Northwestern University he was All-America in football in 1943, All-America in basketball in 1944. "Automatic Otto" also won two letters in baseball and excelled as a musician, playing the violin, French horn and cornet. (His father was band director at Waukegan High). Northwestern's record in 1941-43, Graham's years, was 5-3, 1-9, 6-2. Graham was left halfback in a single-wing offense. He ran, passed, punted and place-kicked. In 1941, he returned a punt 93 yards against Kansas State. In 1942, his yardage on total offense, 1327, was a school record that lasted 20 years. His 61 points in 1943 set a school record that lasted 43 years. Graham served in the Navy in World War II. He became a pro quarterback with the Cleveland Browns 1946-55. In his ten years the Browns were league champions seven times, runners-up three times. He played pro basketball with the Rochester Royals in 1946 and they won the league title. Graham played in the 1943 and 1946 College All Star Games. He had a 97-yard touchdown run in 1943 and a 40- yard touchdown pass in 1946. He coached the U.S. Coast Guard Academy 1959-65, coached the Washington Redskins 1966-68, served as Coast Guard Academy Athletic Director 1970-84. Otto Graham in 1979 had cancer and overcame it. He became a lecturer on cancer detection methods. The title of his talk: "Check up before you give up." Graham was named to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He died December 17, 2003, at age 82.
