Hall of Fame QB Otto Graham Dies at 82

[papau]

I only post this because I knew Otto Jr's Dad quite well - I did not know the rest of the family. But strong willed is an understatement for the Dad - and I liked him a lot - as a brillant teacher, and as a "friend". And I liked the idea that a non-jock like fat Otto Sr had the kid whose photo was on every wall of the athletic areas of the school!

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-FBN-Obit-Graham.html

Hall of Fame QB Otto Graham Dies at 82
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Filed at 10:02 p.m. ET
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Cleveland Browns to a championship game in every season he played, died Wednesday. He was 82.<snip>

``He was as great of a quarterback as there ever was,'' said longtime friend George Steinbrenner, who grew up in Cleveland. ``He was a god in Cleveland.''<snip>

Otto Everett Graham Jr. began setting records on the first day of his life in Waukegan, Ill. He weighed 14 pounds, 12 ounces at birth -- the state record for largest male.

The son of music teachers, Graham learned the piano, violin, cornet and became Illinois state champion in the French horn at age 16 -- when he also led his basketball conference in scoring.<snip>

[Faygo Kid]

1. RIP - one of the greats

Never saw him play, but his record speaks for itself. A long, and hopefully happy, life.