Frank Ryan, the quarterback who steered the Cleveland Browns to their most recent NFL championship in 1964, has passed away at the age of 87 in Cleveland.
The team said Ryan died Monday at a nursing home in Connecticut. There was no immediate cause of death given, but Ryan’s son, Frank Ryan Jr., told Cleveland.com that his father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
On December 27, 1964, Ryan surprised everyone by throwing three touchdown passes to Gary Collins, leading the Browns to a stunning 27-0 victory over the favored Baltimore Colts, led by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas. Since then, Cleveland has not been able to win a football championship and is among the four teams that have never made it to the Super Bowl.
Nonetheless, the Browns were a consistent powerhouse in the early to mid-1960s, thanks to Ryan and Hall of Fame running backs Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.
Ryan, who obtained a doctorate in mathematics from Rice, worked for the U.S. House of Representatives after his playing career.
Ryan, a three-time Pro Bowler, spent seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns and compiled a 52-22-2 record as a starting player.
Despite Cleveland relying heavily on Brown and later Kelly for victories through their ground game, Ryan stood out as one of the league’s leading passers, throwing a minimum of 25 TD passes in three seasons. In addition to playing for Cleveland, he also played for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins before retiring post the 1970 season.
While playing for the Browns, Ryan pursued his Ph.D. at Rice. He later became a professor at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland and served as Yale’s athletic director for a decade, where he also instructed in mathematics.
Ryan remained in the nation’s capital after his stint playing for Washington. He served as the director of information services for Congress and contributed to the creation of the body’s inaugural electronic voting system.
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