Paul Brown - A Football Life

[Double Barrel]

I've heard my whole life about Paul Brown and the impact that he had on the modern NFL.

But, I guess I never really absorbed it until last Friday when A Football Life did an episode on Paul Brown.

And after watching, I'm wondering what took NFL Films so long?!

There is no greater respect for a coach when legends like Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Bill Belichick, etc, are all talking about Paul Brown being the coach that they look up to.

He was the first coach to diagram plays into a playbook, first to use game film to scout opponents, first to hire a full-time staff of assistants, and invented the idea of organized scouting reports of college players (timing the 40 was one of his ideas). He invented the face mask, draw play, and practice squad. He actually started using a headset in a QBs helmet 40 years before the NFL adopted it.

Later he invented the West Coast offense with one of his young coordinators, Bill Walsh. He implemented practice schedules and the idea of testing his players to know the playbook. So much of what Paul Brown did are now routine aspects of ALL pro football teams.

He also played a pivotal role in breaking pro football's color barrier, a year before Jackie Robinson was in MLB (in face, Brown was used as an example by baseball execs).

I respect Lombardi, but honestly, the Super Bowl trophy should be called the Paul Brown award when you truly step back and understand his impact on today's game.

It was a a great episode of A Football Life that I highly recommend to any pro football fan.

 

[Mr teX]

Other than the one on Barry Sanders, this was the best episode of a football life to me..I knew a little about Paul Brown & what he did with Graham and the Browns..the whole Cleveland and Cincy saga..but i had no idea how much that guy influenced the game until i saw that. My Mt. rushmore of coach used to be Lombardi, Landry,Walsh and Shula...Safe to say i screwed the pooch on that :mariopalm:...Lombardi, Brown, Landry & Shula are my new rushmore...



It really is a travesty that the NFL has not done or named something after him to commemerate that guy's influence on the game..Like baseball does with Jackie Robinson day, they should do a Paul Brown day in the NFL for him or name the MVP trophy after him...something.

 

[Double Barrel]

Other than the one on Barry Sanders, this was the best episode of a football life to me..I knew a little about Paul Brown & what he did with Graham and the Browns..the whole Cleveland and Cincy saga..but i had no idea how much that guy influenced the game until i saw that. My Mt. rushmore of coach used to be Lombardi, Landry,Walsh and Shula...Safe to say i screwed the pooch on that :mariopalm:...Lombardi, Brown, Landry & Shula are my new rushmore...



It really is a travesty that the NFL has not done or named something after him to commemerate that guy's influence on the game..Like baseball does with Jackie Robinson day, they should do a Paul Brown day in the NFL for him or name the MVP trophy after him...something.

Well said, man. I agree completely on your Mt. Rushmore choices.

I remember the episode about Walsh and how he had developed the WCO with Paul Brown in Cincinnati out of necessity. But, even then, it did not click with me the impact that Paul Brown had on the modern game.

Friday night that changed. Dude is certainly up there with the greats you mentioned. I really like those kinds of episodes that teach the history. My favorite one was about the evolution of forward pass, but this one on Paul Brown comes in a close second along with the one about Landry. (Of course, I liked the ones about Earl and the '93 Oilers, but more for personal reasons of living those eras in Houston.)

I have read some speculation that Brown was not well liked because he was such a hard-ass, so maybe that helps shed some light on why there is not an annual award named in his honor. But, that needs to change. His impact on the game is astounding and should be recognized accordingly.