The Cleveland Browns are a story of two halves. From 1946 to 1995, the franchise captured eight professional soccer titles, tied with the New York Soccer Giants for the third most behind the Inexperienced Bay Packers (13) and Chicago Bears (9).
The Browns maintain the report for many consecutive appearances within the league championship sport with 10 straight, profitable seven titles.
RELATED: WR GARY COLLINS INTERVIEW
Cleveland merged into the NFL for the 1950 season. The NFL commissioner, Bert Bell, had said that the NFL’s worst group may defeat its league’s champion any day of the week. “Their league” was the rival entity, the All-America Soccer Convention. Of their first NFL sport, the Browns destroyed the reigning NFL champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. At season’s finish, Cleveland defeated the Los Angeles Rams for his or her first NFL title.
The primary half of the Browns historical past was additionally among the best groups within the league within the Eighties, going to 3 AFC Championship Video games, shedding all of them. Below Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland went to the playoffs all 4 years he was put in as head coach.
Invoice Belichick obtained the Browns again to the playoffs in 1994 with an 11-5-0 report. The “Pro Football Issue” of Sports activities Illustrated predicted that the Browns and the Dallas Cowboys would play within the following Tremendous Bowl. As an alternative, Cleveland introduced plans to relocate to Baltimore.
Offensive sort out Roger Shoals of the Maryland Terrapins (Credit score: College of Maryland Athletics)
So, for the second half, after the brand new Browns got here on scene in 1999, there’s an countless line of beginning quarterbacks, head coaches, GMs, shedding seasons, and just a few playoff appearances.
The final championship for the Browns was in 1964. Roger Shoals was a second-year offensive sort out on that roster.
Blanton Collier had been Paul Brown’s offensive thoughts because the group started in 1946. Collier left Cleveland from 1954 to 1961 to turn into the top coach on the College of Kentucky, then returned to the Browns for the 1962 season. Cleveland completed 7-6-1, their fourth straight yr to overlook the playoffs. Browns proprietor Artwork Modell then fired Brown from his head teaching place, and moved him to the group’s Vice President. Subsequent, he moved Collier to go coach.
Shoals (6’-4”, 260 kilos) performed faculty sports activities on the College of Maryland after a brief stint within the Military. In soccer, he was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Convention choice, plus he was additionally a two-time ACC heavyweight wrestling champion.
He grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, and attended Norwalk Excessive College, the place he performed soccer and intramural volleyball. As was the customized in these days, Shoals was a two-way lineman for the Inexperienced and White who was named First Staff All-State and was voted a highschool All-American in his senior yr.
1972 Sunoco Stamps – Roger Shoals (no quantity)
After a standout collegiate profession at Maryland, he was drafted by the Dallas Texans of the American Soccer League and the Browns of the NFL. Shoals spent his first two seasons in Cleveland, then was traded to the Detroit Lions for six years, and eventually was traded to the Denver Broncos for a single season. In his nine-year profession, Shoals performed in 104 NFL video games with 71 begins at each left and proper offensive sort out.
In Shoals’ rookie season, the primary below new head coach Collier, Cleveland posted a 10-4-0 report, one sport from profitable the Jap Convention title. In these days, the 2 divisions had been referred to as “conferences.” The winner of every convention performed within the NFL Championship Sport for the league title. The 2 second-place golf equipment performed in “the Playoff Bowl” for third place, which was an additional sport payday.
For 1964, Cleveland captured the Jap Convention crown with a 10-3-1 report, one sport higher than the St. Louis Cardinals’ 9-3-2. In the meantime, the Baltimore Colts dominated the league as they cruised to a 12-2-0 season. After a gap day loss, the Colts destroyed the rest of their schedule. They led the NFL in scoring and, on protection, in fewest factors allowed. Their roster was comprised of seven future Corridor of Famers plus their Corridor of Fame head coach, Don Shula.
On offense: QB Johnny Unitas, RB Lenny Moore, FB Tom Matte, WRs Alex Hawkins and Raymond Berry, TE John Mackey, OGs Aelx Sandusky and Jim Parker, plus OT Bob Vogel. On protection: DT Billy Ray Smith, DEs Gino Marchetti and Lou Michaels, LB Steve Stonebreaker, S Jim Welch, and CB Bobby Boyd.
Cleveland was pitted in opposition to the offensive juggernaut of the Colts, who had been 17-point favorites within the title match. The wind chill that day was 34 levels at kickoff, with 15 MPH winds. After a 0-0 halftime rating, the Browns gained the 1964 NFL Championship Sport 27-0 at residence in entrance of 79,554 patrons. Cleveland Municipal Stadium solely held 78,000 seats.
Editor’s word: Shoals is #73, and proven working the 40 on the :45 mark within the film, “Paper Lion.” He weighs in on the 3:23 mark. He strains up at left sort out in all scrimmage scenes.
Shoals developed severe knee, shoulder, again, and ankle accidents. After retiring from soccer, Roger labored 30 years at Gould Paper, the place he grew to become vice chairman of gross sales and, on the similar time, invested as a part-owner of Kutztown Auto Firm, a Cadillac and Buick dealership. He performed himself within the 1968 film Paper Lion about author George Plimpton making an attempt out for a roster spot with Detroit.
He and his spouse, Jean, married in 1954 and reside in Gladwyne, PA. The couple had two youngsters, Mike and Hollie.
He was a part of the monetary settlement in 2013 between the NFL and its gamers. When the NFL began investigating CTE and the long-term results it had on gamers, Shoals’ mind was to be examined for power traumatic encephalopathy on the Boston College CTE Middle.
As a participant, Shoals was referred to as a tricky participant who had a nasty streak. He was constant and will run, block, and sort out with a tough work ethic. Off the sphere, he had a beneficiant spirit.
Dawgs by Nature employees author Barry Shuck interviewed Shoals within the spring of 2025. The transcription of the interview has been sitting in a digital recorder ever since. Till now. Sadly, Shoals handed away on June 30, 2025, of problems from pneumonia, on the age of 86. That is his final interview.
Shuck: After going to Norwalk Excessive College in Connecticut, you went to Greenbrier Navy College earlier than you ended up on the College of Maryland. Why that call?
Shoals: Lecturers. I didn’t have the grades. It wasn’t mine or my father’s choice; it was actually Maryland’s choice. I completed up and obtained good grades. Then Maryland would settle for me for my faculty years.
Shuck: At Maryland, you had been the ACC heavyweight wrestling champion in 1960 and 1961. What’s odd is that you simply didn’t wrestle in highschool. What did that sport educate you about taking part in the offensive line?
Shoals: My soon-to-be spouse, Jean, labored on campus for the man who maintained all of the buildings. I needed to dangle round daily in the course of the spring for her to get out of labor. So as an alternative of standing round, I went out for wrestling. It helped me tremendously as a result of there are strikes in there, and wrestling is identical strikes which can be in our offensive line, like hand play and footwork.
Shuck: You had been drafted by each the Browns of the NFL and the Dallas Texans of the American Soccer League (AFL). What sort of contract did each groups provide?
Shoals: The Texans didn’t pursue me in any respect, whereas the Browns got here proper up ahead and instructed me that they wished me to play and so forth. The Texans knew that I used to be in negotiations with the Browns, they usually requested if I used to be happy with their provide, and I instructed them I used to be. So, they didn’t wish to begin a bidding battle. I ended up getting a $15,000 contract and a $5,000 bonus from head coach Blanton Collier. Paul Brown had left the Browns the season earlier than, so this was the primary yr he was gone.
Shuck: What was your first Browns coaching camp like?
Shoals: It was fairly robust. Nothing like faculty. And that’s once I was very younger to be in an expert coaching camp, like 20 years previous. I had been named an All-American at Maryland, however these guys had been on one other stage. However you study, and also you play, and you ultimately catch on. Again then, most rookies didn’t play besides on particular groups, so that you needed to be a group for a yr or so earlier than they might ship you out.
Shuck: 1963 was the primary season that Blanton Collier grew to become the top coach. How was he regarding working an offense?
Shoals: He was a tactician. And a extremely good coach and a advantageous man. We had a very good season that yr, and it was a veteran group. A few of the veterans talked about Paul Brown some, however that went away shortly. Blanton was a instructor. He knew what it took to run an efficient offense. He was additionally laborious of listening to. Lots of people didn’t know he couldn’t hear very properly, particularly in a room full of individuals. He had great instructing expertise. And he knew find out how to get as a lot as he may out of a participant.
Shuck: You had been conscious of Jim Brown all of your life, and now you had been blocking for him. Was he robust on his offensive linemen?
Shoals: What do you imply, robust? He would set you up by working behind you, then permitting the lane to open by how I might transfer my man. I may block my man the best way it was drawn up, but when my defender made it troublesome for me to maneuver him out of a lane, Jim would regulate and discover the opening that did open up as an alternative. He’s a terrific working again together with Ernie Inexperienced and Charley Scales. Jim by no means mentioned a phrase within the huddle. He didn’t chew you out for those who missed a block.
Shuck: What was the most important distinction between blocking in faculty and blocking within the NFL?
Shoals: Oh my God. Completely completely different. With the Browns, you employ your arms and arms to dam. You don’t try this in faculty. You utilize your physique extra, and you employ your shoulder. The secret within the offensive line is move blocking. In case you can move block, you’ll be able to play the sport. Go blocking is nothing however fairly straight retreat, retreat, retreat.
Shuck: The unwritten rule in professional sports activities throughout these days was that rookies hardly performed. In your rookie yr, you performed in simply two video games. Inform me about being inserted.
Shoals: Oh, I used to be scared to dying. My first sport was in opposition to the (Baltimore) Colts, and I performed in opposition to the nice Gino Marchetti. Our quarterback, Frank Ryan, was sick, and now Nino is our quarterback, who was a very good participant on his personal. What helped in opposition to a terrific move rusher like Marchetti is an efficient working sport. And we had among the best within the league with Jim Brown, Ernie, and Charley. All these guys had been fairly sizzling working. I simply needed to scoot Marchetti over a little bit bit to get a type of guys by means of.
Editor’s word: “Nino” referred to backup QB Jim Ninowski
Shuck: In 1963, Cleveland started 6-0-0 and gained three of their final 4 video games to complete 10-4-0, however missed the playoffs by one sport. That one loss was to the 5-8-1 Detroit Lions, 38-10. How good was that Browns group that yr, regardless of not going to the championship sport?
Shoals: Gary Collins got here into his personal that yr, who was their Number one draft decide the yr earlier than. The offense was higher from the 1962 group and made fewer errors. It got here all the way down to the Giants and us within the last two video games. We had cut up our video games in the course of the season, so it may have resulted in a tie for the division. They gained their last two, and we gained one and misplaced badly to the Lions. We had been a a lot better group than the Lions, however we performed poorly. It was actually chilly and windy in Detroit, and we had 5 turnovers. What that yr did was lay the groundwork for the league championship the next yr.
Shuck: The Browns ended up within the “Playoff Bowl.” Wasn’t {that a} sport for third place within the league? Was it hated by NFL gamers?
Shoals: Being a rookie, that first yr I used to be on the taxi squad a part of the yr and on the roster for different video games. On the time, I used to be the third sort out behind Dick Schafrath and John Brown. The gamers by no means favored this concept as a result of it meant you could possibly lose two video games in a row. The coaches went together with it as a result of they needed to. And again then, it doesn’t matter what sort of sport, you performed all of your starters and performed to win. They didn’t sit gamers. It was an additional paycheck, however I used to be on the taxi squad on the time and didn’t make the journey.
Editor’s word: Shoals’ (#75) landing is the primary play on this clip
Shuck: In Week 12 of the 1964 season, you recovered a fumble ultimately zone in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles for a landing. Inform me about that play. Oh, do you continue to have that ball?
Shoals: I used to be taking part in on particular groups. It was my second yr with the Browns and was a house sport late within the season. It was the opening kickoff, and the return man obtained hit fairly laborious on the 14-yard line. Gamers from each groups had been scrambling to get the ball, and it goes into the top zone. And someone hits it in direction of the again of the top zone, about to exit of bounds as I’m getting into the top zone. I stepped over one participant and dove for the ball earlier than it went out. Again then, you couldn’t maintain the ball. That was the factor again then. A participant can be fined for protecting a ball. However I scored a landing within the NFL. That’s awkward as an offensive lineman.
Shuck: Within the 1964 NFL Championship Sport, the Baltimore Colts had been 17-point favorites and had seven future Corridor of Famers on their roster. It appeared that every one the Browns had was Jimmy Brown. Main as much as the sport, what was the environment just like the week of that sport?
Shoals: The environment throughout apply week was that Blanton Collier ran some very severe practices with no screwing round. Everybody was targeted. You probably did your class work, you labored laborious on the apply subject after which we jumped on the Colts actual good.
Shuck: That sport was in Cleveland in December. The wind coming off Lake Erie will need to have been virtually 20 MPH, whereas the temperature at sport time was 34 levels. The Browns gained the toss. What did your group select, and why did that make a distinction?
Shoals: In case you had a very good offensive group, your group chooses to get the ball. You go proper after the opposite group’s protection and attempt to put up the primary factors. It’s an announcement. That did make a distinction as a result of it doesn’t matter what, the Colts didn’t come out and dominate us like they did all the different groups all yr. I do know immediately each group desires the second-half kickoff, however again then, you wished to attain first and let the opposite group comprehend it’s going to be a protracted sport in your protection. The wind wasn’t actually an element, though it was the everyday winds coming off the lake.
1964 NFL Championship Sport: Browns RB Jim Brown (32) with OT Roger Shoals (73) vs. Colts CREDIT: Walter Iooss Jr. (Photograph by Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports activities Illustrated by way of Getty Photographs)(Set Quantity: X10473 )
Shuck: The Colts had been an enormous offensive group, scoring probably the most factors within the league that yr. QB Johnny Unitas was the NFL MVP. He led in 9 passing classes. RB Lenny Moore led the league in speeding TDs and complete TDs. But, the halftime rating was 0-0. What was the important thing to that first half?
Shoals: For one, the group was overflowing. Folks had been standing in the back of the top zone. Our protection that day did a extremely good job. The Colts couldn’t get their working sport going all sport. And gamers like Gino Marchetti weren’t entering into our offensive backfield.
Shuck: What do you bear in mind most about that sport wherein the Browns scored 27 unanswered factors to win 27-0?
Shoals: One in all our linebackers, Vince Costello, performed nice. Invoice Glass and Jim Kanicki had sacks, and Walter Seashore and Costello intercepted Unitas because the Colts had been about to attain a number of instances. The offense simply obtained clicking with Jim Brown controlling the clock late within the sport and getting our offense into place to attain. I feel Lou Groza kicked two or three subject targets. Gary Collins had a profession sport with three landing catches. We got here to play.
Shuck: How usually do you put on your 1964 NFL Championship ring?
Shoals: I put on it regularly. I didn’t get a faculty ring, so I put on this ring.
Shuck: Are you sporting it throughout this interview?
Shoals: Yeah, I obtained it on proper now.
Shuck: Early on, the Browns went to the championship sport 10 years in a row and gained seven. 1964 was their final professional soccer title. You had been a part of that. That’s a very long time since Cleveland gained something.
Shoals: I hate to say this. However Artwork Modell was not a very good proprietor. He didn’t do issues proper, like contracts. You play laborious for a group, after which impulsively, I used to be traded to the Lions. I couldn’t consider the distinction in (Lions proprietor) Mr. Ford and Artwork Modell. What a distinction. Ford ran a first-class ship. There have been points with Modell so far as journey and all the operation. You’d assume {that a} participant can be referred to as down and instructed in individual if he was being traded. I used to be out to dinner in Connecticut with my spouse, and get a cellphone name, and I used to be instructed I used to be traded. It was in the course of the offseason, however to study that the taking part in profession you labored so laborious on, and that’s how I discover out? Going to the Lions.
Shuck: Did you might have an offseason job?
Shoals: Each participant did. You needed to. The cash to play was higher than most, nevertheless it didn’t maintain you going for a full yr. I labored in New York Metropolis in a gross sales place. And I labored in it until I simply retired final yr. I labored at Stein Corridor throughout each offseason and on Mondays in the course of the season. It’s a chemical adhesive firm, et cetera, scenario. I used to be fortunate my father was a part of that group. Within the offseason, gamers would search for work, and I went to work for them. You’re not coping with these cellphone books that you simply cope with immediately, with being paid hundreds of thousands to play the identical sport. I did change to a unique firm, however in the identical enviornment. I retired from Gould Paper.
OT Roger Shoals #73 of the Detroit Lions (TheHour Photographs)
Shuck: You performed your greatest soccer with Detroit, the place you grew to become a starter and performed 74 video games, however performed in just one playoff sport after going 10-4-0 in 1970. Enjoying there, did it really feel such as you lastly discovered a house?
Shoals: I used to be behind some actually good tackles with Cleveland. I used to be on the level the place I wanted to compete for a beginning place and turn into the starter. I favored Detroit as soon as I obtained there, though it was a shock to be despatched away from the one group I had identified and labored and gained a championship with these teammates. I obtained to take pleasure in that for just a few months. You notice that loyalty isn’t sufficient. It’s a enterprise choice. You by no means know once they’re going to commerce someone. However I used to be capable of begin at sort out and play loads of soccer. I began immediately for the Lions. You by no means really feel at residence if you’re in that sport, and it’s going to beat your ass. However you’re employed more durable the following week and study what different gamers’ tendencies are. It felt higher beginning every week than taking part in right here and there.
Shuck: Through the Sixties, was it actually an enormous battle with the AFL in opposition to the NFL?
1971; Denver Broncos OT Roger Shoals (75) Credit score: Darryl Norenberg-Imagn Photographs
Shuck: The AFL-NFL merger got here in 1970. Shortly afterwards, you had been traded once more, from Detroit to the Denver Broncos. Not many gamers get traded twice of their profession.
Shoals: I didn’t prefer it as a result of I used to be pleased with the Lions and began loads of video games. However for those who don’t prefer it, the opposite selection is to get out. The sport was good to me. It’s simply unlucky for a person to get settled after which get shuffled round.
Shuck: Excluding cash, how is the NFL completely different immediately than if you performed?
Shoals: I don’t know if there are lots of variations aside from cash. These guys make the hundreds of thousands. I noticed a participant signal a two-year contract for $18 million. That’s $9 million for a season. In my time, that will have paid each participant on a single group within the league, plus all of our coaches and our coach. And he was a defensive participant who will in all probability solely play 62% of the defensive performs. $9 million for 62% on protection? The cash is what’s completely different.
1966 Coca-Cola caps #C29 Roger Shoals: Fanta Grape cap
Shuck: What was probably the most you earned taking part in professional soccer?
Shoals: Probably the most I ever made was $60 grand. Again then, the rookies made the least, and the longer you performed, the extra money you had been paid. I can’t think about what it’s wish to get that wage. However think about getting $60 million for a multi-year deal, and for Christ’s sake, you’re getting over $1 million a sport. Which means your youngsters won’t ever need to work, and your youngsters’s youngsters won’t ever have to fret about cash.
Shuck: What’s your fondest second of being a Cleveland Brown?
Shoals: No query about it, the day we gained that World Championship.
The 1964 Browns championship group had 40 gamers and 6 coaches. The entire coaches have handed away, and 17 gamers are left.
DBN employees author Barry Shuck has now interviewed three former Browns who handed away later, together with this one with Roger Shoals:
