Frank Ryan, a former Cleveland Browns quarterback whose skill on the field was matched by his intelligence off the field, died Monday.
He was 87 years old.
Ryan had been battling Alzheimer's disease, and his son, Frank Ryan Jr., passed away on New Year's Day at a nursing home in Waterford, Connecticut. told Cleveland.com.
Ryan was the last signalman to lead the Browns to the NFL title in 1964 and earned his doctorate in mathematics from Rice University in Houston six months later.
The NFL Championship would be Cleveland's last title until the Cavaliers won the NBA Finals in 2016.
“During his lifetime, Frank received thousands of autograph requests from fans of all ages and backgrounds across the country,” Frank Ryan Jr. wrote in an email to cleveland.com. “He valued his fans very highly. He kept every fan letter he received and responded to requests for autographs that were sent to him until he was no longer physically able to do so.
“Frank had a large and loving family who stayed with him until the end.”
The Browns legend spent seven of his 13 NFL seasons in Cleveland, starting 76 games and throwing for 13,361 yards and 134 touchdown passes.
Ryan compiled a 52-22-2 record as a starter for the Browns and made three Pro Bowl appearances.
In the 1964 title game, Ryan led the Browns to an upset victory over Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts, throwing three touchdown passes to wide receiver Gary Collins for a 27–0 victory. Ta.
Impressively, Ryan served as a math professor during the NFL offseason and later taught at Yale University and Rice University.
After retiring from the league in 1970, Ryan served in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven years, serving as director of development for the first computer voting system used by Congress.
He also served as Yale University's athletic director for 10 years.
Ryan donated his brain Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy He is a center and was aware of the risks of concussions and CTE from playing football, according to Cleveland.com.
