JUST IN: Cleveland Gets A boost as They Announces their first Signing of…

JUST IN: Cleveland Gets A boost as They Announces their first Signing of…

JUST IN: Cleveland Gets A boost as They Announces their first Signing of…

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) – Frank Ryan was no ordinary NFL quarterback.
His arm contributed to the Cleveland Browns becoming champs. Off the field, his brilliance garnered him further acclaim.Ryan, who led the Browns to their final NFL championship in 1964 while still pursuing a degree in mathematics, died on Monday. He was 87.
Ryan died while being cared for at a Connecticut nursing facility, according to his family. He had Alzheimer’s disease, and his family said chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) “is suspected to have played a role in the progression of the disease.”

Ryan donated his brain to the CTE Center at Boston University for research.
“Our hearts are with Frank Ryan’s family and friends as we honor the life of a Browns icon and championship-winning quarterback,” the Browns wrote on social media.
Ryan threw three touchdown passes to wide receiver Gary Collins in the 1964 championship game, as the Browns defeated the widely favored Baltimore Colts 27-0. Cleveland hasn’t won a football championship since and is one of just four clubs that have never played in the Super Bowl.
However, the Browns were a constant power in the early to mid-1960s, thanks to Ryan and Hall of Fame running backs Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

He went on to teach math at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, as well as Yale and Rice. Ryan is also credited with assisting in the development of an electronic voting system that revolutionized the United States House of Representatives.
Ryan was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Browns, where he compiled a 52-22-2 record as a starter. In 1964 and 1966, he led the league in passing touchdowns.
Although Cleveland won many games on the ground thanks to the great Brown and subsequently Kelly, Ryan was one of the league’s premier quarterbacks and threw at least 25 touchdown passes in three seasons. He also spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins before retiring at the end of the 1970 season.