Related Research Articles
The 1937 NFL season was the 18th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Rams joined the league as an expansion team. Meanwhile, the Redskins relocated from Boston to Washington, D.C.
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both home and away – televised. The Washington Redskins became the second team to put their games on TV. Other teams arranged to have selected games televised.
John William "Zero" Drake was an American football player. He was the first round pick by the Cleveland Rams, their first ever draft pick, in the 1937 NFL Draft. A Purdue Boilermakers running back, he led the NFL in touchdowns in the 1939 & 1940 seasons.
William Franklin Conkright, known more commonly by the nickname Red, was an American football center and end who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and was later the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for part of the 1962 season.
The 1946 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's ninth year with the National Football League and the first season in Los Angeles. The team moved to Los Angeles from Cleveland immediately after winning the 1945 NFL Championship Game.
The 1941 Cleveland Rams season was the team's fifth year with the National Football League and the sixth season in Cleveland.
The 1939 Cleveland Rams season was the team's third year with the National Football League and the fourth season in Cleveland.
The 1938 Cleveland Rams season was the team's second year with the National Football League and the third season in Cleveland.
The 1937 Cleveland Rams season was the team's first year playing as a member club of the National Football League (NFL) and the second season based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Philip John Ragazzo was an American football lineman who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants. He played college football at Western Reserve University and was drafted in the eighth round of the 1938 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. A graduate of Niles High, he was a three-year letterman for the Red Dragons, graduating in 1934. He was an all- county and All-Ohio selection during a storied scholastic career, playing collegiately for Western Reserve from 1934 to 1937 where he earned All-American honors as a lineman. Considered one of the toughest at his position during his era, he played seven seasons in the National Football League, starting first with the Cleveland Rams (1938–1940) and then moving over to the Philadelphia Eagles (1940–1941) after being traded by the Rams. His play was interrupted by World War II, but he returned to the NFL as a member of the New York Giants where he played from 1945 to 1947. After football, he became a history teacher at Niles McKinley Hs where he taught until his retirement. He died in Niles, Ohio of natural causes, October 3, 1994 at age 79.
Thomas Anthony Colella was an American football halfback and punter in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Rams, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.
Robert John Nowaskey was an American football end, born in Everett, Pennsylvania, who played eight seasons in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and in the National Football League (NFL).
The American Football League (AFL) was a professional American football league that operated in 1936 and 1937. The AFL operated in direct competition with the more established National Football League (NFL) throughout its existence. While the American media generally ignored its operation, this second AFL was the first "home" of the Cleveland Rams, which joined the National Football League after one year in the AFL.
Damon "Buzz" Wetzel was a fullback for Ohio State, the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was also the first head coach of the Cleveland Rams when they played in the American Football League, then general manager of the Rams (1937–38) after they entered the National Football League. He was instrumental in the founding of the still-existing franchise, ninth oldest in the NFL, after leaving his post-college job as a newspaper illustrator. He also was responsible for naming it "Rams", in honor of Fordham, his favorite college team, and because the name was short enough to fit easily into a newspaper headline.
James Thomas Gillette, Jr. was a professional American football halfback in the National Football League. Born in Courtland, Virginia, he played for six seasons with the Cleveland Rams, the Boston Yanks (1946), the Green Bay Packers (1947), and the Detroit Lions (1948).
Robert Harry Wood was an American football offensive tackle/defensive tackle in the National Football League who played for the Chicago Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers. Wood played collegiate ball for the University of Alabama before being drafted by the Cleveland Rams in the 4th round of the 1940 NFL Draft. Selected to play in the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro. He played professionally for 1 season, in 1940. He left his professional football career to serve in WWII alongside his three brothers.
Victor Michael Spadaccini was a professional American football fullback in the National Football League. He played three seasons for the Cleveland Rams. A blocking back on offense, he was primary used as a blocker and pass-catcher out of the backfield. His best season was 1939 when he caught 32 passes for 292 yards and 1 touchdown. He also did some of the Rams' point-after-touchdown kicking, converting 17 PATs over two seasons. On defense, he played defensive back and recorded 3 interceptions for his career, all accomplished in 1940. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1940, his final season. Vic was born and died in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota.
Donald Adams Greenwood was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as a fullback and halfback for three seasons with the Cleveland Rams and Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Gaylon Wesley Smith was a professional American football fullback and defensive end who played five seasons for the Cleveland Rams in the National Football League (NFL) and one season for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Before entering professional football, Smith starred as a halfback at Rhodes College and led the country in scoring in 1938. He was selected by the Rams in the second round of the following season's NFL draft and played for the Cleveland team until deciding to retire from the sport in 1943. After taking a job as a personnel director and playing on a regional basketball and baseball teams based in the Cleveland area, Smith joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 during World War II. He was discharged two years later and signed with the Browns, then a new team in the AAFC. Smith was a second-string player with the Browns but substituted for an injured Marion Motley late in the season as the team won the AAFC championship game. Smith retired after the 1946 season but stayed in Ohio to raise his family and work as a manufacturer's representative. He died in 1958 at the age of 41.
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 1945, winning the NFL championship in 1945, before moving to Los Angeles in 1946 to become the first of only two professional football champions to play the following season in another city.
References
 | This article relating to an American football season is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This article related to sports in Ohio is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |