Jim Ninowski

Last updated
Jim Ninowski
No. 15, 11
Jim Ninowski 1961.jpg
Born: (1936-03-26) March 26, 1936 (age 87)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Career information
Position(s) Quarterback
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight206 lb (93 kg)
College Michigan State
NFL draft 1958 / Round: 4 / Pick: 49
Drafted by Cleveland Browns
Career history
As player
1958–1959 Cleveland Browns
1960–1961 Detroit Lions
1962–1966Cleveland Browns
1967–1968 Washington Redskins
1969 New Orleans Saints
Career stats

James Ninowski Jr. (born March 26, 1936), aka "Nino", is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints. [1] He played college football at Michigan State University and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft.

Contents

Early years

He split duties at quarterback for Michigan State in 1956 and was the starting quarterback in 1957 on squads that relied more on a running game than a passing attack. [2] The 1957 Spartans finished #3 in the Associated Press poll behind #1 Auburn and rival Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State. [3]

Ninowski was selected as offensive captain of the North team for the Christmas Day North-South Shrine Game played in Miami's Orange Bowl. [4] He was selected the North team's Most Valuable Player in the game, won by the North 23–20, as he passed for 295 yards and one touchdown. [5]

Professional career

Cleveland Browns

Ninowski was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft. Playing in the 1958 Senior Bowl for the North squad, he squared off against his future head coach Paul Brown who served as coach for the South team. Ninowski passed for a fourth quarter touchdown to fellow Browns' draftee Jim Gibbons (fifth round) for the game's winning touchdown as the North won, 15–13. [6]

Prior to joining the Browns for their 1958 exhibition season, Ninowski quarterbacked the College All-Stars to a 35–19 victory over the NFL champion Detroit Lions in the College All-Star Game on August 15. He teamed with fellow Browns' draftee and future Hall-of-Famer Bobby Mitchell for touchdown passes of 84 and 18 yards. The teammates were named co-Most Valuable Players for the game, with Ninowski setting All-Star game passing records with 14 completions in 20 attempts and 244 total passing yards. [7]

Ninowski was among a group of Browns' quarterbacks that included Milt Plum, John Borton and Bobby Freeman competing for the starting job left open after the 1957 starter, Tommy O'Connell, had been cut prior to the opening of training camp. Paul Brown chose Plum as the starter and Ninowski saw spot duty as the backup in the 1958 and 1959 seasons, starting just one game, a 1958 midseason loss to the Lions.

Detroit Lions

On July 10, 1960, Ninowski was traded to the Detroit Lions for linebacker Bob Long and the Lions' 1961 first round draft choice, with which the Browns selected Bobby Crespino. Long chose not to report to Cleveland and was subsequently sent to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for offensive end Leon Clarke.

Finally getting a chance to start, Ninowski started 10 of 12 regular season games for Detroit in 1960, posting a record of five wins and five losses as the Lions tied with the San Francisco 49ers for second place, one game behind the Green Bay Packers. Ninowski threw for 1,599 yards and two touchdowns. . [8]

He started eight of the Lions 14 1961 regular season games with a record of 4–3–1 with the Lions going 8–5–1, good for second again behind the eventual NFL champion Packers (11–3 regular season record). Ninowski threw for 1,921 yards and seven touchdowns, sharing quarterbacking duties with Earl Morrall. . [8]

In his final game for Detroit, Ninowski passed for two touchdowns to Terry Barr as the Lions defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38–10 in the NFL's second annual Playoff Bowl, a post-season game played at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Florida. The game, played for 10 seasons, pitted the second-place teams from the League's Eastern and Western Divisions for third place in the NFL. [9]

Cleveland Browns

The Browns re-acquired Ninowski in a March 29, 1962, blockbuster six-player trade that sent Cleveland starting quarterback Milt Plum, offensive halfback Tom Watkins and linebacker/center Dave Lloyd to Detroit. In addition to Ninowski, Cleveland received defensive end Bill Glass and former Ohio State star and 1955 Heisman Trophy winner Howard "Hopalong" Cassady. While the two quarterbacks were the keys to the deal, Glass started at defensive end for Cleveland for the next seven seasons and Watkins saw regular duty as a running back and kick returner for the Lions through the 1967 season. [10]

The trade was controversial in that Plum, a two-time Pro Bowler while leading the NFL in pass completion percentage in from 1959 through 1961, was publicly critical of Paul Brown's coaching style that was based upon calling offensive plays from the sidelines. Plum desired more independence. Brown cited the fact that Cleveland had finished second twice and third in 1961 under Plum's quarterbacking and that the team's play calling was patterned to Plum's abilities. [11]

Ninowski was quoted as saying he did not wish to return to the Browns, publicly citing business interests he had developed in Detroit and indicated that he was considering retirement from football and/or not reporting to Cleveland. Cleveland coach Paul Brown was quoted as saying that he had been impressed by Ninowski's progress in Detroit and that Ninowski would start in Cleveland. Brown flew to Detroit on the day after the trade was announced to meet with Ninowski, convincing him to return to Cleveland. [11]

But three months after the trade, Ninowski, citing the fact that he hadn't heard from Paul Brown since their meeting, said he was still undecided about playing in Cleveland. [12] After a May 1 meeting with Browns' owner Art Modell, Ninowski signed a one-year contract with the Browns two weeks later. Paul Brown envisioned an offensive backfield with running backs Jim Brown, newly acquired rookie Ernie Davis and Ninowski. Brown expected that Ninowski's running skills would allow the team to run an option-based offense that put more of an emphasis on rollout passes. [13] Brown also claimed that Ninowski had that patience and peripheral vision to maximize the team's passing patterns. . [14]

Those plans never came to fruition. Davis was diagnosed with leukemia prior to the 1962 College All-Star game. He never played for the Browns and died within a year of his diagnosis. Ninowski led the Browns to a 4–3 record in 1962 before his season ended when he suffered a dislocated shoulder and fractured clavicle while attempting to pass in an October 28 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was gang tackled by a pass rush led by defensive tackle Big Daddy Lipscomb. He was replaced by Frank Ryan, who had been obtained from the Rams to back up Ninowski prior to the start of training camp. [15]

Ryan started the remaining seven games and the Browns finished third in the NFL's Eastern Division with a record of 7–6–1. Paul Brown, who had coached the Browns since the team's inception in 1946, was fired by Modell on January 7, 1963, during a Cleveland newspaper strike.

The Browns' new head coach, former assistant Blanton Collier, elected to stick with Ryan as the team's starter in 1963. Ninowski served as the backup quarterback for the Browns over the next four seasons, starting three games. He was a member of the last Cleveland Browns championship team in 1964.

Washington Redskins

Ninowski was a holdout prior to training camp in 1967 and was placed on waivers on July 28 by the Browns, but the waivers were recalled the same day as the team sought to place the quarterback with another NFL team. [16] On August 8, 1967, Ninowski was traded to the Washington Redskins in exchange for quarterback Dick Shiner. [17] With Washington for two seasons, he backed up Sonny Jurgensen, starting two games in 1968. His final NFL start was in Washington's final game of that season against Ninowski's former team, the Lions. He led Washington to a 14–3 victory. [18]

New Orleans Saints

On June 20, 1969, the Ninowski was traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for defensive end Dave Long and a fifth round 1970 draft choice. The Redskins used that pick to draft defensive tackle Manny Sistrunk. [19] Ninowski appeared in four games for the Saints, backing up Billy Kilmer and completing 17 of 34 passes, including one touchdown. [20]

Post-Football Career NFL Antitrust Testimony

On December 19, 1970 The New York Times reported that Ninowski told reporters, after appearing before a special Federal Grand jury investigating potential antitrust violations regarding NFL operations, that his pay was increased to $100,000 per year for four years (two years retroactively, the final two years at a $100,000 per year salary). He claimed that this was the result of a secret settlement after Ninowski threatened an antitrust suit in 1967 against the NFL and former American Football League (AFL). The article reported that his attorney, Jerry E. Dempsey, claimed Ninowski had negotiated with the AFL's Oakland Raiders while still a member of the Cleveland Browns. The leagues had been in a bidding war for players but a "truce" had been called between the leagues, which later merged, thus ending the contract negotiations and leading to the threatened lawsuit. [21]

Personal

After retiring from the professional football, Ninowski worked in several businesses in and around Detroit, MI. He is married to Judith Ann Ohm. They have two children; son Jeffery Scott born in 1959, and daughter Julie Anne born in 1965. He and his wife reside in Troy, MI.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Gannon</span> American football player (born 1965)

Richard Joseph Gannon is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Mitchell</span> American football player and executive (1935–2020)

Robert Cornelius Mitchell was an American professional football player who was a halfback and flanker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell became the Redskins' first African-American star after joining them in 1962, when they became the last NFL team to integrate. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Campbell</span> American football player (born 1981)

Jason S. Campbell is a former American football quarterback and current analyst for Auburn Sports Network who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn. Campbell also played for the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals.

Daniel Raymon Wilkinson is a former American football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Nicknamed "Big Daddy", he played college football at Ohio State, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1994 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, and Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Ryan (American football)</span> American football player (born 1936)

Frank Beall Ryan is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams (1958–1961), Cleveland Browns (1962–1968) and Washington Redskins (1969–1970). He led the Browns to their most recent National Football League title in 1964. Ryan was also a mathematician, serving as a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University from 1967 to 1974.

The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League (NFL). To increase revenue, the league, for the first time since 1966, reinstated bye weeks, so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 10 teams to 12 teams by adding another wild card from each conference, thus adding two more contests to the postseason schedule; this format was modified with realignment in 2002 before the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020.

The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League.

Monte Dale Clark was an American football player who served as head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. He played college football at USC.

Richard Blair Modzelewski was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. He also served as interim head coach of the Browns in the final game of the 1977 season. Modzelewski was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darryl Tapp</span> American football player and coach (born 1984)

Darryl Anthony Tapp is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently an assistant defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft.

Milton Ross Plum is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns (1957–61), Detroit Lions (1962–67), Los Angeles Rams (1968) and New York Giants (1969) of the National Football League (NFL).

The 1957 NFL Championship Game was the 25th annual championship game, held on December 29 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan.

William Sheppeard Glass was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), beginning with the Detroit Lions and finishing his career as a standout with the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Baylor Bears and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

The history of the Detroit Lions, a professional American football franchise based in Detroit, dates back to 1928 when they played in Portsmouth, Ohio as the Spartans. They joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1930, then moved to Detroit and changed their name to the Lions in 1934 and won their first NFL Championship the following season. The Lions had their most success in the 1950s, winning the NFL Championship three times, in 1952, 1953, and 1957, and made several playoff appearances in the 1990s. In 2023, they began their 94th season, continuing to be one of the NFL's oldest franchises.

George William Izo was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1960 to 1966, having earlier played college football at the University of Notre Dame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Franklin (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1936)

Bobby Ray Franklin is a former football safety for the Cleveland Browns. He played as a quarterback for Ole Miss in college, and was the head football coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He has been named to seven Halls of Fame for his athletic and coaching accomplishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Detroit Lions season</span> NFL team season

The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 79th season in the National Football League (NFL), and their 75th as the Detroit Lions. The Lions made history by becoming the first team since the schedule was expanded to 16 games to finish winless. It is one of only four winless seasons since the merger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin O'Connell (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1985)

Kevin William O'Connell, nicknamed "KOC", is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). O'Connell played quarterback at San Diego State University, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. O'Connell's NFL coaching career began in 2015; he held various assistant coaching roles on the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and Los Angeles Rams.

Robert Wendell Long is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The 2009 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 80th season overall in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first season with the Lions for new head coach Jim Schwartz, and most of his new coaching staff. The Lions also introduced slightly new uniforms and logos. The Lions improved upon their 0–16 record from the previous season. However, they missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season, which meant the Lions were one of two franchises, not including the Houston Texans, to not qualify for the playoffs in the 2000s, with the other team being the Buffalo Bills.

References

  1. ↑ "Jim Ninowski NFL Football Statistics" . Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Jim Ninowski College Stats" . Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  3. ↑ "1957 College Football Polls" . Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ "North Stars Set Defense for Running" . Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Ninowski Arm Wins for North" . Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  6. ↑ "North's Seniors Triumph" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  7. ↑ "College All-Stars Rout Lions, 35-19" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Jim Ninowski" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Lions' Passes Bomb Eagles, 38-10" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Browns Trade Plum; Get Ninowski" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Ninowski OK's Trade; to Play With Browns" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Plain Dealing" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Ninowski is Signed by Browns" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ "A Man for This Season" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Browns' Ninowski Out for Season" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Browns Recall Waivers on Ninowski, a Holdout" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Ninowski Goes to Skins for Shiner" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  18. ↑ "1968 Washington Redskins" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  19. ↑ "1970 NFL Draft Pick Transactions" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  20. ↑ "1969 New Orleans Saints Players and Statistics" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Ninowski Tells of N.F.L. "Payoff"" . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.