NFL champion quarterback Frank Ryan passed away on New Year’s Day. He was 87. Here’s a remembrance of his exceptional football and academic career.
Frank Ryan gained fame in the mid-1950s while playing for Rice University in Houston. He is still known as one of the best quarterbacks ever who played at the prestigious Houston-based university. As a player, Ryan teamed with King Hill and others to give Rice an edge in the old Southwest Conference, winning the conference championship in 1957. Rice nabbed the title by defeating top-ranked Texas A&M at Rice Stadium.
Ryan was not only a great football player; he was also incredibly capable intellectually. A physics major, he later went on to earn a doctorate in mathematics. Football and academics were the focus of his life.
Ryan began his NFL career in 1958 with the Los Angeles Rams. If that had been his only NFL assignment, I likely wouldn’t be writing this article. But fame followed when he became a Cleveland Brown. There, he won an NFL championship by teaming up with other greats, including Jim Brown, to win the title in 1964 and return to the NFL championship the following year.
During his career, Ryan was named to the NFL All-Pro team three times and threw for 16,000+ yards.
Academically, Ryan taught at Case Western University during his Browns’ playing days. After football, he taught at Yale and also served as the school’s athletic director. Later, he returned to Rice and served in various roles, including professor, vice president of external affairs (fundraising), and a member of the school’s board of governors.
Frank Ryan was an exceptional football player who made many contributions during a distinguished career.
Great story about Frank Ryan. I’m glad you brought this to light. A lot of people wouldn’t have remembered all this. Thanks for an awesome article Matthew Paris.