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DANTE LAVELLI

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Born to Italian immigrants in Hudson, Ohio, Dante Lavelli was a standout quarterback, who led his Hudson High School Explorers to three undefeated seasons. He entered The Ohio State University in 1941, but played only three games before injury and a stint in the U. S. Army Infantry shortened his collegiate career.

Upon his discharge from the Army, Dante passed up his final two years of college eligibility to give pro football a shot. His former college coach, Paul Brown, was organizing the Cleveland Browns of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Brown remembered Lavelli as a long-striding halfback with excellent hands. It wasn't long before Brown would put those hands to use in a new way. Lavelli signed a contract to play wide receiver for the Browns in 1946.

Given his limited collegiate experience, Lavelli was surely the least heralded of the five men vying for the wide receiver position. But by the time his first summer camp was completed, Dante had already staked his claim to be the starting right-side receiver. He had also begun to develop a very special relationship with his quarterback, Hall of Famer Otto Graham. In his rookie season playing wide receiver, Lavelli led the AAFC with 40 receptions. His 843 receiving yards were also a league-best and gave him an average of 21.1 yards per catch. His season was punctuated by a game-winning TD reception in the AAFC Championship.

When asked about Lavelli's abilities at the receiver position, Paul Brown once said, "I think Dante has the strongest hands I've ever seen. When he goes up for a ball and a defender goes with him, you can be sure Lavelli will have the ball when they come down." Brown and the team's broadcaster, Bob Neal, are credited with giving Lavelli his famous nickname: "Glue Fingers".

Again and again, over the course of an 11-year career, Lavelli proved to be the Browns' go-to-guy. Never was this more evident than the 1950 NFL Championship game. The Browns, after dominating the AAFC for four years, made the jump to the NFL in 1950, along with the 49ers and Colts. Coincidentally, Cleveland was the original home of the Los Angeles Rams, who happened to be the Browns' opponent in the 1950 Championship. The game was a grudge-match for the fans in Cleveland, and turned out to be one of the classic matchups of the NFL's early years. Perhaps best known in this battle were the performances of quarterback Otto Graham and placekicker Lou Groza. In the closing seconds, the Rams led 28-27. But Graham engineered a drive that put Groza in position to kick the game-winning field goal. What may have been most amazing, however, was the performance of Lavelli. He would finish the day with 11 catches - a Championship Game record.

Dante and Graham would team up to complete more than 360 passes for 62 touchdowns over the next 10 seasons. And this relationship translated directly into winning teams. Lavelli, Graham and their Browns teammates went on to win a total of seven pro football championships (4 AAFC and 3 NFL). Dante twice earned the title of All-NFL and was a starting receiver in three of the first five NFL Pro-Bowl games. In his sixth year of eligibility, Lavelli was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1975.

Dante Lavelli still resides in Cleveland, where he is an established businessman. Among his many interests is the retail furniture business he created shortly after retiring from football in 1956. From a humble, small-town Ohio beginning, Dante has crafted an impressive and inspiring legacy for Cleveland Browns fans (and all football fans) everywhere.