Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/leadpages/lbset.php on line 89
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/leadpages/lbset.php on line 92
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/leadpages/lbset.php on line 89
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/wp-content/plugins/leadpages/lbset.php on line 92
At one point in training camp, and a few of us rookies were standing BY A Juxebox playing records in a canteen. For those of you are too young to know what a Juxebox is…It’s a machine that you put dimes or quarters in and select a vinyl record to play.
Standing alongside me was my roommate Sidney Williams, who later in life would become the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas under the Clinton administration. He is also currently married to Congresswoman Maxine Waters and future Hall of Famers Paul Warfield and Leroy Kelly.
I was feeling a bit homesick and was playing the song “California Girls” by the Beach Boys. Home for me was Los Angeles, sunny southern California…
…A huge man across the room began walking towards. He had a stingy brim on with a stubby cigar in his mouth. I knew right away who he was and I mouthed “That’s Marion Motley”…
…He smiled and my guess is that he was happy that I knew who he was. I knew all about him. I knew all about the Cleveland Browns history.
We became friends. Marion was a Hall of Famer, a great pass protection blocker and at one time averaged 5.7 yards per carry. He was a great player on offense and defense. He played for the University of Nevada Reno and was drafted by the Browns a full year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major league baseball…
He was part of those great Paul Brown’s teams that included Otto Graham, Len Ford, Bill Willis, Dante Lavelli, Bob Gain, Dub Jones…The 1948 team went 15-0, no losses, no ties and capped it off with a 49-7 rout of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game!
At one point Marion pulled me aside and said “You guys are really making all of this money”. He went on to say one particular season during his playing days the players from all of the teams elected a player to meet with the owners. They wanted to explore the possibility of the owners helping the players obtain better off season jobs…
…The Browns players elected him to go see part owner and head coach Paul Brown. So he went down to that grand old Municipal Stadium that sat down on the shores of Lake Erie, with the horseshoe facing the lake.
Marion recalled Paul Brown sitting at his desk going over some papers. He said “Coach”, the players asked me to see if the Browns would be willing to assist the layers obtain better off season jobs? Most players worked in the off season…
…Marion said Paul Brown never looked up and responded “Have you guys checked the steel mills lately”? Marion went on to say the most money he ever made during his career was $12,500!
Years later I was reflecting back and recalled that one year I worked for the American Greeting Corp. in Cleveland as a Dealer Correspondent.One day I was scheduled to go downtown to that very same office and talk contract with owner Art Modell…
…We had barely gotten into conversation and he asked me what kind of contract was I considering? I told him I thought a salary increase of $25,000 was in the range…
…Art was not a tall guy, maybe 5’8″. He got up from his desk and ran around the room. I thought I had shot someone. He was furious! He said ” You can’t ask for that kind of money!
There was no “Free Agency” in sports at this time. I had lead the league in kickoffs until the very last game of the season and had an average of 27.2 yards and a 13.2 yards in punt returns and was a capable backup to one of the great players in NFL history in Paul Warfield…Needless to say I didn’t get that salary increase…We will just leave it at that…You try negotiating with a “Billionaire”…
Thank you for checking out my blog…So with the words of Jimi Hendrix from “Woodstock”…I wish you Love, Peace and Happiness…Yes Happiness!
P.S. I’ve got this book coming out soon titled: “Flea Flickr…How to Throw Rocks at the NFL!…It’s coming soon. Put your name and email and sign up for my blog…It’s Free…
Give me a comment…A thumbs up or down..