During his tenure, the Browns finished in the top four in scoring offense in 10 of 11 seasons, and led the league in offensive yardage three times. FB | Cleveland Browns C/LB | Detroit Lions ©2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame All Rights Reserved. When he retired Marion held a host of Browns' club records.
DT | Baltimore Colts Marion Motley, (born June 5, 1920, Leesburg, Georgia, U.S.—died June 27, 1999, Cleveland, Ohio), African American gridiron football player who helped desegregate professional football in the 1940s during a career that earned him induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968. A versatile player who possessed both quickness and size, Motley was a force on both offense and defen… In addition to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968, Motley was named in 1994 to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. In his nine professional seasons, he amassed 4,720 yards on 828 carries for an amazing 5.7 yards-per-carry average. Paul Brown, however, thought otherwise.After ending his playing career for good, Motley asked Brown about a coaching job with the team. Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 0 (15081st overall since 1960) High School: McKinley Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1968 In addition to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968, Motley was named in 1994 to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.Sign up and get Insider's information & Special Offers While he showed occasional signs of his old form that season, it became clear to the Browns' coaching staff that he was no longer in his prime.Motley thought he could come back and play a ninth season in 1954, and showed up to training camp to prove it. HB/QB | Chicago Cardinals Brown, however, rejected his overtures, saying Motley should instead look for work at a steel mill – the very career football was his ticket out of.In 1968, Motley became the second black player voted into the Most of Motley's runs were trap plays up the middle, but he had the speed to run outside. In addition to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968, Motley was named in 1994 to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Motley joined the Browns as a 26-year-old rookie. Motley, with his powerful running on Cleveland's famed trap and draw series, made the Browns' ground game go, but he is also credited with vital contributions to the Cleveland passing attack, because his blocking for quarterback Otto Graham was exceptional.At 6-1 and 232 pounds, Motley was an imposing figure. A bruising lineman, Gatski won seven championships in Cleveland, helping lead the way for fellow Hall of Famers quarterback Otto Graham and fullback Marion Motley. E | Washington Redskins That year, in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the powerful Motley rushed for 188 yards on just 11 carries for a 17.1 yards-per-carry average.In his nine professional seasons, he amassed 4,720 yards on 828 carries for an amazing 5.7 yards-per-carry average. Marion Motley (June 5, 1920 – June 27, 1999) was an American professional football player who was a fullback and linebacker for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). When he retired Marion held a host of Browns' club records. He began playing as a fullback and linebacker for the Cleveland Browns in 1946 and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame … Marion Motley. He had reservations by then.”Motley and Willis, however, went on to have Hall of Fame careers. HB/E | Los Angeles Rams For nine seasons (1946 to 1953, 1955), he … The constant threat of him hurtling up the middle kept the defenses honest. He was a leading pass-blocker and rusher in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and ended his career with an average of 5.7 yards per carry, a record for running backs that still stands. He is featured prominently in Ohio's Autumn Legends, Volume I. Marion Motley averaged better than 17 yards per carry during his high school career at Canton McKinley, starred at the University of Nevada, and shattered the color barrier on his way to a Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Browns. CANTON Marion Motley Avenue NE is far from a major roadway. College: South Carolina St., Nevada. Paul coached football at neighboring Massillon High School. Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve Its History, Promote Its Values & Celebrate Excellence Everywhere"I was as big as the linemen I ran against, so I didn’t worry about them. Among the earliest of African-Americans to shatter the racial barrier in professional football, he was regarded by many as being one of the greatest fullbacks in the history of the sport. (AP Photo/Pro Football Hall of Fame) Slowed by knee injuries, Motley left the Browns after the 1953 season. In his nine professional seasons, he amassed 4,720 yards on 828 carries for an amazing 5.7 yards-per-carry average. He attempted a comeback in 1955 as a linebacker for the After the war, Motley went back to Canton and began working at a steel mill, planning to return to Reno in 1946 to finish his degree.Both Motley and Willis made the team and became two of the first African-Americans to play professional football in the modern era.Motley was signed to a contract worth $4,500 a year ($58,999 in 2019 dollars).Like other black players in the 1940s and 1950s, Motley faced racist attitudes both on and off the field.Attitudes toward race in America began to change after the war, which had caused social and political upheaval and prompted people to think about the future with more ambition and confidence.Aided by Motley's swiftness and size, the Browns won the Motley's knees continued to bother him in 1952.
Marion Motley Position: FB-LB 6-1, 232lb (185cm, 105kg) Born: June 5, 1920 in Leesburg, GA. Died: June 27, 1999 in Cleveland, OH. HB | Boston Braves
And once I ran over a back twice, I didn’t have to run over him a third time. Marion was the AAFC's all-time rushing leader and also led the NFL in ground gaining in his initial season in the league in 1950. Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame fullback Marion Motley (76) poses for a photo in Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 8, 1947. When he retired Marion held a host of Browns' club records.
Browns’ coach Paul Brown was already familiar with Motley, having coached the big fullback at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station during World War II.He also knew Motley from his high school playing days in Canton, Ohio.