Blanton Collier

This is another installment of my Looking Back Mondays, but after consulting with my amazing wife I may be changing it to Throw Back Thursdays. During the season, Mondays may offer juicy subject matter that can not wait for another day. For now, let me introduce to you, one of my favorites, Blanton Collier.

Vince Lombardi, George Halas, Weeb Ewbank and Hank Stram all won championships in the 1960s. All are in the Hall of Fame. Blanton Collier won a championship in the '60s. He is not in the Hall of Fame, and few outside of Ohio and Kentucky have probably ever heard of him. He might have been the best coach of them all.

Blanton Collier was also very lucky. He enlisted in the Navy, at the age of 37, to serve his country in World War II. His name was called for sea duty, but he never heard it. He missed the boat. The ship he should have been on was bombed. There were no survivors. When testing revealed that he had less than 30% hearing ability, he was packed off to the Great Lakes Navy Hospital. While an out-patient, he learned that the great Paul Brown was coaching the base football team. Each afternoon, Collier would sit on a fence and take notes of Brown's practices. Always fearful of spies, this quickly attracted the attention of Brown, who sent his commanding officer to check out the guy on the fence. The officer made a quick assessment and told Brown, "You better hire this guy. He knows more football than you do." The high school coach from Kentucky joined Paul Brown's staff. After the war, Collier joined Paul Brown with the new Cleveland Browns. There, Hall of Fame QB Otto Graham credited Collier with "teaching me everything I know". Collier was also charged with designing a film study to grade the players. It remains the model for grading players in use today.

In 1954, Collier returned to his home state to coach at the University of Kentucky. He replaced Bear Bryant. It would not be the only time that Collier would replace a legend. He compiled a record of 41-36-3 in eight seasons. The University of Kentucky faculty remembers the Collier years as a time when there was a healthy balance between winning in football and winning in the classroom. Collier emphasized preparation in the game of life. "You are here because you have a God-given ability to play the game of football which has enabled you to have the opportunity to get an education. Do not ever get it backwards." To assist him, Collier assembled an incredible coaching staff. Don Shula, Chuck Knox, Howard Schnellenberger and Bill Arnsparger all came to Kentucky because they all wanted to learn from the man who became known as the greatest teacher of them all. After 1961, Kentucky bought out the remaining years of his contract. He is the last Kentucky coach to have a winning record.

Paul Brown immediately brought his friend back to the Browns. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported, "We welcome back a football wizard and a gentleman." In 1962, young Browns owner, Art Modell made a decision that shocked the football world. Paul Brown was too big for Modell's Browns. He fired the only head coach the team had ever known. Paul Brown's impact on football and especially the Browns can not be overstated. His on field success is legendary. From 1946-55, the Browns played in the Championship game every year, winning seven. To avoid being run out of town or killed, Modell could not make a mistake in his choice to replace Brown. Luckily, the perfect coach was already in Cleveland. Blanton Collier replaced a legend for the second time. Accepting the position was no easy decision. Paul Brown was his friend. "You have to take it, Blanton." Fortunately, Brown's ego did not prevent him from encouraging his friend.  It would take Collier two years to win a Championship. The Browns completely dismantled the favored Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship.

Before I had ever heard anything about Blanton Collier's football knowledge and coaching skills, I had heard about his kindness and warmth. Everybody loved him. Players, coaches, the press, the fans, everybody. It is astonishing to hear Jim Brown speak of Collier. The brutal fullback sounds downright cuddly in his fondness for his coach. Collier had a great rapport with the press. He brought them into his office to watch game film and grade players. He taught the press football. I wish that someone could do the same for the press today. He did this on the condition that anything negative said of a player in his office stayed in his office. He protected his players. I have always loved the story told by Akron sportswriter Tom Medley.
"One day, Bill Scholl (of the Cleveland Press) and I were at practice. The Browns were trying out a new kicker, and there weren't many people around. Blanton asked us to stand in the end zone and catch this guy's kicks. We did, and it seemed like the balls were dropping from the heavens. We dropped some, and nearly got hit in the head with others. As we walked off the field, Blanton had his arm around me and said, 'The next time you criticize someone for dropping a punt or a kick, I want you to remember this day.' And it worked because I always thought about that when I saw a guy mess up a kick."

Collier's hearing issues only got worse. In fact, his hearing was the major factor in his retirement in 1970. It is amazing that in a profession where so much depends on communication that Collier functioned so well. He became an expert lip reader. He adapted and dealt with his hearing loss as best he could. Collier rarely seemed limited. Of course, some players had some fun with him, but as with everything he took it with grace and a smile.

Blanton Collier deserves to be remembered for all that he brought to football and to all that knew and loved him. I think that he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but I smile when I think that he probably doesn't care if he is remembered in that way. He deserves to be listed with Lombardi, Halas, Ewbank and Stram, but I think that he was happy just to have known them.