Throwback Thursday: John Wooten

This Flea Flicker was originally posted on 3/29/12


One of the most intriguing yet least known football players over the last sixty years has to be John Wooten. I first saw his name popping up while reading about Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown. Fitting, as they've been teammates and life long friends. Some have referred to John Wooten as the "Godfather of the NFL." All of his adult life has been spent in the league and his impact has been remarkable.

Wooten was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1959 NFL Draft out of the University of Colorado. As a guard he helped pave the way for Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. He spent his final season with the Washington Redskins in 1968. His Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship. Wooten was a talented football player often overshadowed by teammates on terrific Browns teams. He was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 1965 and 1966 seasons. Jim Brown called him "one of the brightest football players the game has seen." In 2010, Wooten was inducted into the Browns Legends.

While Wooten enjoyed a solid football playing career, his greatest impact on football has been off the playing field. Jim Brown has always carried a strong voice in the treatment and progress of blacks. He has never been afraid to speak his mind. It's in this arena that I really started taking notice of John Wooten's impact on the game and more importantly, society. He was often the action behind Brown's voice. Wooten knew everyone. When you see the iconic photos of Jim Brown meeting with black athletes like Muhamad Ali, Lew Alcindor, Bill Russell, etc. it was often Wooten that got them all together. His voice may not have been as intimidating and as loud as Brown's but it was often as effective, perhaps more so. Wooten got people together and got things moving in the right direction.

After his playing career, Wooten worked in the front offices of the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. He credits much of his football knowledge to his coach in Cleveland, Paul Brown. That's a good place to start on the field as well as in building a team. Few have ever done it better. Wooten worked for the Cowboys from 1975-91. His best known act is one that's quite painful to a Minnesota Vikings fan like myself. As the Cowboys Director of Pro Scouting he helped put together the Herschel Walker trade. A trade that built a Champion in Dallas and did not in Minnesota. From 1992-98 he worked for the Eagles. He was later part of another championship team in Baltimore. The Ravens are a team with a direct tie to the Cleveland Browns team for which he played.

In 2003, Wooten made a different and greater impact on the game. With Johnnie Cochran, labor attorney Cyrus Mehri and Kellen Winslow, Wooten was instrumental in the formation of the Fritz Pollard Alliance. Named for the pioneering Hall of Fame football player and coach of the 1920s. Their objective was promoting diversity and equality in the NFL's hiring practices. As chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, Wooten worked closely with the NFL decision makers. His work with Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney resulted in the Rooney Rule. NFL teams now have to interview at least one minority for any head coaching vacancy. NFL Executive Vice President for Football Operations Ray Anderson acknowledged Wooten and Rooney as "two gentleman who have made more of a difference for the cause of equal opportunity and diversity in the NFL than anyone that has graced our business." John Wooten's contributions to the NFL are incredible and lasting. He should be better known for the fine football player that he was and tremendous activist that he's always been.