Blanton Collier
Encyclopedia
Blanton Long Collier was an American football
coach who led the University of Kentucky
(1954–1961) and the Cleveland Browns
(1963–1970). His 1964 Browns team
is the most recent Cleveland team to win a professional sports championship.
's Georgetown College, Collier went to work at Paris High School
, where he coached several sports. After enlisting in the Navy
during World War II
, he was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago
, where he met Paul Brown
, who was in charge of the station's football team. When Brown took charge of the new Cleveland Browns
after the war, he took Collier along as an assistant. Collier served under Brown from 1946 to 1953, a period in which the team won all four titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference
(AAFC) before moving to the National Football League
(NFL) in 1950. That season the Browns captured the NFL title and then reached the championship game in each of the next five seasons, winning two more championships.
left the University of Kentucky
after the 1953 season, Collier accepted an offer to return to his home state. Collier had several future star coaches serve as assistants under him at Kentucky, including Don Shula
, Chuck Knox
, Howard Schnellenberger
, Bill Arnsparger
, Ermal Allen, Ed Rutledge, John North, and Bob Cummings. Standout players at Kentucky under Collier included Lou Michaels
and Schnellenberger.
UK went 41–36–3, and 5–2–1 against arch-rival Tennessee
, under Collier. Notable wins included a victory at #15 Georgia Tech
in 1954 and defeats #8 Ole Miss
, #17 Tennessee in 1955, #12 Tennessee in 1957, and #20 Tennessee in 1959. However, Bear Bryant's shoes were hard to fill and Kentucky fired Collier in January 1962. Collier returned to Brown's staff in Cleveland. Collier is the last coach at Kentucky to have a career winning record there. The core of the team that Collier recruited formed the basis of the Thin Thirty
. Collier's successor, Charlie Bradshaw, thinned the ranks from 88 to 30 players, that brutal season being chronicled in a book, The Thin Thirty, by Shannon Ragland.
felt Brown had too much control and did not respect Modell's authority as team majority owner. Brown and Modell skirmished over the team's treatment of Ernie Davis
and Brown's old-school discipline had stopped going over well with the players, especially Jim Brown
and Bernie Parrish
. After a 7–6–1 season in 1962, Modell fired coach Brown and offered the head coaching job to Collier. Collier only took the job at Paul Brown's insistence, as Brown acknowledged that Collier had a family to support and thus could not refuse the opportunity; nonetheless, Brown himself had hard feelings toward Collier for replacing him.
Coach Collier earned his players' respect by giving them more leeway both on and off the field. He let quarterback Frank Ryan
change plays at the line of scrimmage and allowed more flexibility in pass routes and blocking schemes.
The changes paid off. In 1963, the team finished 10–4, and Jim Brown broke the NFL
's single-season rushing record with 1,863 yards. The following season the Browns went 10–3–1 and upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts
, 27–0, in the league championship
. Another Eastern Conference title followed in 1965, but the team lost the title game
to the Green Bay Packers
. Despite Jim Brown's retirement after the 1965 season, the Browns ran off another four consecutive winning seasons and went to the NFL championship game in 1968 and 1969.
Collier was a quiet but emotional man. When a player fell asleep during a film session, Collier did not yell at the player as Paul Brown would have done, but instead criticized himself for not making the session interesting enough. Collier had great respect for black players, which helped endear him to Jim Brown and his teammates.
Browns' fans remember Collier's tenure as a golden age of Browns' football. The team was not shut out in any game and giant Cleveland Stadium
sold out for almost every game played during Collier's stint in Cleveland
.
Somehow Collier managed to achieve his success while going nearly deaf. Hearing loss forced him out of the head-coaching job after the 1970 season. He continued to work for the Browns as a college scout.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach who led the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
(1954–1961) and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1963–1970). His 1964 Browns team
1964 Cleveland Browns season
The 1964 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 15th season with the National Football League. The Browns' championship is the most recent championship by a professional sports team in the Cleveland area.-The Upset Heard 'Round Pro Football World:...
is the most recent Cleveland team to win a professional sports championship.
Career
After graduating from KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's Georgetown College, Collier went to work at Paris High School
Paris High School (Paris, Kentucky)
Paris High School is a public high school school in Paris, Kentucky, United States.-Athletics:* Baseball * Basketball * Cheerleading squad * Cross country team * Powerlifting...
, where he coached several sports. After enlisting in the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he met Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
, who was in charge of the station's football team. When Brown took charge of the new Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after the war, he took Collier along as an assistant. Collier served under Brown from 1946 to 1953, a period in which the team won all four titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
(AAFC) before moving to the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) in 1950. That season the Browns captured the NFL title and then reached the championship game in each of the next five seasons, winning two more championships.
University of Kentucky
When Paul "Bear" BryantBear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
left the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
after the 1953 season, Collier accepted an offer to return to his home state. Collier had several future star coaches serve as assistants under him at Kentucky, including Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, Chuck Knox
Chuck Knox
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with...
, Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season...
, Bill Arnsparger
Bill Arnsparger
William Stephen "Bill" Arnsparger is a former American college and professional football coach.- Early years :Arnsparger was born in Paris, Kentucky in 1926. He attended Paris High School, and became connected with the school's longtime football and basketball coach, Blanton Collier...
, Ermal Allen, Ed Rutledge, John North, and Bob Cummings. Standout players at Kentucky under Collier included Lou Michaels
Lou Michaels
Lou Michaels is a former American football player who was a standout defensive lineman for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, 1955-57. After Kentucky's victory over archrival Tennessee in 1957, Michaels was quoted as saying, "Nothing sucks like a Big Orange." Michaels later played pro football...
and Schnellenberger.
UK went 41–36–3, and 5–2–1 against arch-rival Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, under Collier. Notable wins included a victory at #15 Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 1954 and defeats #8 Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
, #17 Tennessee in 1955, #12 Tennessee in 1957, and #20 Tennessee in 1959. However, Bear Bryant's shoes were hard to fill and Kentucky fired Collier in January 1962. Collier returned to Brown's staff in Cleveland. Collier is the last coach at Kentucky to have a career winning record there. The core of the team that Collier recruited formed the basis of the Thin Thirty
Thin Thirty
The Thin Thirty refers to the 1962 football team at the University of Kentucky. Coached by Charlie Bradshaw, a Bear Bryant disciple, the team was thinned by his brutal methods from 88 players to just 30. While the team's record was just 3-5-2, it did include a dramatic victory in the season finale...
. Collier's successor, Charlie Bradshaw, thinned the ranks from 88 to 30 players, that brutal season being chronicled in a book, The Thin Thirty, by Shannon Ragland.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns that Collier returned to did not resemble the championship teams of the 1950s. Other teams had caught up to coach Paul Brown's strategies. New owner Art ModellArt Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
felt Brown had too much control and did not respect Modell's authority as team majority owner. Brown and Modell skirmished over the team's treatment of Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis
Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...
and Brown's old-school discipline had stopped going over well with the players, especially Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
and Bernie Parrish
Bernie Parrish
Bernard Paul "Bernie" Parrish is a former American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League and American Football League for eight seasons during the 1950s and 1960s...
. After a 7–6–1 season in 1962, Modell fired coach Brown and offered the head coaching job to Collier. Collier only took the job at Paul Brown's insistence, as Brown acknowledged that Collier had a family to support and thus could not refuse the opportunity; nonetheless, Brown himself had hard feelings toward Collier for replacing him.
Coach Collier earned his players' respect by giving them more leeway both on and off the field. He let quarterback Frank Ryan
Frank Ryan (American football)
Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps...
change plays at the line of scrimmage and allowed more flexibility in pass routes and blocking schemes.
The changes paid off. In 1963, the team finished 10–4, and Jim Brown broke the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's single-season rushing record with 1,863 yards. The following season the Browns went 10–3–1 and upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
, 27–0, in the league championship
NFL Championship Game, 1964
The 1964 National Football League championship game was the 32nd annual championship game. The NFL title game was held on December 27, 1964 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio before a crowd of 79,544...
. Another Eastern Conference title followed in 1965, but the team lost the title game
NFL Championship Game, 1965
The 1965 National Football League Championship game was the 33rd championship game for the NFL. The game was played on January 2, 1966 at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin. The game matched the Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Browns who were the defending NFL champions...
to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Despite Jim Brown's retirement after the 1965 season, the Browns ran off another four consecutive winning seasons and went to the NFL championship game in 1968 and 1969.
Collier was a quiet but emotional man. When a player fell asleep during a film session, Collier did not yell at the player as Paul Brown would have done, but instead criticized himself for not making the session interesting enough. Collier had great respect for black players, which helped endear him to Jim Brown and his teammates.
Browns' fans remember Collier's tenure as a golden age of Browns' football. The team was not shut out in any game and giant Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
sold out for almost every game played during Collier's stint in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Somehow Collier managed to achieve his success while going nearly deaf. Hearing loss forced him out of the head-coaching job after the 1970 season. He continued to work for the Browns as a college scout.
College
NFL
| Team | |Regular Season | CLE 1963 Cleveland Browns season The 1963 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 14th season with the National Football League.-Exhibition schedule:-Regular season schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
1963 1963 NFL season The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;... |
10 | 4 | 0 | 71.4 | 2nd in Eastern Conference | - | - | - | - |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE 1964 Cleveland Browns season The 1964 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 15th season with the National Football League. The Browns' championship is the most recent championship by a professional sports team in the Cleveland area.-The Upset Heard 'Round Pro Football World:... |
1964 1964 NFL season The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to... |
10 | 3 | 1 | 76.9 | 1st in Eastern Conference | 1 | 0 | 100.0 | Beat Baltimore Colts in NFL championship game | ||
| CLE 1965 Cleveland Browns season The 1965 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 16th season with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Exhibition schedule:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:... |
1965 1965 NFL season The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the... |
11 | 3 | 0 | 78.6 | 1st in Eastern Conference | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | Lost to Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... in NFL Championship game |
||
| CLE 1966 Cleveland Browns season The 1966 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 17th season with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1966 NFL Draft.-Exhibition schedule:-Regular season schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
1966 1966 NFL season The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams... |
9 | 5 | 0 | 64.3 | 2nd in Eastern Conference | - | - | - | |||
| CLE 1967 Cleveland Browns season The 1967 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 18th season with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1967 NFL Draft.-Exhibition schedule:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:... |
1967 1967 NFL season The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and... |
9 | 5 | 0 | 64.3 | 1st in Century Division | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | Lost to Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... in Eastern conference championship game |
||
| CLE 1968 Cleveland Browns season The 1968 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 19th season with the National Football League.The Browns made it to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year thanks to a 8-game winning streak and the brillant play of quarterback Bill Nelsen who replaced Frank Ryan as the starting quarterback prior to... |
1968 1968 NFL season The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The... |
10 | 4 | 0 | 71.4 | 1st in Century Division | 1 | 1 | 50.0 | Beat Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... in Eastern Conference championship game, lost to Baltimore Colts in NFL championship game |
||
| CLE 1969 Cleveland Browns season The 1969 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 20th season with the National Football League and the last before the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1969 NFL Draft.-Preseason:... |
1969 1969 NFL season The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the... |
10 | 3 | 1 | 76.9 | 1st in Century Division | 1 | 1 | 50.0 | Beat Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... in Eastern Conference championship game, lost to Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... in NFL championship game |
||
| CLE 1970 Cleveland Browns season The 1970 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 21st season with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:The following were selected in the 1970 NFL Draft.-Exhibition schedule:-Regular season schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
1970 1970 NFL season The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new... |
7 | 7 | 0 | 50.0 | 2nd in AFC Central | - | - | - | |||
| CLE Total | 76 | 34 | 2 | 69.1 | 3 | 4 | 42.9 | |||||
Additional sources
- Carroll, Bob, et al. (1999). Total Football II. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-270174-6.
- Grossi, Tony (2004). Tales from the Browns Sideline. (Champaign, Ill.): Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-713-9.
- Levy, Bill (1965). Return to Glory: the Story of the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland, OH: The World Publishing Co. LCCN 65023356.
- MacCambridge, Michael (2004). America's Game. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50454-0.