NFL Championship Game, 1951
Encyclopedia
In the 1951
National Football League
Championship Game, the Los Angeles Rams
defeated the Cleveland Browns
, 24–17, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
in Los Angeles, California
on December 23, 1951. This Championship Game was the first one televised coast-to-coast. The DuMont Network
purchased the rights to do so from the NFL for $95,000. This was the 19th title game in NFL history.
The Rams were the first to score with a 1-yard run by fullback Dick Hoerner
in the second quarter. The Browns answered back with an NFL Championship record 52-yard field goal by Lou Groza
. They later took the lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Otto Graham
to Dub Jones. The Browns take the lead at halftime 10–7.
In the third quarter Larry Brink
landed a hard tackle on Graham causing him to fumble the ball. Andy Robustelli
picked up the ball on the Cleveland 24 and returned it to the Cleveland 2. On the third play of the drive, "Deacon" Dan Towler
ran the ball in for a touchdown from the one yard line giving the Rams a 14–10 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Rams increased their lead with a Bob Waterfield
17-yard field goal. The Browns answered back with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Ken Carpenter, tying the game at 17–17. Twenty-five seconds later late in the fourth quarter, Tom Fears
beat defenders Cliff Lewis and Tommy James
and received a Norm Van Brocklin
pass at midfield. Fears raced to the endzone for a 73-yard touchdown, securing a Rams 24–17 win and the 1951 NFL title. This would be the last NFL Title for the Rams until Super Bowl XXXIV
48 years later.
1951 NFL season
The 1951 NFL season was the 32nd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Baltimore Colts owner Abraham Watner faced financial difficulties, and thus gave his team and its player contracts back to the league for $50,000. However, many Baltimore fans started to protest...
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...
Championship Game, the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
defeated 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...
, 24–17, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on December 23, 1951. This Championship Game was the first one televised coast-to-coast. The DuMont Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
purchased the rights to do so from the NFL for $95,000. This was the 19th title game in NFL history.
The Rams were the first to score with a 1-yard run by fullback Dick Hoerner
Dick Hoerner
Lester Junior "Dick" Hoerner was an American football player. He played fullback for the University of Iowa in 1942 and 1946 and for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1951...
in the second quarter. The Browns answered back with an NFL Championship record 52-yard field goal by Lou Groza
Lou Groza
Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
. They later took the lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
to Dub Jones. The Browns take the lead at halftime 10–7.
In the third quarter Larry Brink
Larry Brink
Lawrence Raymond Brink is a former American football defensive lineman who played seven seasons in the National Football League.-Early life and education:...
landed a hard tackle on Graham causing him to fumble the ball. Andy Robustelli
Andy Robustelli
Andrew Richard "Andy" Robustelli was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Giants. He played college football at Arnold College and was drafted in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft...
picked up the ball on the Cleveland 24 and returned it to the Cleveland 2. On the third play of the drive, "Deacon" Dan Towler
Dan Towler
"Deacon" Dan Towler was a National Football League running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1950 through 1955. He was the NFL leading rusher in 1952...
ran the ball in for a touchdown from the one yard line giving the Rams a 14–10 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Rams increased their lead with a Bob Waterfield
Bob Waterfield
Robert "Bob" Stanton Waterfield was an American football player.Waterfield attended Van Nuys High School, in Van Nuys, California and went on to play college football for UCLA. In 1943 he led the Bruins to the Pacific Coast Conference football championship...
17-yard field goal. The Browns answered back with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Ken Carpenter, tying the game at 17–17. Twenty-five seconds later late in the fourth quarter, Tom Fears
Tom Fears
Thomas Jesse Fears was a Mexican-American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League, playing nine seasons from 1948 to 1956.-Early life:...
beat defenders Cliff Lewis and Tommy James
Tommy James (football player)
Thomas L. "Tommy" James, Jr. was a former professional American football cornerback.James played for Paul Brown at Massillon High School and Ohio State before rejoining him with him the Cleveland Browns in 1948 after a year in Detroit.James started at right cornerback in 1948 and intercepted four...
and received a Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
pass at midfield. Fears raced to the endzone for a 73-yard touchdown, securing a Rams 24–17 win and the 1951 NFL title. This would be the last NFL Title for the Rams until Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
48 years later.
Scoring summary
- RAM - TD, Hoerner 1 run (Waterfield kick) 7-0 LA
- CLE - FG, Groza 52 7-3 LA
- CLE - TD, Jones 17 pass from Graham (Groza kick) 10-7 CLE
- RAM - TD, Towler 1 run (Waterfield kick) 14-10 LA
- RAM - FG, Waterfield 17 17-10 LA
- CLE - TD, Carpenter 5 run (Groza kick) 17-17 TIE
- RAM - TD, Fears 73 pass from Van Brocklin (Waterfield kick) 24-17 LA