Frank Ryan dies at 87; Cerebral quarterback led Browns to ’64 title

Ryan was released by the Browns after the 1968 season and subsequently joined the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders), who hired Lombardi as their coach and general manager. Ryan spent two seasons as Sonny Jurgensen’s backup and saw only brief action, the first year under Lombardi and the second season for Coach Bill Austin after Lombardi’s death from cancer in September 1970.

Ryan retired with 16,042 passing yards and a 51.1 percent completion percentage. He was voted to the Pro Bowl every season from 1964 to 1966. And he led the NFL in touchdown passes in 1964, with 25, and in 1966, with 29.

In addition to his son Frank, he is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joan Ryan, a former sports columnist for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Washington Post; three other sons, Michael, Stuart and Heberden; a sister, Patricia Ryan; 11 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild, with another “on the way,” his son Frank said. A brother, Robert W. Ryan Jr., predeceased him.

Ryan lived in Grafton, Virginia, for many years before moving to the healthcare facility in Connecticut.

Ryan donated his brain to the Boston University CTE Center, which researches chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disorder similar to Alzheimer’s disease caused by repetitive head injuries and linked to football and other contact sports. His family said in a statement that they suspected CTE may have “played a role” in Ryan’s condition.

“There’s a lot of exploitation in football, a lot of deception about what the real values ​​of life and of doing are,” Ryan told Peter Richmond for the website Sports on Earth in 2013, reflecting on his dual career and the world of the big players. time college football. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t have football in all its glory, but the players need to focus on something other than running a 4.5 forty.”

Bernard Mokam reporting contributed.