1964 Title Team Lives On

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The recent passing of safety/holder Bobby Franklin last week, and defensive tackle Frank Parker about a month before that, on April 23, at the ages of 88 and 85, respectively, got me to thinking that the Browns’ 1964 NFL championship team was just about gone.

That is, I wondered if almost all of the players on that club, the last in Browns history to win a league title with that memorable 27-0 victory over the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts two days after Christmas 60 years and five months ago at Cleveland Stadium, had passed on.

Not so, long shot, thankfully.

Sure, a lot of players — 23 — have died, for six decades is definitely a long time, but there are still 13 players of the 33-man roster, or just under 40 percent (39.4), very much alive.

There is a tie for the oldest player, at 90, between left defensive end Paul Wiggin who was born on Nov. 18, 1934 in Modesto, Cal. and such if officially the oldest by about two months, and right cornerback Walter Beach, born on Jan. 31, 1935 in Pontiac, Mich.

Next on the list is 88 year-old John Wooten, a left guard who was born Dec. 5, 1936 in Clarksville, Tex.

Here are the 10 remaining players, in descending order of age:

*Defensive tackle Roger Shoals, 85 — Dec. 13, 1938 in Baltimore.

*Right tackle John Brown, 85 — June 9, 1939 in Camden, N.J.

*Wide receiver Clifton “Sticks” McNeil, 84 — May 25, 1940 in Mobile, Ala.

*Wide receiver Gary Collins, 84 —Aug. 20, 1940 in Williamstown, Pa.

*Strong safety Larry Benz, 84 — Jan. 28, 1941 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

*Defensive back Lowell Caylor, 83 — June 17, 1941 in Dayton.

*Defensive tackle Jim Kanicki, 83 — Dec. 17, 1941 in Bay City, Mich.

*Wide receiver/kick returner Walter “The Flea” Roberts, 83 — Feb. 15, 1942 in Texarkana, Tex.

*Running back/punt returner Leroy Kelly, 83 — May 20, 1942 in Philadelphia.

*Wide receiver Paul Warfield, 82 — Nov. 28, 1942 in Warren.