He was Speedie, but slow to get into HOF
By STEVE KING
He was Speedie, but it took a long time for the former Browns wide receiver to be recognized for his greatness.
It was so long, in fact, that Mac Speedie, unfortunately, didn’t live long enough to see the day.
As such, then, Speedie, who died over 28 years ago, in 1993, will be formally inducted posthumously into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. He was actually enshrined last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the induct ceremony.
Speedie, who played the first seven seasons of the Browns’ existence, from 1946-52, combined with fellow HOF wide receiver Dante Lavelli and HOF quarterback Otto Graham to give the Browns a lethal – almost unstoppable — passing attack during the early days of the franchise. It was a key reason why the Browns played in seven straight league championship games during that time, winning all four titles in the short-lived All-America Football Conference from 1946-49, and then another one in the NFL in 1950 after the club was absorbed into that league along with the San Francisco 49ers and the first version of the Baltimore Colts.
Lavelli, who played for the Browns for their first 11 seasons, from 1946-56, had great statistics – that’s a big part of the reason why he’s in the HOF, that and his contributions to the Browns’ incredible sustained success. But in the seven years that he and Lavelli played together in Cleveland, Speedie’s numbers were better. He led the AAFC in receptions for three straight seasons, 1947-49, and then did so in the NFL in his final season with the Browns in 1952.
So why, then, did it take Speedie until now to get into Hall whereas Lavelli was inducted 46 years ago, in 1975?
There are several reasons.
Speedie left the Browns following the 1952 season to sign for big money to play – in obscurity — in Canada. Meanwhile, Lavelli remained with the Browns and continued to put up big numbers while the Browns kept winning, making it to three consecutive NFL Championship Games from 1953-55 and winning two titles. That kept Lavelli in the limelight.
Lavelli, who died in 2009, was from Hudson in northern Summit County, played at Ohio State and remained in Cleveland following his retirement, staying very visible while owning an appliance store. Speedie was born in Illinois, went to high school in Salt Lake City and played at Utah. He lived out West following his departure from Cleveland. So he disappeared from the sight of the members of the HOF Selection Committee. This voting process is not scientific. Humans – with likes and dislikes and certain belief systems – cast those ballots.
In addition, Lavelli became Graham’s go-to receiver almost from the start, and as such made a lot of big catches. He grabbed the winning touchdown pass in the 1946 AAFC Championship Game as the Browns rallied to edge the stubborn New York Yankees 14-9, and a cohesive bond between the two players was built. After the Browns moved to the NFL, Lavelli caught two TD passes from Graham in the 1950 league title game, which the Browns won, and another one in the 1955 championship contest, in which they also triumphed.
But the main thing is that Mac Speedie is finally getting his due, even if it took a long, long time for it to happen.
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