Mac Speedie

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Lore & Background

Speedie's success stemmed from a unique physical history; as a child, he suffered from Perthes Disease, requiring him to wear a brace for four years which left one leg shorter than the other. This condition created an odd gait that teammate Dante Lavelli noted allowed Speedie to fake plays without even trying. On October 5, 1947, against the Buffalo Bills, Speedie tied a professional football record by catching a throw from quarterback Otto Graham and running 99 yards for a touchdown. That season, he finished with 67 catches and 1,146 receiving yards, setting a new professional football record at the time that surpassed Don Hutson's previous highs. In 1949, Speedie recorded 228 receiving yards against the New York Yankees; while this was a remarkable performance, it was eventually surpassed as a Browns single-game record by Ozzie Newsome (256 yards) in 1980. Although Tom Landry is often associated with that era, his professional tenure did not begin until 1950, so he was not on the Yankees roster during Speedie's 1949 standout game. Despite his on-field brilliance, friction with head coach Paul Brown led to an acrimonious departure; in 1952, Speedie brought a skunk named "Paul" to training camp to express his displeasure before leaving for the Western Interprovincial Football Union.

In Their Own Story

The Cleveland Browns entered the AAFC in 1946 as a new team, and Speedie joined immediately after being signed by Jackie Ranen for $7,000. In that inaugural season, he caught the first touchdown in the league's existence during a 44–0 win over the Miami Seahawks. The Browns won the league championship every year between 1946 and 1949. However, off-field drama occasionally erupted; during the week before the 1946 championship game against the New York Yankees, Speedie and teammates Lou Rymkus and Jim Daniell were arrested after an argument with Cleveland police while waiting for Speedie's wife to return from Utah. While Brown kicked Daniell off the team, Speedie was not punished by the franchise despite being held in custody for several hours. The Browns merged into the NFL in 1950 and won another championship that year, silencing skeptics who doubted their AAFC success. Speedie led the league in receiving in 1951 but missed the championship game due to injury. After two more years with the team, including a Pro Bowl selection in 1952, he departed for Canada amid conflicts with Brown's domineering style.

Reader's Guide

Mac Speedie's professional timeline began when Paul Brown's new AAFC team signed him in 1946 following his four-year service in the U.S. Army during World War II. Before joining the Browns, he had been drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1942 but chose to wait until after the war, even as Fred Mandel offered a $2,800 contract. Speedie eventually signed with Brown for $7,000, becoming a key part of an offensive attack featuring Otto Graham and Marion Motley. His career stats were staggering: he led the league in receptions four times and held an average of 50 yards per game that stood for two decades. After leaving the Browns for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he played two full seasons and one game of a third, Speedie moved into coaching. He was hired as an end coach for the Houston Oilers in 1960, winning an AFL championship before moving to the Denver Broncos as an assistant. Promoted to head coach in 1964, his two-year run was unsuccessful, leading to his resignation in 1966. He then served as a scout for the Broncos until retiring in 1982.

Did You Know?

• Speedie overcame Perthes Disease as a child, wearing a brace for four years which resulted in one leg being shorter than the other.
• In 1947, Speedie tied a professional football record by catching a pass from Otto Graham and returning it 99 yards for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills on October 5.
• Speedie brought a skunk named 'Paul' to the Browns' 1952 training camp as a joke directed at head coach Paul Brown before leaving the team.
• Mac Speedie set a new professional football record in 1947 with 1,146 receiving yards, surpassing all previous totals including Don Hutson's career highs.
• Speedie was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1942 but did not sign until after World War II, joining the Browns instead for $7,000.